The 34-year-old right-shot defenceman is in the final year of a four-year contract, making $4.5 million.

The Ottawa Senators are reportedly interested in Calgary Flames defenceman Chris Tanev. Tanev is a 34-year-old right-shot defenceman who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The report comes from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, who discussed it on Saturday's broadcast.

“(Tanev) makes perfect sense for a guy to be on Ottawa’s radar, and he is," Friedman said. "I don’t know what the possibility is at this time. I think Chris Tanev would probably prefer a playoff scenario this year. For this year, the Senators are not a playoff team. We’ll see about the future. But I do think he’s one of the names on their radar.”

Tanev does seem like he might be a good free-agent target this summer, playing a mentor role to a blue-line core in Ottawa that's still in a growth phase. He seems exactly like the kind of good pro with experience and leadership that general manager Steve Staios covets. Staios said as much at his media availability last week.

It's certainly believable that the Senators like Tanev. But whether it's a trade now, or a free agent signing this summer, the list of challenges to get him to Ottawa is long.

At the moment, the Flames are five points out of a playoff spot and the notion of a rebuild has been bandied about in Calgary all season. The Flames probably won't get there, but they're not going to wave a white flag anytime soon or move out valuable players when there are still 33 games to play. 

Tanev also has a ten-team, no-trade clause. If he's going to be traded, he'll want to go to a playoff team, and Friedman even concedes that in his report. But he'll also want that if he gets to free agency. In either case, it's hard to believe the 29th-place Ottawa Senators would be on his wish list.

It also makes no sense for the Senators to give up assets for what would strictly be springtime rental. Sure, Tanev could provide temporary mentorship value to the team, kind of the way coach Jacques Martin is, but there's not enough value in that to give up what the Flames would want.

There are two ways this could work. The 34-year-old Tanev has to think the Senators have potential for a fast, dramatic turnaround that the 34-year-old Claude Giroux (now 36) was hoping for the past two seasons. And, oh yes, the Senators would need to make a ridiculous overpayment in free agency this summer.

And Another Thing: We're just spitballin' here, but if Ottawa and Calgary are talking, and if the Flames are thinking about a rebuild, and if Staios is targeting a certain type of player with leadership and experience, then it might be worth trying to add 32-year-old Blake Coleman to a bigger conversation. 

With a career-best 20 goals and 40 points this season, Coleman is the owner of two Stanley Cup rings, brings leadership-by-example, and plays a tenacious 200-foot-game. He could provide exactly the kind of ingredient the Senators are short on up front. After this year, Coleman has three years left on his contract at $4.9 million (AAV).