As the 2024 NHL Draft was winding down, the Toronto Maple Leafs were set to make the final pick when deputy commissioner Bill Daly took to the stage to announce a trade. The Dallas Stars have traded Chris Tanev’s signing rights to the Maple Leafs in exchange for Max Ellis and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
It had been widely talked about how the Maple Leafs were going to make a play on Tanev during free agency, especially after they attempted to acquire him at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Ultimately, they fell short of trading for him at the deadline, but now, ahead of their last pick in the draft, they secured Tanev’s signing rights and have the next 36 hours to work out a contract extension.
What Could an Extension Look Like?
The Maple Leafs and Tanev will likely work out a deal ahead of the July 1 deadline. However, it is worth noting that the agent for Tanev, Wade Arnott, told TSN’s Pierre LeBrun that they haven’t heard from the Maple Leafs about an extension but expect to hear soon.
There was also a tweet from TSN’s Darren Dreger that he expects the organization to offer Tanev a five-to-eight-year deal to lower the average annual value (AAV) to help them cap-wise and give them the chance to address other areas of need.
If this is true and the Maple Leafs offer Tanev a five-to-eight-year deal, the AAV would have to be around $2-3 million. The reasoning behind this would be that if he signed elsewhere for two years at $10 million, he’d still be getting the same amount of money if he were to sign for five years at $2 million. This is a contract structure strategy that the Tampa Bay Lightning have used with Nick Paul to help keep key players signed and improve their chances of winning. Considering that Tanev is from Toronto, he may be more than willing to sign this type of deal to play for his boyhood club. Tanev will quickly become the next Jake Muzzin for the Maple Leafs. He will likely take on the voice of reason on the backend, which will provide the team with the same stability that Muzzin had before his career was cut short due to a neck injury. The Maple Leafs have lacked the role of a top-pairing defenceman who can mentor the rest of the defence core.
Tanev’s Fit Makes Perfect Sense
The Maple Leafs have struggled to build their blue line for the last number of years. Former GM Kyle Dubas built up the forward group but always ignored the need for a better blue line. Current GM Brad Treliving has been known to build solid defensive cores, and he seems to be making that his number-one priority this offseason. Treliving signed Tanev and brought him to the Calgary Flames after he left the Vancouver Canucks, so the two of them are very familiar with each other, which should make the negotiations easier for both sides.
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Tanev, a right-handed shot, will likely slot in on the top pairing alongside Morgan Rielly and give him a more reliable partner for the first time in his career. However, depending on what else the Maple Leafs pull off in free agency, they may be able to push Tanev down to the second pairing, play him alongside Jake McCabe, and make a very solid defensive shut-down pairing. It is nice to see this as an option for the Maple Leafs because it gives them a bit more leeway to go out and sign another defenceman while still knowing that Tanev can play on the right side of either of the top two pairings.
With no contract extension announced yet, it will be a big shock if they can’t get Tanev signed in the next 36 hours. Until then, Leafs Nation waits for the news to see what the contract details are like. Regardless of that, the Maple Leafs have acquired Tanev’s rights, which could be the start of a very big and important offseason in Toronto.
