he Toronto Maple Leafs signed former Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev to the sixth-largest contract of the offseason.
According to Toronto Star insider Nick Kypreos, the Maple Leafs beat all other franchises trying to sign the blueliner with a longer term and they also outbid the Stars by $12 total million.
“Give credit to [Maple Leafs GM Brad] Treliving (…) He finally landed Tanev with a six-year, $27-million contract after failing to acquire him multiple times at the trade deadline,” Kypreos wrote. “While many other teams were willing to pay Tanev a higher salary with shorter term, he found a way to get the deal done.”
Later in his article, Kypreos revealed the Stars only offered Tanev $15 million over three years for an annual average value of $5 million. The Leafs’ offer didn’t match that AAV as it averages to a salary of $4.5 million per year, but the total money was too much for Tanev to pass on.
Scott Maxwell of Daily Faceoff, however, included Tanev’s contract with Toronto among the “Honorable Mentions” for the ‘worst contracts’ signed in 2024.
“Not a bad addition, but the contract is enough above market value that it doesn’t feel like a win,” Maxwell wrote. “Chris Tanev, in a vacuum, is the perfect add for the Leafs to help their defensive issues, but signing a 34 year old to a six-year deal is insane.
“Sure, it can be LTIRed down the road if he gets hurt, but signing someone to a long-term deal in the hopes that he doesn’t play the full term out isn’t really the big-brained move a lot of Leafs fans seem to think it is.”
Chris Tanev’s Signing Labeled ‘Risky’
Toronto secured Tanev a few hours before the opening of free agency by trading for his negotiating rights with the Dallas Stars, then signing him to a large six-year, $27 million contract that runs through his age-40 season.
Tanev is already 34 years old and comes with injury concerns attached to his name and resume. That, in the eyes of NHL insider Chris Johnston, makes Tanev a ‘risky’ signing
“The contract is long and risky. But, this was exactly the type of player the Leafs needed and exactly the one who was available,” Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show on July 4. “Assuming health, which you can’t always assume health for a 34-year-old who has had a series of injuries, I like it short-term for the Leafs for sure.”
Leafs GM Treliving was excited about signing his former blueliner to his current team without much concern for his age.
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