Maple Leafs acquire rights to veteran defenseman

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars. The return is a depth forward, Max Ellis, and a 2026 seventh-round pick, shares Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff. Toronto will have two days to negotiate with the prolific defensive-defenseman before he enters free agency on July 1st.

This trade reunites Tanev with his hometown of Toronto late into his career. Now 34, Tanev has pulled together a career to be proud of, totaling 190 points in 792 games, spending 10 years with the Vancouver Canucks, four years with the Calgary Flames, and then one brief playoff run with the Dallas Stars. His role has held steadfast through the scenery changes — with Tanev among the league's most popular top-pair shutdown defenders. He’s vindicated that reputation over the last five seasons, with plenty of teams reportedly in the market when Vancouver and Calgary traded him away.

Toronto will win the Tanev sweepstakes this time, though they show up to the race late in Tanev’s career. That might not stop them from giving him a healthy term, though, with TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting that Tanev’s next deal could run for five to eight years. That term would carry Tanev to, or beyond, 40 — though it could also help keep the deal’s cap hit down. The Leafs could use every dollar they can save, with $18.83M in cap space, to re-sign a daunting 15 pending free agents. That list includes players like Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi and the rotation of backup goaltenders in Ilya Samsonov, Martin Jones, and Matt Murray.

While Toronto has the luxury of not needing to re-sign every player, they’re bound to commit more money than they’d like to the few they do bring back. It’s hard to think Tanev is in line for a team-friendly deal, even if he were to land substantial term with his hometown club. But with a deadline right around the corner, fans may not have to wait long for the mysteries of his deal to be revealed. When they are, Toronto will be locking up a stout, reliable defensive-defenseman who should compliment Morgan Rielly’s offensive style much better than his previous linemates.