Toronto Maple Leafs D Christopher Tanev has core muscle surgery, will miss remainder of season

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev underwent core muscle surgery on Wednesday and will miss the remainder of this season.

The Maple Leafs said Tanev is expected to fully participate in training camp in September.

The surgery comes two months after head coach Craig Berube said Tanev was weighing going under the knife. He skated with the team as recently as during the Olympic break.

Maple Leafs D Chris Tanev underwent successful core muscle surgery today in New York City.

He is expected to fully participate in training in September.

— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 4, 2026

Tanev has been out since suffering a groin injury on Dec. 28. He has been limited to just 11 games this season due to various injuries, posting two assists.

A native of Toronto, Tanev is in his 16th NHL season and second with the Leafs, having signed a six-year, $27.5 million deal with the team in the summer of 2024. He carries a cap hit of $4.5 million.

Tanev has appeared in 878 career games with the Leafs, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.