The Toronto Maple Leafs agreed to terms with recently acquired defenseman Chris Tanev on a six-year deal Monday as a slew of signings were announced amid the official start of NHL free agency. The Leafs are one of the busiest teams in the early stages, with Tanev's signing arguably the most significant addition Toronto made thus far.
The 34-year-old will earn $4.5 million on average throughout the contract, which runs through the 2029-2030 season, the Leafs announced. Toronto traded for Tanev's rights during the draft on Saturday and pounced on the opportunity to sign an impact blueliner.
Leafs general manager Brad Treliving signed Tanev in 2020 when he was with the Calgary Flames. He spoke glowingly about the veteran defenseman and Toronto's excitement to bring him in following the trade.
“He's just an elite defensive player. You know, we talk about offensive players seeing plays early. He does the same thing but on the defensive side of the puck,” Treliving said, per Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com. “An absolute warrior. He's a culture carrier for your room. Listen, I know the age he's at. But I think even in the last year he showed he's one of the top shutdown defensemen, one of the top defensive players, in the League. And he's a right shot. He embodies everything you want in a teammate.
“It's exciting. A hell of a player. Tremendous person. He'll be a big part of our group if we can get it all put together.”
Tanev was undrafted but made his NHL debut at 21 with the Vancouver Canucks in 2011. He spent 10 seasons with the Cancuks, helping them reach the playoffs four times. He followed that with three-plus years in Calgary before being shipped to the Dallas Stars this February.
Chris Tanev has 190 points in 792 NHL games across 14 seasons.
Leafs add another veteran defenseman
The Maple Leafs are making defense a priority this summer and wasted no time adding to that group. Along with Tanev, the Leafs are signing Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year contract worth $3.5 million annually, per Elliotte Friedman.
A 14-year veteran, Ekman-Larsson is fresh off helping the Florida Panthers secure the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The 32-year-old appeared in 25 playoff games in his NHL career before suiting up for all 24 of Florida's games en route to its championship.
Ekman-Larsson registered 32 points on nine goals and 23 assists across 80 games last season, his highest point total since 2019-2020. He added six points in the playoffs.
His best season came in 2015-16 when he recorded 55 points with 21 goals and 34 assists with the Coyotes. He's received votes for the James Norris Trophy, given to the league's top defenseman, in five separate seasons.
From 2013-14 to 2018-19, Ekman-Larsson averaged 16.5 goals and 44.5 points per season. He topped 30 points once and scored no more than nine goals in a season in the last five.
A bounce back season with the Panthers helped Oliver Ekman-Larsson get a ring. He followed it with a nice payday and found a new home in Toronto.
Toronto betting on Woll between the pipes?
Sticking with the defensive side of the puck, the Maple Leafs continue to search for a long-term solution in goal. For the time being, it looks like Toronto is putting its faith behind Joseph Woll.
The Leafs announced a three-year contract extension for Woll which will go into effect for the 2025-26 season. He'll earn $3.66 million on average.
The deal could become an absolute steal for the Leafs if Woll develops into a reliable starter. The 25-year-old has 36 regular season games under his belt, 34 of them starts, but hasn’t found a consistent rhythm.
He allowed four or more goals in 10 of his 25 games last season, posting a 2.94 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. The Leafs stuck with him as a backup behind starter Ilya Samsonov who struggled mightily throughout the season.
After Samsonov allowed 12 goals in four games against the Boston Bruins in the first round, Woll was called upon and stood on his head. He stopped 54 of the 56 shots he faced across two games and an extra period, coming one second shy of his first Stanley Cup Playoffs shutout in Game 6.
Ironically it was potentially his save attempt on that goal in Game 6 that kept him out of Game 7 with an injury. The Leafs lost 2-1 in overtime with Samsonov making 30 saves.
The Maple Leafs starting goaltender job appears to be Joseph Woll's to lose. Maybe his playoff heroics will serve as the catalyst for a breakout season in 2024-25.
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