January 31, 2024 | 9:46am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

FLAMES DEFENCEMAN TANEV A HOT COMMODITY

Chris Tanev, defenceman

The Calgary Flames have continued to generate serious interest in veteran defenceman Chris Tanev, who is playing in the final year of his contract.

Tanev, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, is on the radars of several clubs, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning, among others.

Ottawa’s interest was first noted by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman during Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast and further reported on Tuesday by TSN’s Darren Dreger during the network’s latest edition of “Insider Trading.”

According to Dreger, the Senators would be looking to add Tanev with the intention of signing him to a contract extension, though it is unclear if Tanev would prefer to join a Stanley Cup contender for the balance of this season before finding a new long-term home in the summer.

“Ottawa, I think, looks at Tanev as being a foundational fit, which tells us it’s not just about the trade, it’s about the contract extension that would likely have to happen after they acquired Tanev,” Dreger said.

Tanev, 34, currently ranks No.4 on the TFP Trade Watch List. He comes with a $4.5 million salary cap hit and the Flames are believed to be willing to retain up to half of his deal to facilitate a trade. He also owns a 10-team no-trade list and will have some say in where he ends up, if dealt before the March 8 trade deadline.