Flames trade Chris Tanev to Stars for Artem Grushnikov, 2024 second-round pick, 2026 conditional third-round pick

By Pierre LeBrun, Chris Johnston, Saad Yousuf and Julian McKenzie

The Calgary Flames traded veteran defenseman Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars for a 2024 second-round pick, a conditional 2026 third-round pick and prospect Artem Grushnikov, the teams announced. The Flames are retaining 50 percent of Tanev’s cap hit and salary. Calgary only receives Dallas’ 2026 third-round pick if the Stars advance to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. If that doesn’t happen, no conditional pick will be transferred.

The Stars also sent their 2026 fourth-round pick to the New Jersey Devils. The Devils retained 50 percent of Tanev’s 2023-24 salary.

Tanev was in high demand as an effective shutdown defender and is the No. 2 player on The Athletic’s latest trade board.

Stars general manager Jim Nill has struck some shrewd deals through the years but this has the potential to be right at the top of the list. It wasn’t hard for anybody around the NHL to see that the Stars had a dire situation on the blue line, especially exposed with recent injuries to Jani Hakanpää and Nils Lundkvist. That should have given teams leverage and try to pry one of the Stars’ top three prospects in Logan Stankoven (recently elevated to the NHL), Mavrik Bourque and Lian Bichsel.

The Stars have held firm that none of those three prospects were on the table in trade discussions, especially not for a rental. For Nill to get one of the top right-shot defensemen on the market without giving up a top prospect or a first-round pick is an instant win. To get 50 percent salary retention with how tight the Stars are against the cap makes it even sweeter for Dallas, who gets to hold on to their existing blueline group for additional depth.

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The Flames will miss Tanev with this trade. At 34, Tanev proved to be a reliable defensive defenseman while allowing Noah Hanifin to show off his offensive gifts. His quiet, yet humorous personality in the Flames locker room endeared him to many teammates. With his pending UFA status in the air and a retool on the horizon, Tanev had to be dealt ahead of last week’s deadline. The argument could be made that if the Flames waited longer, the return for Tanev could’ve been different. But what if he got hurt?

Tanev’s playing style likely played a role in why this trade happened now and not next week. Tanev has no problem sacrificing his body for the good of the team, and will play through anything. While the risk of injury is out there for any player — and Tanev has proven to be mostly durable during his Flames tenure — Tanev’s play style was cause for more concern than most.

Tanev’s addition instantly gives the Stars options in the lineup for combinations. They can choose to put Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley together at the top, a pairing that has been incredibly productive for the Stars. They could also explore pairing one of those natural lefties with Tanev and pairing the other with another player to elevate a second pairing. Dallas coach Pete DeBoer will have options to explore leading into the postseason.

With no GMs out there handing out a first-round pick for Tanev, this appeared to be the best move Flames GM Craig Conroy could make. The Flames get a second-round pick in this year’s draft, giving the Flames four picks between the first two rounds. The Flames will also get a 2026 conditional third, but only if the Stars go through to the Stanley Cup Final this year, and a project prospect in 20-year-old Grushnikov.

What is also fascinating is the Flames’ retention of salary on Tanev, it’s not something that typically happens with this franchise in their history through trades. But the Flames may have been more comfortable doing so on an expiring contract compared to one with more terms.

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On the surface, it’s a modest return considering what the expectation was. Unless Grushnikov excels at the AHL level and emerges in the next few years, the prize of this deal is the 2024 second-rounder.

Tanev signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks in May 2010 and spent 10 seasons with the Canucks before signing a four-year, $18 million contract with the Flames in 2020.

Tanev notched 14 points with the Flames this season. He has one goal and 13 assists through 56 games played in 2023-24.

Required Reading:
Calgary Flames Stanley Cup checklist, part 1: What is the roster lacking?
Flames GM Craig Conroy talks NHL trade deadline, organizational philosophy and more
(Photo: Sergei Belski / USA Today)