Hiller calls on Maple Leafs forward to help out D with Tanev ruled week-to-week - TSN

Getty TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 29: Gavin McKenna #92 of the Toronto Maple Leafs playing in his first career NHL game, skates against the Montréal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on September 29, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images) The Toronto Maple Leafs squandered a 4-2 lead and fell 5-4 to the Buffalo Sabres in overtime on Thursday, October 15. The game featured several key talking points, including Kirill Marchenko’s hat trick, Auston Matthews’ strong performance, and some negative developments, such as John Tavares’ injury and head coach Jim Hiller benching Gavin McKenna. The latter decision sparked significant controversy among fans, with some even calling for the coach to be fired for how he handled the prospect. The following day, on Friday’s edition of “The Leafs Morning Take,” Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill discussed the situation. Rosehill, drawing on his experience as a former player, offered his analysis of why Hiller made the decision, while making it clear he disagreed with the head coach’s approach. Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna Benching ‘Got Away’ From Jim Hiller, Rosehill SaysHe said, “Oh look, here’s my take on this thing.

Gavin McKenna played just six minutes and 36 seconds during the Maple Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena. His last shift came midway through the second period. “We had those penalties, I wanted to get him out there, he sat through the penalties, and then I didn’t get him out there through that stretch,” head coach Jim Hiller explained. “And then the last few minutes of the period, we were just trying to get out of the period, I guess you would say, and now I’ve sat him for so long, and he sits in the intermission. So, I probably should’ve got him out there early in the third. I didn’t, so I’ll talk to him about that.”The Leafs were shorthanded twice in the second half of the second period with Oliver Ekman-Larsson getting whistled for high sticking at 14:35 and Morgan Rielly getting called for hooking at 18:07. Zach Benson was called for interference at 18:33, which ended the second Buffalo power play after 26 seconds. McKenna, the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, is not part of Toronto’s penalty-kill rotation. Between the Ekman-Larsson penalty and the Rielly penalty, Kirill Marchenko scored to give the Leafs a 4-2 lead.

The Maple Leafs lost 5-4 to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Wednesday is a travel day for the team with no media availability. The Leafs managed to break even on a challenging road trip, but Jim Hiller is not satisfied. “No. No. No. No,” the coach said. “No, I’m not.”When the Leafs left Toronto for games against the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights, defending Presidents’ Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche and a fast-rising Utah Mammoth team, three points seemed like it would be a good result. So, why was Hiller left with a bitter taste in his mouth as he prepared to fly home? “Well, because we want to win,” he explained. “I mean, we could’ve got five points. So, when [you] say, ‘Are we good with three?’ No, not really. If you would’ve said, ‘Are you happy with five?’ We would’ve said, ‘Absolutely.’”The Leafs certainly had their chances to gain more points. Toronto squandered a 3-0 lead en route to a shootout loss in Vegas to open the trip. After an impressive win in Denver, the Leafs fell into a three-goal hole in Utah before mounting a comeback and coming painfully close to nabbing at least one point against the Mammoth.

IN today’s NHL injury news update, the status of Chris Tanev in Toronto remains unclear and the team might have lost another key player in John Tavares. Meanwhile, Jason Dickinson was unable to play on Thursday vs the Utah Mammoth, but the coach said it wasn’t an ankle injury, which everyone assumed it was. Finally, there is a list of approximately a dozen other issues facing several NHL teams. The Maple Leafs will be without veteran defenseman Chris Tanev for the foreseeable future. Toronto placed Tanev on injured reserve, retroactive to October 10, after he left Saturday’s win over the Colorado Avalanche with an upper-body injury following a collision with Artturi Lehkonen.

There has been plenty of talk regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs’ plans amid the mess that has become the Chris Tanev injury. But according to insider Elliotte Friedman, fans shouldn’t expect a massive move anytime soon. In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the notable insider discussed the Maple Leafs' plans for dealing with the Chris Tanev situation, summing up the strategy in a single sentence. “I think their hope is play through this, this week and see where they are over the next little bit.”The statement suggests that GM John Chayka, while he’s certainly seeing what’s out there, isn’t really compelled to pull the trigger on a major move at this juncture. It seems the expectation is that the current blue line can keep things together, thereby precluding the need for a reactionary move. That’s why the next batch of games will determine if there’s a need for a move sooner rather than later. Of course, everything depends on Tanev’s health. If there’s no indication that he will be returning reasonably soon, circumstances may force Chayka’s hand to do something. Chayka swinging big for next Maple Leafs moveFriedman did point out something interesting.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joins Gino Reda to discuss Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev being ruled week-to-week, speculation around Connor Hellebuyck's return, the price tag for Dylan Larkin, Josh Anderson's future in Montreal and Rick Bowness calling out his team again. October 15, 2026 at 1:00p.m. EDT