Chris Tanev is Week-to-Week, and the Leafs Defense is Already Sweating

The Toronto Maple Leafs just got the exact kind of news that makes their fans stare blankly at a wall in mid-October.

Defenseman Chris Tanev is officially week-to-week with an upper-body injury, according to the team and NHL insider Chris Johnston.

"Chris Tanev is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, per the #leafs"

"Upper-body injury" is hockey's favorite vague diagnosis, meaning Tanev could have a bruised rib or his shoulder could be hanging on by a single tendon. Either way, the Leafs are suddenly down their premier shot-blocking, stay-at-home veteran just a few games into the season.

Toronto is coming off a chaotic 5-4 loss to Utah, dropping them to 1-2 on their recent road trip. Now they have to figure out how to patch a Tanev-sized hole on the blue line as they head back home.

Tanev was brought in specifically to stop the bleeding in Toronto's defensive zone. Losing him this early is a brutal stress test for a roster that historically treats defense as a polite suggestion rather than a requirement.

The Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres tonight and the New York Islanders on Saturday. The total goals market might get a workout in these matchups, because without Tanev eating heavy minutes, Toronto's goaltenders are about to see a lot more rubber.