3 reasons why trading for Chris Tanev makes sense for the Maple Leafs
It’s no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs need some help defensively if they hope to seriously contend for a Stanley Cup this spring.
The Maple Leafs can definitely use some help at the blue line if they want to make a major push for a deep playoff run, and a proven talent like Chris Tanev may be a huge help in Toronto. While Morgan Rielly will make an eventual return following his suspension, it still doesn’t mean Toronto wouldn’t benefit from adding an established talent like Tanev.
Quite a few blueliners in their current lineup just haven’t worked out this season, like John Klingberg. But what makes someone like Tanev so special among other defensemen out there rumored to potentially be on the move like Noah Hanifin and Sean Walker? Here are three reasons why he would be such a good fit in Toronto for at least the remainder of the season.
The Maple Leafs could use one more established veteran in the rotation
While Mark Giordano paces the defensive rotation in age, the 40-year-old has only seen time in 35 games this season. Tanev could come in as the second-oldest member in the group and add one more seasoned veteran to a unit that also includes a similar player in T.J. Brodie.
Adding a player with comparable productivity like Tanev may not make a ton of sense from a certain point of view, but we also need to look at how much the Maple Leafs have struggled this season in allowing too many goals to slip by. As of February 13th, that number sits at 163, which ranks 17th in the 32-team league, averaging 3.19 goals allowed per game.
That number won’t cut it in the playoffs, so adding someone like Tanev would be a major help when the team doesn’t have the puck. No, Tanev can’t make saves for goaltenders Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones, but he can at least block a few more would-be shots on goal from getting to the crease.
Tanev’s defensive play has won games for a very average hockey team
It’s true that the Calgary Flames aren’t a bad team, but it’s also true that they aren’t a great one. Middle-of-the-road is the best way to describe Calgary’s current situation, and it’s been that way for quite some time. Sure, they have made some moderately decent playoff runs over the past two decades, but they also haven’t gone deep or seriously contended for the Cup since 2003-04.
Over the past two seasons, Tanev has been stuck playing for that mediocre Flames team, yet he shows up often when it comes to winning games. His overall point shares stand at a modest 2.6, which is tenth on the Flames. But when you flip to his 2.8 defensive point shares, he’s fourth on the team.
His stay-at-home mindset is a huge reason behind this. And as we implied in the previous section, this is the kind of blueliner the Maple Leafs need to finally embark on their own deep playoff run.
This isn’t to say Tanev will be a miracle worker or even provide a ton of help to Toronto. But his play in the defensive zone will translate to Toronto’s big-time scorers like Auston Matthews and William Nylander getting more opportunities that should further translate into wins down the stretch.
Chris Tanev is an affordable asset for the Maple Leafs
While Chris Tanev’s 2023-24 salary of $4.5 million looks rather imposing and hard to come by for the Maple Leafs, he’s also in the final year of his deal. Since he’s an older player, there is no way Tanev would demand such a high salary following the 2023-24 season, so not only is he still an effective player, he can also be more than a rental for Toronto.
For the trade itself to work, Calgary currently has enough cap space to retain up to 50 percent of Tanev’s remaining contract with more than enough room to spare. Toronto could also offset this by sending over a couple of draft picks, either a pair of mid-rounders for this season and next season, or even a first if they see enough value in Tanev.
But this would still put them roughly $1 million over the cap, so they could also get rid of some underperformers in the final year of their deal. Players like William Lagesson and Bobby McMann would work well here.
Neither has much of a future in Toronto, and that may also be the case with Calgary, but the Flames could opt not to re-sign them following the 2023-24 season. To complete the trade, the Maple Leafs can also send one high-end and one middle-of-the-road prospect to Calgary; then if they believe Tanev is a good fit, they would almost certainly re-sign him to a reduced rate next season on a bridge deal.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 13th)