The Leafs traded the expiring contract of right winger Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to the Dallas Stars to acquire the rights to Tanev.
The Leafs traded the expiring contract of right winger Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to the Dallas Stars to acquire the rights to Tanev.
The ball is officially rolling in Toronto.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Chris Tanev, the club announced Saturday.
The Leafs traded the expiring contract of right winger Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to the Dallas Stars to acquire the rights to Tanev. The former Dallas Star is coming off the conclusion of a four-year, $18 million contract he signed with Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames in October 2020. By acquiring his rights, the team can negotiate with the 34-year-old before he hits the open market on July 1. AFP Analytics is projecting a three-year, $13.44 million contract with an average annual value of $4.48 million a season for Tanev’s next deal.
The Toronto, Ontario, native, has been a player high on the Maple Leafs’ wish list since November of 2023. Treliving attempted to trade for the right-handed defenseman in a package including Nikita Zadorov throughout the season. As we know, the deal failed to make it over the finish line due to the tall asking price, but now that the Leafs own his rights, he is circling back on it.
At the conclusion of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Treliving expressed that the team would work immediately to get Tanev signed, two days out from the start of free agency.
In the 2023-24 regular season, the 14-year veteran had two goals and 17 assists split between his time with the Flames and Stars adding two assists in 19 postseason appearances in Dallas. Despite his age, Tanev would be a strong fit for a Treliving-led Maple Leafs team that is not only tremendously impactful, but he plays with intensity in the defensive zone. Now, Treliving and Co. will attempt to sign the defenseman long-term.
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