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Trade
Dallas stars get: Defenseman Chris Tanev, goalkeeper Cole Brady
Calgary Flames get: Defenseman Artem Grushnikov, Stars second-round pick in 2024, conditional third-round pick in 2026.
New Jersey Devils get: Stars’ 2026 fourth-round pick for retaining 50 percent of Tanev’s salary.
Sean Gentille: Generally speaking, this didn’t seem like a bad deal for the Flames. At least not initially. Picks and a perspective? Sure. That’s the general price for a guy like Chris Tanev: accomplished, battle-tested, skilled, older but not quite old, and with a pending UFA. That gives you something good, if not something great.
However, each successive piece of information made the deal a little worse on Calgary’s side. Is the best choice the second round? OK. The prospect is not Logan Stankoven or Mavrik Bourque. Hmm. Liking it less. Do the Flames take 50 percent of Tanev’s salary? We are now in “ultimate winner, ultimate loser” territory.
It’s not a catastrophe for Flames general manager Craig Conroy. Although it is certainly a disappointment. Tanev not only remains good; He’s the type of player that makes contenders’ eyes pop, for all the reasons we listed above. The fact that Conroy had to add a sweetener and still couldn’t land a first-rounder or top prospect is strange. Artem Grushnikov was ranked 10th in Scott Wheeler’s Stars prospect rankings earlier this month and in Corey Pronman’s “has a chance” tier before the season. He’s big and a good skater, Pronman says, with a limited offensive game.
Tanev’s injury history is long, and teams that could have used him more, like Vancouver and Toronto, probably weren’t Conroy’s preferred dance partners. All of this must be considered. But taking what seems like the bare minimum on a premium asset nine days before the deadline seems like a rookie mistake.
On the side of the Stars, everything is love. General manager Jim Nill had almost no cap space available to address a glaring hole on the right side of his defense, and he took advantage of it to make him the best option on the market. Involving an Eastern Conference team was an added layer of creativity. If Tanev’s shoulder holds up, he will give them a perfect option to play behind Miro Heiskanen. Tanev is a tight defenseman who thrives on puck recovery and plays important minutes. Whether he has taken a step back offensively or not is almost irrelevant; the Stars get plenty of that elsewhere. They’re preparing for a Stanley Cup run and they’re doing it the right way: with an OGWAC that can actually play.
Star grade: A+
Flame grade😀
Shayna Goldman: This is an absolute win for the Stars. Dallas had a clear need heading into the deadline: a tough, skilled defender. This was true before Nils Lundkvist’s injury. This was the only area in which the team fell short when measured on the Stanley Cup checklist; now with Tanev, he slots in as the team’s No. 3, which moves the rest of the blue line into more appropriate roles behind him.
With Thomas Harley on the top pair, the Stars defense is a bit loaded. So this addition changes that, whether he drops in behind that pair and forms a tight pair with Esa Lindell at second, or ends up skating alongside Harley or Miro Heiskanen for a more balanced approach. Either way, it will allow the Stars to protect their bottom partner more.
Tanev’s offense has been trending downward this year, but it’s not completely one-dimensional. As traditional as his playing style is, he also excels at retrieving pucks and getting them out of his own zone with control, which should help clean up the Stars’ breakouts. His playing style is at some risk for injury and will likely affect how his game ages from now on. So the fact that the Stars signed him without any future commitments is still a plus.
This slightly proactive approach also benefits the stars. Having him in the fold for potentially four additional games instead of waiting until the deadline should help in the race for first place in the Central.
On the other hand, this is a real disappointment for Calgary. This didn’t come down to deadline day and the Flames had to come to a deal because there were no better options. The deadline is more than a week away, which should have been enough time to up the ante for Calgary. There was a lot of interest in Tanev around the league, so how is he? this What’s the best return for the Flames, especially with a 50 percent salary holdup? There are interesting elements to Artem Grushnikov’s game, but Calgary should have looked for someone with more certainty and potential without a first-round pick on the return. The only victory for the Flames is that management recognizes what needs to be done and won’t risk pending UFAs being dropped for nothing just to pursue one more run.
Star rating: TO
Flame grade: d
(Photo: Sergei Belski / USA Today)