Maple Leafs list Chris Tanev as week to week with upper-body injury

Chris Tanev is week to week with an upper-body injury, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday, extending the defenseman’s absence after he left Saturday’s game at Colorado. The Canadian Press reported the team’s update ahead of Toronto’s home game against Buffalo.

The Maple Leafs placed Tanev on injured reserve Monday, retroactive to Oct. 10. He played five shifts in the first period of Toronto’s 6-3 win over the Avalanche before leaving. The 36-year-old has one assist in six appearances this season.

Tanev is in the third season of a six-year contract with a $4.5 million annual salary-cap charge. He played 75 games in his first season with Toronto but was limited to 11 last season because of injuries.

Nick Blankenburg has been filling a regular spot on Toronto’s defense, and the team also recalled Marshall Rifai from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Rifai played 9:04 against Utah on Tuesday as Toronto dressed seven defensemen, The Hockey News reported. The Maple Leafs and Sabres both entered Thursday’s matchup with 3-3-1 records.