Chris Tanev’s injury is day-to-day, according to an update offered The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. That’s the good news. LeBrun said the Flames announced the update to the relief of the organization and to fans, both because they need him healthy if they want to win and he needs to be playing if the intention is to trade him. The potentially bad news, is that while the Flames avoided the worst case scenario, Tanev’s injury is a reminder of what can go wrong while waiting for the NHL Trade Deadline to come.
LeBrun reports that the Flames have indicated to teams with interest in Tanev that they’re in no hurry to make a decision. But, with each passing day and every game that Tanev plays, he risks injury. The same goes for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, among other pending UFA the Flames are thinking about trading. And, that’s not exclusive to Calgary. Teams that know (or at least assume) they won’t be in the playoff mix will have decisions to make. Among them, whether to trade players early, sit them in anticipation of a deal, or showcase them in the hopes that their respective value goes up.
That said, as LeBrun also points out, there is a potential reward for waiting. He notes that holding off until as close to the deadline as possible allows for the market to further develop and the cap hit to be less of a deterrent. In the case of Tanev, it would allow “interested teams to be in a better position to accommodate his $4.5 million cap hit. The closer to March 8, the easier that is.”
Should the Flames Make a Move With Tanev Now?
One team that has an interest now is the Toronto Maple Leafs. If Calgary wanted to trade him there tomorrow (or as soon as his injury status would allow), they could. The Leafs would pay a decent price too, somewhere in the neighbourhood of a second-round pick. Toronto has the cap space and a dire need to improve their blue line before the points they’re squeezing out of close games goes the other way. They could force the issue and offer up a first-round pick, suggests LeBrun. He explains:
“I think if the Leafs were willing to move their June first-rounder, they could potentially entice the Flames into getting this done sooner rather than later. Too rich a price? Maybe.”
However, the Flames aren’t keen on losing the player. LeBrun hints there may be a plan in place to acquire an asset for him and then sign him back in the summer as a free agent. Trading him right away only gives Toronto more of a chance to talk with Tanev and potentially negotiate an extension. So too, waiting opens up the market more. The greater the number of teams interested in Tanev, the higher the price goes.
What If Tanev Gets Injured Again?
It’s a tough spot for any GM to be in. If you inevitably know you’re likely to trade your player, but want the best return, what road do you take? Do you trade him now and possibly get less than full value? Unless Toronto steps out of urgency, the Flames might be selling low. Or, do you wait? Waiting potentially ups Tanev’s value, but further risks another injury situation in which something serious means you lose any chance to trade him at all.
As one would expect, conversations will be ongoing. If Toronto elects to up their offer to a first, I would expect the Flames to move on it right away. Anything less, and this could take some time.
Next: Penguins Could Become Heavy Sellers Around NHL All-Star Break
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