Leafs' Tanev makes compelling case for Team Canada

The Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild held optional skates at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday. 

With Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Alex Pietrangelo bowing out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Team Canada is suddenly looking for another right-shot rearguard who can soak up some tough minutes. The Leafs believe Chris Tanev is the right man for the job.

"He'd be a great fit," said head coach Craig Berube, who won a Stanley Cup with Pietrangelo in St. Louis. "Looking at their lineup and what Tanny brings, Pietro brings a lot of it, too, with the penalty killing and shutdown stuff. That is Tanny's baby. He is very good at both of those things. He would probably be a good fit for them."

Tanev is in contention, per TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun. But Team Canada is also watching to see how Olympic champion Drew Doughty looks as he returns to the Los Angeles Kings lineup. Doughty has been sidelined since suffering a fractured ankle in September, but will make his season debut on Wednesday. 

If Doughty struggles to get up to speed, the door may be open for Tanev to play for Team Canada for the second time and first time since the 2016 World Championship. 

"The way he plays defensively and, you know, PK-ing, blocking shots, adds a lot of value, [and] I think sometimes goes under appreciated," said Leafs winger William Nylander, who will play for Team Sweden next month. "What he does every night is just incredible."

Tanev is third in the NHL in blocked shots. He often starts shifts in his own end and is regularly matched against the best players on the other side. Despite that, he still leads the Leafs at plus-18. 

"He's a huge part in us winning games," said winger Bobby McMann. "Blocking shots, good sticks, always being in front of their guys, and then making that great first pass. I think that's always overlooked as a huge skill in this league." 

The 35-year-old blueliner is a big reason why the Leafs have survived a rash of injuries to lead the Atlantic Division through 50 games. The Toronto native is providing leadership along with his gritty game.

"He doesn't say much," Nylander noted. "But some games he'll be a little pissed off coming into the locker record after a period or whatever, telling us to step up defensively. I think that's good."

"Not necessarily a rah-rah type," said McMann. "But he's always seeing the game from maybe the defensive side of it and seeing maybe what the forwards could do better, where we can be. He's definitely vocal in bringing those sorts of things up, and strategic-wise how can we maybe get pucks into the zone easier and things like that."

Tanev helped the Dallas Stars reach the Western Conference final last season before signing on with his hometown team. He downplayed the 4 Nations opportunity during a media session on Tuesday saying he wants to keep his focus on the Leafs. 

Tanev's no-nonsense, low-maintenance approach makes him a coach's dream. 

"Very professional, very consistent," Berube said. "I get the same thing every night from him. He's got great composure with the puck too. Like, he makes a lot of little plays out there that maybe go unnoticed a lot of times. You know you're getting the same guy every night."

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The Leafs currently have four players going to the 4 Nations Face-Off, with American centre Auston Matthews, Canadian winger Mitch Marner and Finnish defenceman Jani Hakanpää joining Nylander.

The tournament opens with Canada taking on Sweden on Feb. 12 in Montreal. 

"Telling Matty that we might drop the gloves," Nylander joked. 

Anticipation is growing with the return of best-on-best hockey just around the corner. Team Sweden already has a group chat going. Well, sort of.

"I think somebody set up a team chat," Nylander said. "Nobody said anything."

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The Leafs have held a series of community events recently. A group from Make-A-Wish Canada visited Scotiabank Arena during last Wednesday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"When the kids came into our locker room after the Columbus game that was pretty cool," said winger Nick Robertson. "One of them related to me because their son was a NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] baby and they had my jersey on, so it was pretty cool."

Robertson was born 10-to-12 weeks premature on Sept. 11, 2001. 

On Monday, the team held its annual outdoor practice. 

"You just realize how committed the fans are – especially Monday," Robertson said. "It's cold out and for them to show up like that, it means a lot." 

Wednesday will be Toronto's final home game until Feb. 22. The team is about to embark on a four-game road trip prior to the break.

"We know that we don't have a lot of home games coming up," said McMann. "A lot of big road trips. It's always exciting to play at home. We love it. It's always a different energy at home. I think it will be a little bit more energy and little more special being the last one for a bit."

The Leafs only have one home game in February. After Wednesday's game, Toronto will play 11 of its next 13 games on the road.

"Want to take advantage of our crowd and finish up strong at home here," Robertson said. 

Berube is warning his players to avoid the inclination to put on a show for the fans. 

"Sometimes I think at home your players want to make plays and probably try things they shouldn't a lot of times, instead of just playing a boring game," Berube said. "Take what they give you. That's what I said this morning to our guys, 'Just take what they give you.' We don't want to beat ourselves here. Just take what they give you. They're going to protect in the middle of the ice all night. They're going to do a good job of it. We've got to play behind them. We've got to work for our chances in the offensive zone and get in the inside as much as possible and get pucks there."

The Wild are 18-5-3 on the road this season. No team in the NHL has gained as many points away from home as the Wild. 

"We clearly understand the identity that we need to play with and on the road we've been very committed to that," said coach John Hynes. "From the start, we're ready to start games and we make good decisions to set our game up to give us the best chance to win." 

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The Leafs have scored just two goals in the past two games. 

"We've been creating a lot and, you know, having O-zone possession and stuff," Nylander said. "So, it's all good."

With his usual centre John Tavares currently sidelined with a lower-body injury, Nylander is playing with Pontus Holmberg. 

"He's holding onto pucks, you know, finding me in areas, playing good defensively as well," Nylander said. "So, yeah, it's been nice."

"He can hold the puck really well so that helps me," Holmberg said. "More time in the offensive zone."

Nylander is tied for fifth in the NHL with 28 goals this season. 

"When you're playing with a guy like William Nylander, you get him to puck, like, he's going to do his thing," Berube said. "And he's one of the best I've seen in the league at hanging on to pucks and, you know, cutting back and creating space for himself. He doesn't need help. He needs you to get to the net."

Holmberg has produced just two goals and five assists this season, but Berube believes the 25-year-old has the skill to complement a star. 

"I believe there's a lot more offence there with him," Berube said. "It's about just honing that in a little bit more and more of a confidence thing, I think, with him. He doesn't want to make a mistake, and he's got to kind of change his mindset and be more aggressive, because there's ability there. I do see ability. So, I see more in him than what we're getting."

Playing beside his countryman may help. Holmberg struggled to pick up English upon arriving in North America following a Swedish Hockey League championship run in 2021 with the Vaxjo Lakers. 

"I only speak Swedish to him," Nylander said. 

"It's good for me," said Holmberg. "It can help me to talk Swedish. But it's fine, I understand English."

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With Matthew Knies out with an upper-body issue, McMann has moved up to the top line with Matthews and Marner. 

"I notice that they see everything," he said. "They always know what's happening."

What are the in-game conversations like?  

"It's always coming back to the bench and little things here and there," McMann said. "Like, call for the puck there or try to open up there or trust that they'll get the puck. That's the biggest thing I've learned is that I don't need to go and support them all the time because obviously they're exceptional players and can make plays in tight spaces. So, it's just finding the open ice."

McMann scored Toronto's only goal during Saturday's 2-1 loss in Ottawa.  

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Projected Leafs lineup for Wednesday's game: 

McMann - Matthews - Marner 
Domi - Holmberg - Nylander 
Pacioretty - Minten - Robertson 
Lorentz - Kampf - Reaves 

Rielly - McCabe 
Ekman-Larsson - Tanev 
Benoit - Myers 

Woll starts 
Murray