The Dallas Stars kickstarted the NHL Trade Deadline week a little early this year, acquiring defenseman Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames in exchange for their 2024 2nd round pick, a conditional 2026 3rd round pick, and defenseman prospect Artem Grushnikov. The Flames will retain 50% of Tanev’s contract as part of the transaction.
Additionally, the Stars will also be sending their 2026 4th round pick to the New Jersey Devils in return for unsigned goaltending prospect Cole Brady. The Devils will also retain 50% of Tanev’s contract, meaning Dallas will get Tanev with a total of 75% of his 4.5M cap hit retained.
Tanev, who is on the final year of a four year contract, has been one of the most sought after commodities of the deadline, due both to his skill and the high demand for right handed defensemen. He ranked second overall on The Athletic‘s trade board and sixth on ESPN‘s, behind only (former) teammate Noah Hanifin out of defensemen on both lists.
Tanev has also been mocked to Dallas as a “perfect fit” trade by multiple outlets in the past few weeks, even before the Stars suffered a pair of blueline injuries to Nils Lundkvist and Jani Hakanpää. With Dallas thin on right handed defensemen that Pete DeBoer trusts, Tanev gives the Stars several new options for defensive pairings, as well as a massive boost to the penalty kill.
As far as the price is concerned, the overall sentiment is that Dallas didn’t give up much. The rumored market value for Tanev was a second and a prospect, with Calgary fishing for a first. The two teams appeared to meet in the middle, with the Stars throwing in a conditional 2026 3rd round pick that only converts if the Stars make the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. By throwing in a 2026 4th round pick to get the Devils to retain additional salary, the Stars also retain a good amount of cap flexibility.
As for the prospect, Grushnikov was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 2nd round of the 2021 draft. The pick was originally the New York Rangers’, and was acquired by Dallas from the Detroit Red Wings as part of a trade down in the first round. Perhaps infamously, that 1st round pick was then used by the Stars to select Wyatt Johnston, and the Stars selected Logan Stankoven with their own pick one spot before Grushnikov.
In Grushnikov, the Flames get an interesting defensive prospect. He ranked 10th in the Stars’ system in Scott Wheeler’s recent prospect rankings, where he was listed as the fifth best defensemen. Here’s what Wheeler had to say:
Grushnikov is a fascinating case study in that despite a statistical profile that virtually never translates to the NHL, he has always had some believers because of his skating, length and ability to defend. He’s got balanced posture and control in his skating, which he uses effectively gapping up. He’s an excellent backward skater. He’s got a disruptive stick and an ability to track and then close out physically… He has defended well for a 20-year-old rookie in the AHL. Time will tell if his defending is high-end enough to carry him into a No. 6/7 role…
Overall, the court of public opinion favors this heavily in the Stars’ favor. Not only did they (as expected) keep a hold of their top three prospects in Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque, and Lian Bichsel, they also kept their 2024 1st while still obtaining a very, very good defenseman:
With that first round pick and more cap space than expected in their back pocket, this might not be it for Dallas this trade deadline – there’s still a chance Dallas acquires another defenseman in order to obtain an entirely new second pairing. So buckle in your seat belts, because the deadline isn’t over – it’s only just beginning.