Dallas Stars now the frontrunner to get Tanev in trade with Flames: report
There is no shortage of teams in hot pursuit of Calgary Flames defenceman Chris Tanev ahead of the March 8 NHL trade deadline, but it appears a frontrunner has emerged.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday that the Dallas Stars are the frontrunner, though they haven’t offered what the Flames want most, and that’s a first-round pick.
“[The Stars] covet going out and getting a right-shot defenceman, and [Tanev] tops that list,” LeBrun said on Insider Trading.
Three other Canadian teams are also still in the mix, LeBrun said, including Tanev’s former team, the Vancouver Canucks, as well as the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tanev, 34, is in the final year of a contract paying him $4.5 million per season. The Toronto native left Vancouver for Calgary in 2020 as a free agent.
It’s easy to understand why so many teams are after Tanev, who is a right-shot defenceman who can move the puck and defend in a top-four role. He’s also an ace penalty killer, seemingly willing to block shots with any part of his body.
The knock on Tanev is that he’s prone to injuries due to his fearless style of play. He has missed only three games this season, though.
Despite being in a playoff race, the Flames are expected to sell at the deadline. They have already traded pending unrestricted free agents in Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, and appear poised to move Tanev and Noah Hanifin as well.
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