Among the defencemen rumoured to be available at the trade deadline, one player that stands out in the eyes of many is Chris Tanev of the Calgary Flames. A right-shot defenceman on an expiring deal, Tanev possesses a fairly distinct skill set, and a ton of experience as a top option on his team.
While the Edmonton Oilers are linked to Tanev throughout speculations, they are far from the only team rumoured to be contemplating his acquisition, not only at the deadline this year, but also in the summer when he is set to become an unrestricted free agent. We can expect that Tanev will earn a raise on his next deal from his current $4.5M cap hit. Let’s take a look at what Tanev brings to the ice, and what it might mean for the Oilers to add him.
A definite upgrade on the right side
| Player | Season | Team | GP | Off | xOff | Def | xDef | Pens | SPAR | xSPAR |
| Chris Tanev | 10-11 | Canucks | 29 | -1.4 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| Chris Tanev | 11-12 | Canucks | 25 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 3 | 0.9 | 2 | 1.7 |
| Chris Tanev | 12-13 | Canucks | 38 | 0.6 | 1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 1 | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| Chris Tanev | 13-14 | Canucks | 64 | 2.6 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
| Chris Tanev | 14-15 | Canucks | 70 | -0.7 | 1.6 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 1.9 | 4 | 4.7 |
| Chris Tanev | 15-16 | Canucks | 69 | -1.6 | -0.4 | 7 | 8.1 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
| Chris Tanev | 16-17 | Canucks | 53 | 1.3 | -1.2 | 7.1 | 7 | 1 | 3.4 | 2.5 |
| Chris Tanev | 17-18 | Canucks | 42 | 5.7 | 0.4 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 0.7 | 4.2 | 2.6 |
| Chris Tanev | 18-19 | Canucks | 55 | -0.1 | -4.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 1.5 | -0.1 |
| Chris Tanev | 19-20 | Canucks | 69 | 1.5 | -1.7 | -0.5 | -0.5 | 1 | 0.7 | -0.4 |
| Chris Tanev | 20-21 | Flames | 56 | -1.9 | 1.7 | 11.9 | 11.7 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 5.1 |
| Chris Tanev | 21-22 | Flames | 82 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 10.1 | 7.4 | 1.3 | 5.4 | 3.9 |
| Chris Tanev | 22-23 | Flames | 65 | -1.3 | 2.5 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 4.1 |
| Chris Tanev | 23-24 | Flames | 50 | 0.8 | -1.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 |
At 34 years of age, Tanev is hardly a spring chicken, but is still playing at a high level on a stout but middling Flames team. Tanev is still an asset on a very good blueline, and is almost archetypical of an old-school defensive presence. Though his stature is hardly the main selling point, Tanev is a physical force with an ideal sensibility, willing to and able to excel in the defensive dirty work across all three zones.
This should not undersell Tanev’s abilities as a passer. While most players of his defensive quality might often be thought of as liabilities with the puck, part of what makes Tanev so effective is his high quality breakout passing. Tanev is consistently able to execute strong decisions under heavy pressure. This rare combination of skills makes Tanev an excellent support for his defence partner, elevating their best qualities.
Previously, as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, Tanev brought out the best in a young Quinn Hughes. It took the Canucks years to replace Tanev with a partner as capable, and only now having done so with Filip Hronek both Hughes and the Canucks are back to their deserved relevance.
Building a championship blueline requires both quality and blend of skill. Especially on teams with elite offensive players, rounding out a blueline is a difficult and expensive endeavour, as defensive impact can be hard to quantify. Due to his rare profile Tanev would upgrade any NHL blueline and almost assuredly make it more well rounded in the process.
Tanev’s fit with the Oilers
Due to the strict salary cap system, many potential deadline deals for the Oilers involve offloading salary. Precedent might steer us in that direction as well, given how the Oilers included Tyson Barrie as part of the Mattias Ekholm deal last season. The obvious candidate in this case would seem to be Cody Ceci.
Tanev would likely step into Ceci’s current role, if not expanding on it by taking on a bigger penalty killing role. Tanev seems to be a fantastic fit for Darnell Nurse, and we would likely see his results improve drastically with Tanev as a partner. This would elevate the Oilers blueline as a whole, a unit that is already quite strong. With a top four of Ekholm with Evan Bouchard, and Nurse with Tanev, the Oilers would have an indisputably elite defensive core.
What the Flames may get in return
Of course the Flames would need more to deal away Tanev, or rather to pick the Oilers offer over those of other teams. The team has done well in sorting out the glut of pending UFAs on their opening roster, though still has Tanev and Noah Hanifin to navigate. The Flames are caught in the middle, a good enough team to be in the playoff hunt, but looking to bolster their future, something of a re-tool. Despite trading away several players, the Flames remain competitive and seem to be interested in adding young players as well as draft assets.
The Oilers will likely have to include a top draft choice, but the Flames personnel might make the teams a possible match despite their rivalry. The Flames have a strong blueline currently, but lack depth in their prospect pipeline. This was made obvious by the returns of the Elias Lindholm trade, and likely remains the weakness of the Flames prospect pool.
Not only might the Flames be willing to take on Ceci as a stopgap until prospects can develop, but they could even flip him at some point, as might be the case with their recent acquisition Andrei Kuzmenko. The Flames might also have interest in Philip Broberg, who might be available. Broberg is still waiver exempt and has continued to show growth in the AHL. Although Oiler fans might have some prospect fatigue, as it has taken longer than one would’ve hoped for Broberg to become a regular NHLer, the tools for a long career are definitely there.
Simply put the Flames would be in a much better spot with Broberg in their system. Defencemen often take a bit longer to come of age, meaning a quick turnaround for the Flames might have to include acquiring young players who are closer to becoming NHLers than a 2024 pick would be. The trick will be betting on the right players, but the Flames could have a quick turnaround by nailing down a core piece on the blueline and hoping a wave of young forwards, the strength of their prospect pool, continues to emerge.
Cost assessment for the Oilers
For the Oilers this might be too steep a price for a rental. There is no guarantee on how exactly the Oilers feel about Broberg at this point. He represents a rare opportunity as a low cost, high upside contributor, and a player whose prime years would align favourably with keeping the Oilers championship window open into Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s 30s. Regardless, we will likely see the Flames looking to add defencemen, and the Oilers do have some other options that might be appealing to the Flames in Max Wanner and Nikita Yevseyev.
Including Broberg in a Tanev deal becomes an even riskier proposition because Tanev might be a pure rental. As a free agent sure to have a number of options this summer, there is no guarantee that Tanev would re-sign with the Oilers. Even despite his age Tanev will likely command and deliver on a three-year deal worth at least $5M against the cap. The Oilers might be able to afford him, but likely only have a shot at doing so if they trade for Tanev beforehand.
In conclusion it would be an upgrade for the Oilers to add Tanev to the lineup, but it is possible that the team overpays. Trading future assets is expected of the Oilers, but that does not mean caution should be thrown to the wind altogether.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
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