Chris Tanev's name swirled around the Toronto Maple Leafs for years. The Ontario native is the missing piece of the Toronto blue line, but the question is whether this move comes a little too late.
The Maple Leafs signed Chris Tanev to a six-year, $27 million contract on the opening day of free agency. Tanev was the team's target, as they traded for his rights at the draft to be able to negotiate with him before free agency began. However, it took them until the first day to agree to the details. It's a hefty term for the 34-year-old who turns 35 midway through the season, but if he pushes the Maple Leafs to a Stanley Cup during his tenure, it'll feel like a steal.
Tanev signed a contract with the Calgary Flames in 2020 after a long stretch with the Vancouver Canucks. The contract signing in Calgary formed the relationship between the Maple Leafs and Tanev, as Toronto general manager Brad Treliving was in charge of the Flames. Tanev stuck with the Flames for four seasons until the fire sale began in Calgary, and they traded him to the Dallas Stars this past season.
Tanev had a successful run with the Stars, shutting down Jack Eichel and Nathan MacKinnon to help Dallas advance to the Western Conference Final. An undisclosed lower-body injury after a shot block slowed him in the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers, which isn't the best-case scenario against Connor McDavid. Tanev will now head to the Eastern Conference for the first time in his career to reunite with former World Championship defense partner Morgan Reilly.
Maple Leafs are a harsh spot for defensemen
Playing defense for the Maple Leafs is no easy task. Some of the best defensive names have come there thinking it would be different, but the harsh Toronto media always finds a way to ship them out of town. Tanev feels like a different case. He has the perfect demeanor to handle the media and has always been a player that goes out on the ice and does his job to the best of his abilities.
Chris Tanev's problem with this contract term is that the stories about him failing are already writing themselves. The Maple Leafs signed him to a six-year deal, which will end when he turns 40. The contract puts Tanev in a difficult spot, as he has no room for error. Maple Leafs fans must see some success early in this contract to justify the term. Treliving gave Tanev the long deal to convince him to sign, but it won't look as good if he doesn't age well.
The Maple Leafs have seen this script, ironically by former Flames players. TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano were acquisitions that many thought would be the missing piece for the Maple Leafs. It looked good for them to start their Toronto careers, but they didn't put the Maple Leafs over the top. They were both older and in the last year of their contracts last season, and it didn't go well. The pair were seemingly running out of town, as Giordano became a healthy scratch and Brodie had the worst season of his career.
Can Tanev buck the trend and become a success for the Maple Leafs? If there's anyone who can, it's him, but don't be surprised if his Maple Leafs career ends sour.
Chris Tanev is the missing piece
The Maple Leafs needed a defenseman like Chris Tanev for a long time. They almost got it with Giordano, but he joined the team when he was 37, and it was hard to have too many expectations. Tanev begins his Maple Leafs tenure three years younger and coming off a successful playoff run.
Tanev will likely pair alongside Morgan Reilly, who needed a defensive partner. Reilly's been shouldering the load of being the Maple Leafs' top defensive option for most of his career, but he can't be the shutdown guy. Reilly has plenty of positives in his game, and the debut of Tanev alongside him will open up his offensive game.
Tanev will also eat a lot of minutes on the penalty kill, which struggled for the Leafs in the postseason. The stat that came out in the postseason is that the Maple Leafs, who bowed out in the first round, allowed more penalty kill goals than the Edmonton Oilers, who made the Stanley Cup Final. Special teams will win you games in the postseason, and for a team struggling to do that, Tanev is a great addition.
Can a 34-year-old Tanev put this team over the top? It's unlikely. However, the Maple Leafs blue line looks a lot better now than it did at the end of the 2023-24 season, so for that reason, we'll give the Maple Leafs an average grade for this Tanev contract.
Final Grade: B-
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