NHL analyst and former NHL player Carlo Colaiacovo believes pending free agent defenseman Chris Tanev will sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency.
Tanev completed his four-year $18 million deal this season and enters free agency as one of the top defensemen available. It has been reported that Toronto is interested in him, and speaking on his FirstUp radio show on TSN1050 in Toronto, Colaiacovo says he believes Tanev will sign with the Maple Leafs in free agency on July 1.
“I firmly believe that Chris Tanev will be a Toronto Maple Leaf”
This morning on #FirstUp, @CarloColaiacovo explained why he believes that Chris Tanev will sign with #LeafsForever. Do you agree with Carlo? Let us know! 👇
“I firmly believe that Chris Tanev will be a Toronto Maple Leaf on July 1, I firmly believe that. I know that last year, with all the attempts the Maple Leafs made to try to acquire him, he’s a Toronto guy. All the talk was that he wanted to be in Toronto. Clearly, it couldn’t happen because Calgary wasn’t willing to trade with the Leafs, even though the Leafs were willing to give a first-round pick for him. But I truly believe Chris Tanev will be the Maple Leafs’ No. 1 target come free agency frenzy on defense,” Colaiacovo said on FirstUp.
Tanev has been linked to the Maple Leafs and would immediately bolster the right side of their defense, as Colaiacovo says.
Tanev is a defensive defenseman who isn’t afraid to block a shot, as last year, he had 207 blocked shots between the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars in the regular season last year. He added 73 blocked shots in 19 playoff games with the Stars.
Colaiacovo Speculates What Maple Leafs Would Offer Tanev
After Colaiacovo said he believed the Maple Leafs will sign Tanev on July 1, he was asked what a potential deal may look like.
According to the former NHL player, he believes the contract all depends on the length. He thinks a five-year deal for $5 million a season makes sense, but if it is a shorter deal, the former NHL defenseman expects the salary to increase to around $6 million.
“If you go five years, it’s probably going to be somewhere between $4 and $5 million a year. If it’s less, it’s going to be higher, somewhere between $5 and $6 (million). But he’s your top pairing, right-hand shot defenseman that you’ve been looking for.
“The guy that’s going to play the way Craig Berube wants you to play, the way Brad Treliving wants the team to play. I’m not crazy about giving him a five-year deal, but it’s unrestricted free agency. That’s what happens, you have to overpay.”
Tanev recorded 2 goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 75 regular season games last year.
Insider Says Tanev is Toronto’s Top Target
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman also believes that Tanev is the Maple Leafs’ top target come free agency on July 1.
“Knowing Treliving, I think Tanev is the guy he likes the most,” Friedman said on the Jeff Marek Show on June 27, via Sportsnet. “He likes his game, he likes him personally and he knows him.”
Treliving, of course, signed Tanev to his last contract while he was the general manager of the Flames so the two sides are familiar with one another.
Toronto enters free agency with just over $18.8 million in cap space.
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Analyst ‘Firmly Believes’ $18 Million Defensemen Signs With Maple Leafs in Free Agency