The contract
Toronto Maple Leafs signal defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year take care of a $4.5 million AAV.
Chris Tanev remains to be one of many absolute best defensive defensemen within the league. He’s a shutdown drive and confirmed as a lot throughout final yr’s playoffs protecting Jack Eichel and Nathan MacKinnon at bay in back-to-back sequence.
Tanev is a warrior and is precisely what the Maple Leafs wanted on their blue line and can doubtless be one of the best companion Morgan Rielly has ever had. Not solely that, he’s a significant asset to the staff’s offensive-minded forwards due to his elite puck-moving means. He will get it out, he will get it out usually, and he will get it out usually with management. At $4.5 million, Leafs followers must be ecstatic.
For now, anyway.
Six years is a very long time for any free agent. Six years is a very very long time for a soon-to-be-35-year-old shutdown defenseman. That time period is probably going what received Tanev’s worth all the way down to a palatable (for now) $4.5 million. However Father Time can strike at any level right here making this contract a catastrophe in ready.
That doubtless occurs in the course of the again half of the deal. Tanev ought to nonetheless be greater than definitely worth the worth over the primary two years, possibly even the third. After that, when he’s 37 years outdated, is the place issues get dicey.
It’s greater than potential it doesn’t even get to that time. The existence of the LTIR framework would possibly imply the worst elements of this deal vanish into skinny air. That makes this a steal on the four-year mark and truthful worth on the five-year mark. It’s the sixth yr that brings Tanev’s complete deal into “adverse worth” vary, however in the event you imagine that yr won’t ever occur then this deal is nothing to fret about.
The factor about warrior defensemen although is that LTIR isn’t precisely a assure. Tanev might have an harm historical past, however he additionally has a “plays-through-injury” historical past that might very properly imply these again years don’t vanish in spite of everything. There’s additionally the chance that Tanev doesn’t age as anticipated and falls off a cliff sooner. The no-movement clause and contract construction doubtless imply LTIR is the one method out too.
These are the dangers, those that imply this deal isn’t a complete house run. However on the very least, Tanev ought to match the Leafs roster like a glove and be every little thing the staff wants for a deep playoff run. He’s definitely worth the threat.
Contract grade: B
Match grade: A+
(Photograph: Kavin Mistry / NHLI through Getty Photos)