The Toronto Maple Leafs completed a trade for impending restricted free agent Chris Tanev on Saturday, June 29. They now have exclusive negotiating rights prior to the free agent trade.
The Leafs sent forward Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft to the Dallas Stars. In return, they received 34-year-old Tanev.
Of course, that only applies if he arrives there without a contract extension. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Toronto will offer Tanev a “six-year contract for around $4 million.”
Friedman also recorded a solo episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast on June 29. He added more information about the Leafs transfer and the negotiations with Tanev.
“Chris Tanev was traded from Dallas to Toronto at the end of the draft. The Stars really tried hard to keep him,” Friedman reported. “It is expected that the Maple Leafs will offer him at least six years to spread the money over the term.”
“Looks like Toronto and Tanev are going to make it work. That’s Toronto’s tactic and they believe she’s good enough to pull it off.”
Chris Tanev was the Maple Leafs’ No. 1 target
The rumors that emerged in the run-up to free agency repeatedly indicated Toronto’s clear interest in the former Stars defender.
Friedman wrote about it in a “Rumor Roundup” article published on Sportsnet on June 27, highlighting Tanev as the Maple Leafs’ top target starting July 1.
“Knowing Treliving, I think Tanev is the guy he likes the most,” Friedman said on The Jeff Marek Show on Sportsnet on June 27. “He likes his game, he likes him personally and he knows him.”
Tanev completed his four-year, $18 million contract when the Stars were eliminated from the postseason in May. In 75 games during the 2023-24 regular season, he scored 2 goals and 17 assists for 19 points.
The defender previously played for current Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving when he was with the Calgary Flames.
Tanev is one of the best defensemen available, assuming he hits the market without a new contract in Toronto. By making the trade for his rights, the Leafs raised some fears of losing him as a free agent to another franchise.
PuckPedia predicts that Toronto will enter the competition on July 1 with $19.7 million in salary cap.
The Toronto GM spoke to reporters from Las Vegas, where the 2024 Draft took place over the weekend, and discussed Tanev’s transfer to the Maple Leafs.
“We’ve been talking about helping us on defense since the end of the year,” Treliving said, according to Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com. “As it got closer and it looked like (Tanev) might not sign in Dallas, we wanted to get as much of a push here as we could and get him before free agency starts. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
“I know the player well. We will work on it now. I am excited to have the opportunity to speak to him directly and see if we can get something done.”
The Vancouver Canucks welcomed Tanev to the NHL and signed him as a free agent on May 31, 2010. He then played for the Flames and the Stars.
Tanev has recorded 190 points (33 goals, 157 assists) in 792 regular season games for the Stars, Flames and Canucks. He added 13 points (1 goal, 12 assists) in 60 playoff games.
