The Calgary Flames defensive duo are on the trade block and the Dallas Stars have been linked to both.

Before head coach Darryl Sutter was relieved of his duties in the off-season, several Calgary Flames players requested trades. Once Sutter was out of the picture, it was assumed that the sentiment of players wanting to leave Calgary might change, but that has not been the case. 

Players are still moving out via trade, while others are deciding to opt out of extending their contracts to hit the free agency market during the upcoming off-season. Calgary has been willing to move these players to re-tool and reshape the team's core.

How is this relevant to the Dallas Stars? The Stars are Cup contenders and league-known buyers. It is no secret the Stars are in the market to add to their blue line and Calgary just happens to be selling multiple defensemen that would fit well in Dallas. 

The Flames have not been quiet about who they are willing to take offers for and who is refusing to stay, requiring the Flames to move them whatever the price tag is. 

Elliotte Friedman of 32 Thoughts reported, "With Chris Tanev, the Flames continue to hold and see if a first-rounder (or something they consider comparable) becomes available. Dallas is very much into this, although some teams suspect they like Noah Hanifin too."

First and foremost, the Stars are tight on cap and roster space, so any potential move to upgrade the blue line requires a trade, or possibly multiple. General Manager Jim Nill is known for his cap gymnastics and contract wizardry. But it's possible an initial separate trade to create some cap space AND a trade for a spot on the blue line are required to make acquiring Tanev or Hanifin possible.

There is always an option for Calgary to retain some salary, but those usually require sweeteners added onto the trade which would make it more costly on the Stars end. Both Tanev and Hanifin are on the last years of their contracts, so retaining salary won't handcuff the Flames in the coming years. Currently, Tanev holds a cap hit of 4.5 million dollars, while Hanifin's is a little higher at 4.95 million dollars.

Based on what has been reported, the Flames are likely looking for a first-round pick for both Tanev and Hanifin, which Dallas has for the next three drafts. However, it is no secret that Nill is not interested in sacrificing a first-round pick for a rental. The Stars also, however, have a second-round pick in the 2024 and 2026 drafts.

What makes sense for the Stars

Let's break this down by what the Stars need and what these two players offer. Currently the Stars have five left-handed defensemen in Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell, Ryan Suter and Joel Hanley. The only right-handed defensemen they have are Nils Lundkvist and Jani Hakanpaa. And the only way this is a slightly functioning defensive corps at the moment is because Heiskanen plays on his off-side. Currently, with the injuries to Lundkvist and Hakanpaa, two other left shots are joining Heiskanen in playing their off side.

To have a more balanced roster and to even entertain putting Heiskanen on his strong side, the Stars need a right-handed defenseman, which is where Tanev enters the conversation.

However, with the pairings as Heiskanen and Harley, Suter and Lundkvist, and Lindell and Hakanpaa, the Hakanpaa and Lindell pairing is left without a legitimate puck-mover, which is where Hanifin could fit despite being another left shot defenseman. 

How their skills fit for the Stars

With all variables aside, Tanev makes the most sense for Dallas. He is a shut-down defenseman that uses his body to defend and block shots. Though puck-moving is not one of his notable strong suits, he is able to do enough and make passes that aid in moving the puck through the neutral zone that it would not be a glaring issue.

Tanev has tallied one goal, 11 assists and 12 points in 54 games played. It would be easy to look at his offensive numbers and dismiss him, but offense is not his role in Calgary. One of his strongest skills is his ability and determination to block shots. Through 54 games, Tanev has recorded 162 blocked shots. For reference, Hakanpaa has 111 and Lindell has 110 in a few more games.

Ironically enough, Tanev's commitment to using his body to stop pucks does not extend into a physical game. He has only tallied 24 hits this season. Once again, for reference Hakanpaa has 159 hits. 

Tanev's time on ice averages around 19:45 per game. For a team that is limited on shut-down defenseman, the Stars might like to see him play more minutes. But with the presence of Heiskanen and Harley in the line-up, Tanev doesn't necessarily have to play top pairing minutes. In the game against the New York Rangers, Heiskanen had 24:33 TOI and Harley had 25:41 and they look more than capable of handling that.

An upside to being able to play him less means that the Stars could shuffle around his pairings and play him with players that can move the puck, such as Heiskanen, Harley and Lundkvist. And with Tanev being 34 years-old, the expectation would probably be that he is purely a rental. Sure, the Stars could entertain a contract after, but they aren't tied to anything and certainly won't be expected to hand out an extension after the season concludes.

Now that the benefits to Tanev have been laid out, how might Hanifin fit in the line-up? Hanifin is a solid two-way defenseman with some offensive upside. He can play both ends of the ice, moving the puck through the neutral zone while also using his speed to shut down opposing players on rushes. Through 57 games played, Hanifin has recorded nine goals, 21 assists and 30 points.

While he isn't eating pucks at the rate Tanev is, he is still not afraid to put his body in front of the puck, blocking 81 shots thus far. At 6'3", Hanifin uses his size to throw hits and win puck battles around the boards.

Unlike Tanev, Hanifin is a minute muncher. His average TOI is 23:44. Adding Hanifin to the line-up would give the coaching staff the option to possibly play Heiskanen or Harley less and also play others less. A player like Suter, who is approaching 40, seems to perform better with fewer minutes. 

The main hang-up with Hanifin is that he is left-handed, so the pairings would still require at least one or more defensemen to play on their off side. But this would allow the Stars to have a bona-fide puck-mover on each pairing. And with the forward depth the Stars have, having a defenseman that can join the rush at any time would be a huge benefit. 

The puzzle pieces would be harder to fit for Hanifin compared to Tanev, but Hanifin's game would not hurt the Stars in any way.

With the injuries of Lundkvist and Hakanpaa, the Stars have seen the issues with the blue line and the lack of depth they have come to light, but they have also been able to see what kind of player they are missing. The offensive player and puck-moving qualities of Lundkvist and the big body and penalty killer in Hakanpaa have both been sorely missed. 

The Stars have an option in both in Tanev and Hanifin, but it certainly seems like Dallas needs the services of one of them sooner rather than later.

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