Seven trade destinations to watch for Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev

Credit: Chris Tanev (© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

With less than two months until the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, we’re delivering at least one deadline-focused story every day at Daily Faceoff.

The countdown kicked off with Frank Seravalli’s Trade Targets board. Today, we narrow our focus to one coveted player on that list: rugged Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev.

Daily Faceoff’s 2024 Trade Deadline Countdown: 59 days

Some players earn admiration for their tangible qualities. Others do for their intangible qualities. Calgary Flames blueliner and pending UFA Chris Tanev checks both boxes.

Based on the numbers, he rates among the best defensive defensemen in the game today. Data analyst Jack Fraser’s popular player cards recently placed Tanev in the 100^th percentile in even-strength defense over the past two seasons. He also ranks fifth among all NHLers in shots blocked per 60 at all strengths this season. But if we look at his intangibles, they pop just as much. How many nights a year do we see Tanev leaving a game after blocking a shot, only to return that game or the next? He also brings valuable veteran leadership to the Flames’ room as a 34-year-old in his 14^th season.

So Tanev, then, is precisely the type of player contenders covet, the shutdown top-four guy who literally bleeds for his team. He’ll command a hefty price. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun recently suggested Tanev could command a first-rounder given Ben Chiarot, a poor man’s Tanev at best, fetched one from the Florida Panthers two years ago.

Who are some potential trade fits for the Flames should they decide to move Tanev before the deadline? Consider these seven clubs, listed alphabetically.

Boston Bruins

Why he makes sense: Despite their juggernaut status, the Bruins don’t have great defensive depth behind Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy. Derek Forbort is on injured reserve and the right-shooting Brandon Carlo was forced out of Monday’s game with an injury. McAvoy, Boston’s most important blueliner and also a right shot, tends to get nicked up a lot and has already missed eight games this season. The righty Tanev would provide crucial lineup insurance and fit into Boston’s stingy identity seamlessly.

What it might cost: The Bruins surrendered a first-round pick in their Tyler Bertuzzi acquisition last winter. The pick was top-10 protected, but Boston obviously won’t pick in the top 10 this June, meaning Detroit will get Boston’s pick this year. That means the Bruins don’t have a first-rounder to dangle until 2025. Without a 2024 first, they’d have to consider dipping into their prospect capital given how competitive the market for Tanev will be.

Fly in the ointment: The victims of their own success, the Bruins don’t have a strong farm crop. Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis placed them dead last in his ranking of every team’s pipeline over the summer. So not only do the Bruins lack exciting names to dangle, but they may want to keep the few that they have, including center Mathew Poitras, right winger Fabian Lysell and defenseman Mason Lohrei.

Colorado Avalanche

Why he makes sense: Riding a gargantuan year from superstar Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche look ready to return to their 2022 championship level after their shocking first-round upset last season. Squarely in their win-now years, they’ve shown a willingness to go all-in at the deadline. They landed Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson two years ago. They snagged Lars Eller last season. With Bowen Byram hurt yet again, the Avs look thin on defense behind their elite top pair of Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Largely because of subpar goaltending, Colorado ranks in the bottom half of the league in goals against per game. Tanev could help suppress the high-danger chances.

What it might cost: The Avs have their 2024 first-rounder but not their second- or third-rounder. Their prospect pool isn’t very robust, but they strengthened it with two first-round picks last June in center Calum Ritchie and defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev. Colorado has proven willing to sacrifice a top prospect in the past, having moved 2020 first-rounder Justin Barron in the Lehkonen deal, albeit Joe Sakic was still GM then and had not yet passed the reins to Chris MacFarland.

Fly in the ointment: With Toews’ extension kicking in and spiking his cap hit to $7.25 million next season, the Avs have almost $86 million committed for next season already. That would make Tanev a pure rental with little chance of re-signing.

Dallas Stars

Why he makes sense: The Stars will be without star defenseman Miro Heiskanen for the forseeable future. He’s a left shot but typically plays the right side, so it’s the right side where Dallas needs help at the moment. Enter Tanev, who can’t offer any of Heiskanen’s offensive abilities but could eat a lot of minutes against stiff competition and on the penalty kill. Even once Heiskanen is back, Tanev would be a welcome presence in Dallas’ top four.

What it might cost: The Stars own each of their next first-round picks and also have some really exciting higher-end prospects to entice a seller team. Even if GM Jim Nill is loath to part with one of his stud AHL scorers in Logan Stankoven or Mavrik Bourque, Lian Bichsel could be a name to watch given the presence of youngsters Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist at the NHL level. Lundkvist, healthy scratched multiple times this season before the Heiskanen injury, might be the easiest to pry loose.

Fly in the ointment: Dallas is capped out at the moment, spending to the upper limit and with no big chunks of change stashed on LTIR. Taking on Tanev’s $4.5 million cap hit could require salary retention and/or money in, money out as part of the trade – unless they place Heiskanen on LTIR until the playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers

Why he makes sense: General manager Ken Holland’s contract expires after this season. Why not ride or die for a team that is approaching a Cup-or-bust juncture? It would be quite the understatement to call Tanev an upgrade over Cody Ceci in the top four.

What it might cost: The Oilers already gave up a first-rounder and a higher-end prospect (Reid Schaefer) in their trade for Mattias Ekholm last winter. The trade worked out great for Edmonton, though, so maybe Holland isn’t afraid to take a swing again with the 2024 first-rounder. If the Flames want to target a young player looking for a bigger opportunity, would GM Craig Conroy kick the tires on a Philip Broberg or Dylan Holloway?

Fly in the ointment: Even if we set aside the Oilers’ obvious lack of cap space, there’s the Battle of Alberta rivalry factor. Personally, I think the “can’t trade in your division” adage is mostly a myth, but the Oilers and Flames are an exception. They’ve made two trades in the past decade. Their last one came in 2019.

New Jersey Devils

Why he makes sense: Is there anyone left to play for the Devils at this point? Sheesh. Their wounded forwards include Jack Hughes, Timo Meier and Ondrej Palat. Their top pair of Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler resides on IR right now, too. But the Devils have so much overall talent that they could still survive without their stars and make a run if they get healthy in time for the playoffs. Tanev could provide immediate injury relief as a minute-muncher and give the Devils a better chance at staying alive until Hamilton’s projected return from a pectoral injury, which might not come until the later rounds of the postseason.

What it might cost: The Devils dipped into their loaded prospect pool to surrender Shakir Mukhamadullin as the centerpiece of the Meier trade with San Jose last season. They are inching closer to the point at which their best young players are graduating and becoming key, untradeable contributors in the present – like Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec and Alexander Holtz. No way GM Tom Fitzgerald puts them play. He does have the Devils’ 2024 first-rounder to play with.

Fly in the ointment: The Devils rank dead last in the NHL in save percentage. Vitek Vanecek and now-demoted Akira Schmid have flopped spectacularly. If the Devils want surrender future assets to pursue upgrades, goaltender is the priority position to address. All their returning skaters will almost feel like deadline acquisitions for the stretch run anyway.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Why he makes sense: This one barely needs an explanation. Leafs GM Brad Treliving wants to solidify his team’s blueline and already pursued – and signed – Tanev to his current contract while GM of the Calgary Flames. Tanev’s meat-and-potatoes work ethic and leadership embody everything Toronto needs if it hopes to make it deeper than Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs this year.

What it might cost: The Leafs are so all-in that, perhaps more than most other suitors, they might be willing to make a young NHL-caliber roster player available should the Flames prefer that type of return. Nick Robertson is still young enough to have perceivable upside but can’t seem to avoid those healthy scratches. If the Leafs don’t trust him enough to make him an everyday lineup fixture, why not cash out while he still owns unlockable potential? Prospect defenseman Topi Niemela comes to mind as an option too. Since the Leafs would seem more likely than most to try and re-sign the Toronto native Tanev, they might be willing to pay a bigger price. If not a prospect, they have their 2024 first-round pick as a chip.

Fly in the ointment: It wasn’t the Treliving regime, but the Leafs spent a lot at the trade deadline last year. They dealt away two first-round picks before then-GM Kyle Dubas recouped one in the Rasmus Sandin trade with the Washington Capitals. With Auston Matthews’ and William Nylander’s’ monster extensions kicking in next season, it will be more important than ever for Toronto to harvest help from within on entry-level cap hits. That’s where the first-round picks come in.

Vancouver Canucks

Why he makes sense: The Canucks have been one of 2023-24’s most exciting and surprising hockey stories, going from outside the playoffs last year to an absolute wagon under coach Rich Tocchet. Vancouver has high-end skill in spades at every position but could really fortify an already-deep D-corps with Tanev, who spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Canucks and could presumably re-enter their dressing room pretty seamlessly.

What it might cost: The Canucks own their next three first-rounders. Between GM Patrik Allvin and president of hockey ops Jim Rutherford, there isn’t a more aggressive trading team in the league right now, so anything is possible. If the Flames want a high-upside reclamation project, would they kick the tires on Andrei Kuzmenko, who has fallen out of favor in Tocchet’s system?

Fly in the ointment: Tanev feels like a bit of a luxury. Do you need him when you’ve got Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Carson Soucy, Ian Cole, Tyler Myers and – already acquired from Calgary this season – Nikita Zadorov? They’d have to jettison someone from that group to fit Tanev in.

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