LeBrun: Calgary Flames are ‘in no hurry’ to move Chris Tanev
By Ryan Pike
7 months agoThe Calgary Flames seem to have dodged a bullet this week, as an in-game injury suffered by blueliner Chris Tanev appears to have been less severe than it could have been. (Tanev’s listed as day-to-day.) Over at The Athletic, the great Pierre LeBrun noted on Wednesday in his Rumblings column that the Flames are in no hurry to move Tanev, a pending free agent.
But LeBrun also suggested what price it would take to get the Flames to budge on that stance.
Here’s a snippet from LeBrun’s piece:
“As I reported last week, the Flames have indicated to teams with interest in Tanev that they’re in no hurry to make a decision on that front. The veteran blueliner means a lot to them both on and off the ice, and there’s a lot of hockey still to be played this season.”
LeBrun expanded a bit, suggesting that the ideal scenario for the Flames may be selling Tanev to a contender prior to the March 8 trade deadline and then reuniting with the blueliner in free agency on July 1. This is our editorializing here: Tanev’s a defensive stalwart and he could be a great mentor and defence partner for any inexperienced young players the Flames bring in – in much the same way guys like Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman can do that for the Flames’ forwards.
The “having their cake and eating it too” scenario could involve the Flames holding onto Tanev until the deadline to maximize the number of potential suitors and, consequently, their price tag for his services. Writing about the Leafs’ reported interest in Tanev – but in a concept that could be used more broadly – LeBrun suggested that it would potentially take a first-round pick to get the Flames to move Tanev earlier than they would prefer.
Tanev’s a highly attractive commodity for potential playoff teams due to all his positive qualities, including his willingness to battle and block shots to help his team. Playoff-bound teams like the Leafs would probably love to have him, and they would probably prefer not to wait too long to get him. But the league-wide cap crunch makes it tough for clubs to accommodate Tanev’s $4.5 million cap hit, so there will probably be a balancing act in the trade market between jumping on such a key acquisition early… and actually being able to fit him under their cap ceiling.
The 2023-24 NHL trade deadline is 1 p.m. MT on Friday, March 8, 2024.
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