The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars.
As insider Pierre LeBrun reports, the trade call is pending. Per Frank Seravalli, the Flames are getting a 2nd round pick, prospect defenseman Artem Grushnikov and an additional 3rd-round conditional pick in exchange for the blue liner. The Flames only receives Dallas’ conditional round pick if the Stars advance to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
The Flames will be retaining 50% of Tanev's salary in the transaction, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
It then was confirmed that the New Jersey Devils were also part of the transaction, retaining some of Tanev’s $4.5 million cap hit. They will receive a fourth-round pick.
As one of the top teams in the Western Conference, the Stars had become a front-runner in the Tanev sweepstakes. Dallas had been hunting for a top-four defenseman to bolster their back end for the postseason.
It was a matter of the asking price when it came to a coveted trade bait like Tanev. Interested teams had been informed more than once by Flames general manager Craig Conroy that a first-round pick is the price for Tanev, but none had been offered.
There were reports that the Flames turned down an offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs because it did not have that first round pick. Instead, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was attempting to acquire Tanev in exchange for multiple lower-round draft picks.
I’m guessing this transaction isn’t going to make the Leafs and their fanbase very happy with the Flames.
Tanev is the third pending unrestricted free agent getting traded out of Calgary this season. Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm were previously moved to the Vancouver Canucks in separate deals. Tanev is in the final year of a four-year, $18 million deal he signed with the Flames in 2020.
Calgary currently sits five points points out of a Wild Card playoff spot in the West and are on a four-game winning streak.
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