Following a terrible start to their 2023-24 campaign, the Edmonton Oilers have turned their season around and have found themselves fighting for a playoff spot. Their recent 16-game winning streak ended with a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, but they followed it up with a 5-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday (Feb. 9) night. As a team that will likely be looking to bolster their lineup, the Oilers will surely be active as they head toward the 2024 Trade Deadline on March 8. As our own Jim Parsons mentioned in a recent NHL Rumors column, the Oilers have reportedly taken interest in Calgary Flames defender Chris Tanev.
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Also mentioned in our column, Pierre LeBrun, in a TSN Sportscentre segment, outlined that the Flames are seeking a 2nd round pick along with an additional asset in exchange for Tanev. The Oilers have the assets to make a trade like that work. Still, it would likely come with a higher price as the Flames and Oilers have one of the biggest on-ice rivalries in the NHL, which is well known as the Battle of Alberta, not to mention they’re also in the same division competing for a playoff spot. If the Flames are willing to try and make something work though, the Oilers should do their best to send them a trade package and upgrade the right side of their blue line.
The Oilers experimented with some new defensive pairings in their recent win against the Ducks, and it seemed to be working well. Head coach Kris Knoblauch put Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard back together after having them apart for the start of the game and decided to put Darnell Nurse with Vincent Desharnais, as well as Brett Kulak with Cody Ceci. The right side of the blueline is rather weak compared to other contending teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, who have Alex Pietrangelo and Kaeden Korczak in their top four, and the Colorado Avalanche, who have Cale Makar, Josh Manson, and Jack Johnson on their right side, so adding a right-shot defender like Tanev would put them in the same conversation.
The Oilers’ goaltending issue has been solved with the strong bounce-back season from Stuart Skinner and the surprisingly strong season from Calvin Pickard, so they don’t have to worry about upgrading between the pipes. Their forward group has improved in a big way with Dylan Holloway returning from injury and the free-agent signing of Corey Perry, and while they may look to improve a bit in their top-six forward group, that won’t be their main focus. Defensive depth is going to be their biggest issue to solve, and Tanev would be a welcomed addition and upgrade over Ceci.
Who Is Chris Tanev?
Tanev is a 34-year-old right-shot defender who stands 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, who went undrafted and started his career with the Vancouver Canucks in the 2010-11 season. He is a pending unrestricted free agent from East York, Ontario, who has only played for the Canucks and Flames during his lengthy NHL career. Through 765 NHL games, Tanev has scored 32 goals and added 149 assists for 181 points, which is a 0.24 points-per-game average.
Tanev doesn’t come with much of an offensive game, and that shows in his stat line throughout his career. However, his strong defensive game makes him an attractive asset and one the Oilers should be trying to pursue. This season, Tanev has blocked 144 shots, which places him third in the NHL behind Nick Seeler and Jacob Trouba. He has been the best defensive defenseman on the Flames this season and has stood out as one of the strongest defensive defenders in the NHL this season, which is exactly the type of player the Oilers would like to add for a deep playoff run.
What Would It Cost the Oilers?
According to the rumoured asking price, the Flames would accept a second-round pick and an additional asset for Tanev. However, the rivalry between the two teams will drive up the price. A potential trade between the two sides looks like the Oilers acquiring Tanev in exchange for Philip Broberg, Cody Ceci, and the Oilers’ 2024 second-round pick. This is a fair deal for both sides and gives the Oilers a massive upgrade on the right side of their blue line.
Hopefully, the Oilers can make a deal work for Tanev. He is a strong defensive defender and will be a welcomed addition to whichever team can bring him in. The Oilers plan to go all-in this season and to do that, they will need to upgrade their defensive depth, and Tanev would be able to do just that. While he might be a rental player who doesn’t re-sign with the Oilers for next season, he is still a valuable asset they should be willing to pay the price for.
