The Calgary Flames finally executed a Chris Tanev trade last night with the Dallas Stars, bringing an end to the rampant rumours and speculation about where he would end up this season.
The deal netted the Flames a 2024 second-round pick, a conditional 2026 third-round pick, and defensive prospect Artem Grushnikov, and it had mixed reactions in the market. Most were expecting the Flames to get a first-round pick in the deal since they had been holding out so long for one, which left some confused.
Based on recent reports, it sounds like the Flames were able to get a first-round pick on the table but opted not to trade with that team.
The secret suitor
Per Pierre LeBrun on TSN’s Insider Trading segment, the Flames had a team that had offered a first-round pick in a Tanev trade but were requiring the team to take on a player who had some term left on their contract. The Flames opted to trade with the Stars instead to maintain flexibility, but also mainly due to the fact they coveted Grushnikov.
Who could that team have been? Many would be quick to assume it was the Toronto Maple Leafs and the potential to include Ryan Reaves in a deal back to Calgary, but that is pure speculation and unlikely due to Toronto’s unwillingness to part with their little draft capital.
If I had to take an educated guess, I wonder if the team was the Colorado Avalanche. The team has been looking to get rid of Ryan Johansen’s contract this season after he has underperformed. The team signed Zach Parise to a contract, leaving Johansen in somewhat of a no-mans land situation.
He currently has one more season left at $4.0M, after his salary was already retained by the Nashville Predators in the trade this summer. Could the Flames have used some center depth? Absolutely. Would Johansen improve the team? Remains to be seen.
Adding Johansen to the lineup would have further impacted the Flames youth movement, making it harder to try to promote from within. It would have been an intriguing add, but the team opted for the second-round pick and prospect, which was probably the right call.
Now let’s see if the Avalanche use that pick again in a potential Noah Hanifin deal.
