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The Winnipeg Jets won the Presidents' Trophy in the 2024-25 season as the top team in the NHL. Still, they would be eliminated in the second round by the Dallas Stars. Now, the Jets turn their focus towards the offseason. One major question is the future of their mid-season acquisition, Brandon Tanev. If the Jets cannot re-sign Tanev, we will look at the three best destinations for him as a free agent this offseason.
Tanev is not a top-line forward, but a quality third-line forward who will help the defense unit of almost any team. Tanev's career high in goals and assists both game in the 2022-23 season, when he tallied 16 goals and 19 assists. Still, he consistently leads his team in both hits and in plus/minus rating. This year was the first time he finished with a negative plus/minus rating for a season since the 2019-2020 season, mainly due to the poor defense of the Seattle Kraken before he was traded to the Jets.
The Jets could look to re-sign Tanev, but he could cost more than the $3.5 million he made this year. Still, according to Cap Wages, the Jets are expected to have almost $25.7 million in cap space. If Brandon Tanev does not return to the Jets, we will look at the top three options for his services next season.
Tanev joins his brother
Brandon Tanev grew up in Toronto, Canada, and could return home this offseason. First, the Maple Leafs are expected to have $26 million in cap space this offseason. The Maple Leafs will use some of that money to potentially re-sign Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies, but should have enough left over to bring in Tanev. Further, Tanev's brother, Chris Tanev, currently plays for Toronto. The 35-year-old defenseman just finished the first year of a six-year contract with the Maple Leafs. This would give Brandon multiple years of playing with his brother.
Further, the Maple Leafs need depth on their checking lines. Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz are both unrestricted free agents. Pacioretty played in just 37 games last season and had a minus-two plus/minus rating. He has not played over 50 games in a year since the 2019-20 season. Tanev would provide stability to the checking lines that has not been there with Pacioretty. Finally, Toronto was 17th in the NHL on the penalty kill this past season. This would be improved instantly by bringing in Tanev.
Tanev adds checking line depth in Vegas
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Another team in need of help on the checking lines would be the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights will be looking to add forward depth this offseason. Vegas could be losing both Reilly Smith and Brandon Saad this offseason. Smith was on the second penalty kill unit, which struggled this year. Still, Smith was solid overall after coming over from the Rangers. He had a plus-11 plus/minus rating and contributed three goals and eight assists. Still, the Golden Knights are projected to have just $9.6 million in cap space, and Smith is projected to be more expensive than Tanev.
Further, like Toronto, the Golden Knights could use help on the penalty kill. They ranked 26th last year on the penalty kill. Considering that Vegas was third in the NHL in goals against per game, this was a major weakness. This year, 27.6 percent of the goals scored against Vegas happened in non-5v5 situations. Tanev would instantly upgrade this unit.
The Senators look for penalty-killing help
The Senators struggled on defense in their playoff loss to the Maple Leafs. They allowed 19 goals over six games, with six of them coming when down a player. A common theme for teams looking at Brandon Tanev is the need for help on the penalty kill. The Ottawa Senators were 19th in the NHL this year on the penalty kill. Still, over 30 percent of their goals allowed came in odd-man situations. Brandon Tanev would bring a quick fix to that problem. He would slide well onto the second power-play unit, replacing Nick Cousins.
Further, the entire fourth line for the Senators is not currently under contract. Both Nick Cousins and Adam Gaudette are unrestricted free agents, while Fabian Zetterlund is a restricted one. Tanev would be a solid replacement for Cousins. First, Cousins did not play a full season, playing in just 50 games this year. He has played over 70 games in a season just once since the 2019-2020 season. Further, Cousins had a -1 rating this year, just slightly better than his career average. While Cousins does provide more on the offensive end of the ice, it is not by much. Tanev would be a major upgrade on the fourth line for this team, looking to take the next step towards a Stanley Cup.
