The Toronto Maple Leafs made a bold move this past summer by signing Chris Tanev to a six-year, $27 million deal.
The deal was fraught with criticism as the then 34-year-old Tanev was far from a sure thing injury-wise.
But Tanev was money in the bank for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. He suited up for 75 games, chipping in three goals and 15 assists for 18 points. His offensive totals won’t knock anyone’s socks off, but Tanev provided precisely what the Leafs were hoping to get.
The Leafs needed a physical, shutdown defenseman. And, that’s what they got.
Even since Jake Muzzin left the club, the Leafs needed a high-end, rugged blue liner who could handle the rigors of playing against the opposition’s best players. Tanev, and partner Jake McCabe, formed one of the best shutdown pairs this past season.
Individually, Tanev showed some interesting numbers during the regular season. He clocked a top skating speed of 22.31 mph, placing him in the 75th percentile in the league. His skating distance was also in the 75th percentile, racking up 210.66 miles, compared to the league average of 135.9.
An interesting stat shows Tanev spending 39.9% of his ice time in the offensive zone. That number unequivocally shows that Tanev, as a defenseman, spent the bulk of his time defending.
The numbers show Tanev spending the vast majority of his ice time in the neutral (17.9%) and defensive (43.8%) zones. But then again, that’s exactly what the Leafs had in mind when they acquired Tanev.
Perhaps the most compelling number is his 189 blocked shots this past season. That number put Tanev sixth in the league, not far off league leader Ian Cole of the Utah Mammoth with 211.
Offensively, well, Tanev’s numbers don’t look very encouraging. But that’s all right because Tanev’s job isn’t putting the puck in the net. His job is to grind the opposition while keeping the puck out of the net.
He did just that, registering a plus-31 on the season.
Now, there is one stat that concerns me. Tanev registered 80 giveaways this past season. That’s a startling jump from his two previous seasons in which he racked up 38 giveaways.
That number could be due to the need to push the puck up ice with stretch passes. Since Tanev isn’t known as a puck-moving defenseman, his efforts to move the puck to the forwards could have led to the increased number of giveaways this season.
Final verdict on Toronto Maple Leafs Chris Tanev
Chris Tanev gets a passing grade in his first season with the Leafs. He was a solid addition during the regular season and the playoffs. He’ll likely continue playing well next season, though questions about his durability may emerge the closer he gets to 40.
Until he shows definitive signs of slowing down or injuries become an issue, Chris Tanev should continue to be a mainstay on the Leafs’ blue line for the foreseeable future.
(Stats provided by NHL Edge, Hockey Refence, and PuckPedia)