Chris Tanev Injury Leaves a Void for the Toronto Maple Leafs

On Saturday night against the Colorado Avalanche, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost Chris Tanev to injury on what seemed like an innocuous play. The injury appeared to happen just 11 minutes into the first period when Tanev received what looked like a harmless bump from Artturi Lehkonen, a play that happens multiple times per night. The blow was enough to aggravate something, with the Maple Leafs placing Tanev on injured reserve following the game.

For the Leafs, the loss of Tanev is a major one given the role the veteran plays as a defensive specialist alongside Jake McCabe. Last year with Tanev in the lineup the Leafs went 6-3-2, while without him they struggled going 26-33-12. It is obvious that the defender's shot-blocking skills and defensive zone starts cannot be immediately replaced internally, forcing the Leafs into a defense by committee approach.

Evaluating Zach Whitecloud as a Maple Leafs Trade Target

Over the weekend rumors began to percolate about a potential trade that would see the Maple Leafs looking to acquire another defenseman in Zach Whitecloud from the Calgary Flames. Interestingly enough, the previous Maple Leafs regime had significant interest in Whitecloud, but due to the bad blood between former General Manager Brad Treliving and the Flames organization, nothing was able to be finalized. This led to the Maple Leafs looking elsewhere for defensive help.

Now, I am not going to say anything negative about Zach Whitecloud. In fact, I am a big fan of Whitecloud and his game dating back to his time as a Vegas Golden Knight. Whitecloud is a 6'2, 210-pound right-handed shot who hits and blocks shots while contributing at even strength and on the penalty kill. Whitecloud is in many respects a coach's dream, the kind of lunch pail guy who will do the right thing all of the time even without being asked. He understands the game and is open to being accountable for his own actions, even if that means taking a beating at the hands of Matthew Knies after a questionable hit in a previous game.

Without question, Whitecloud is the kind of player you want on your team.

The Tactical Fit of Zach Whitecloud on the Leafs Blue Line

Whitecloud grades out as a high-level shutdown defender, but he is far from a transition play driver when it comes to moving the puck. With an average top speed of 20.72 MPH, Whitecloud does not possess the explosive first step or hands needed to carry the puck out of trouble past an opposing team's forecheck, which can limit his options against a heavy neutral zone trap. Because of those physical limitations, his game relies heavily on low-risk passing, relying on quick D-to-D bumps, short outlets up the wall and off-the-glass clears. While the micro-stats highlight him as one of the league's best at puck retrieval and suppressing chances off the rush, his instinct to prioritize safety over possession under pressure limits his transition ceiling compared to puck-moving defenders.

Addressing the Long-Term Needs of the Maple Leafs Defense

The problem however is, as enjoyable as Whitecloud is to watch and how the game he plays translates well to what the Leafs need, it still does not address the major need of the franchise. For as long as I can remember, the Maple Leafs have been in need of a top pairing defender and to John Chayka's credit, this year he went out and acquired Darren Raddysh. But that still leaves a major hole on the Leafs defense, a hole that is only exacerbated by the loss of Tanev.

If the whispers linking the Leafs to Whitecloud are real, it points to one of two stark realities. Either Toronto is gambling everything on a defense by committee, or far more alarming, Chris Tanev's injury is a much darker secret than the front office will admit. If it is the latter, trading for Whitecloud is not an upgrade, it is just desperately swapping parts on a stalled engine.

With limited assets available the Maple Leafs have to be tactful in whichever approach they take moving forward. Without mortgaging the future three years down the road, Toronto must make sure the next swing they take is a home run. With a focus on puck moving and speed, whoever the Maple Leafs add needs to be the right person for the job. If Chris Tanev's season and career continue to head down the same path, maybe that is Whitecloud?

If history has led us to believe anything though, John Chayka does not like to sit on his hands, but he will not rush a move just for the sake of making a change. However, I hope that he uses last season as his barometer and if things begin to trend how they did last year without Tanev, hopefully the Leafs find the help they need on their back end once and for all.