Why Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev is eager to lose that lonely feeling

“You feel like you’re alone a lot when you’re hurt,” the veteran Maple Leafs defenceman said on Friday. “You’re not on the team schedule. You’re not travelling with the team. You’re there (at the rink) after (teammates) get there and before they get there.

“It can get frustrating. Being an athlete and being competitive, you’re always trying to push things, and you might feel good, but you don’t want to do too much to set you back.”

There have been no setbacks for the 36-year-old as he makes his way back to the Leafs lineup after not having played since Dec. 28 .

Injuries became Tanev’s shadow in 2025-26, starting with a concussion and a spinal issue in the early months before a core muscle problem knocked him out of the lineup for good.

Tanev played in just 11 games and it wasn’t a coincidence that the Leafs missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 10 years.

As new coach Jim Hiller and his staff went about making decisions about putting their lines together, there was no hesitation with Tanev.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

He and Jake McCabe, a formidable pair for the Leafs two years ago in the club’s charge to an Atlantic Division title, have been reunited and will be expected to again take leadership of Toronto’s defence corp.

“It’s a nice feeling seeing No. 8 next to me,” McCabe said after the Leafs practised at the Ford Performance Centre. “I can’t say how happy I am to have him back out here with us.”

There was a development on the blue line on Friday as Morgan Rielly, working his way back from a viral issue , skated on the right side on a pairing with Emil Andrae. That came a day after Rielly skated with the Marlies group to open camp.

In turn, Ben Danford was back with the Marlies group and skated alongside Noah Chadwick.

As for Rielly playing on the right side, this was Hiller’s message: Read nothing into it.

“ T hat’s not where we envisioned that,” Hiller said. “We didn’t want to move things all over the place. We can skip that one for now. We just took one guy out, put one guy in.”

Of course, that’s not how Hiller came to reuniting Tanev and McCabe. Should the two do what the can when they’re at their best — play stifling defence while moving the puck up the ice with quickness and accuracy — if it bleeds to the rest of the group remains to be seen.