Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Chris Tanev and Will Target Other Defensemen
Ryan Rishaug is joined by TSN Hockey Insiders Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun, and Darren Dreger. Rishaug asked Dreger about the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring Chris Tanev, whether an extension might be coming for Tanev, and what’s next.
** NHLRumors.com transcript
Ryan Rishaug: “As the National Hockey League packs up and prepares to leave the Sphere, we check in with the Insiders one last time: Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston. Towards the end of the draft, the Dregs, Brad Treliving worked out a deal to acquire the rights to one of the most coveted free agents on the market this year, Chris Tanev. Two questions: how likely are they to be able to make a deal with him and what’s next?”
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Darren Dreger: “I’d say it’s possible they’ll get an extension and get Chris Tanev in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform soon. This is simply Brad Treliving crossing the line and seeing Chris Tanev as the most valuable right-handed defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
What will be most interesting though, is what this contract looks like? It will be mega in time. So you’re talking about six, seven years, and the reason Toronto does that is just to fight off tax-friendly markets, like the Dallas Stars, right?
I mean that’s what some of these groups have to contend with. But I don’t think Toronto will stop with Chris Tanev. I think they’re going to swing for the fences here. I know they look to Oliver Ekman-Larsson as a role model and Nikita Zadorov.
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How they get all three of those episodes signed and locked in contracts, we’ll have to wait and see. And does that come at the expense of Conor Timmins or Timothy Liljegren at right back? So there are a lot of pieces at play here. “
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