Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Flames have pulled the trigger on a trade involving blueliner Chris Tanev. Tanev is headed to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a second-round pick, a conditional third-round pick and defenceman Artem Grushnikov. The Flames are also retaining 50% of Tanev’s salary as part of the transaction.

The New Jersey Devils are also involved as a broker, retaining an additional 50% of Tanev’s salary (after Calgary’s 50%, or 25% total) and cap hit this season. (The Devils also swapped unsigned college goalie Cole Brady to Dallas in exchange for Dallas’ 2026 fourth-round pick as part of that salary retention trade.)

The second-round pick is in 2024. The conditional third-round pick is in 2026. The Flames receive that pick only if Dallas makes the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, otherwise they receive no pick.

Grushnikov is a 20-year-old Russian left-shot defenceman most recently playing with the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars. He was a second-round selection, 48th overall, by the Stars in the 2021 NHL Draft. He’s in the first season of his entry-level deal and has five points in 44 AHL games this season. He previously played for the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs and the CSKA Moskva junior system in Russia. He’ll be reporting to the Wranglers.

The 34-year-old Tanev is in the final year of a four year contract that he signed in the 2020 off-season. The deal carries a $4.5 million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause.

Before arriving with the Flames, Tanev was lauded as a heart-and-soul blueliner who could be relied upon to shut down the opposition’s top players and handle the defensive side of the game for more offensive-minded blueline partners. In four seasons with the Flames, he was exactly as advertised, playing a shutdown role ably and also playing a key part on the club’s penalty kill. He’s served as an alternate captain in each of the past two seasons, as well.

Tanev’s run with the Flames saw him dress for 259 games and amassing 67 points and a team-leading plus-73 plus/minus rating. Despite playing a hard-nosed, physical style that often saw him diving in front of shots, he missed just 20 games during his Flames’ tenure.

The Flames’ active roster is now 22 players: two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards.

The Flames are back in action on Saturday night when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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