The NHL’s Trade Deadline falls on March 8 this season, and as we saw with the Elias Lindholm trade, teams are making their moves sooner rather than later when it comes to the top targets. That is one huge reason why the Jets should be looking to pursue Chris Tanev, but it’s not the only reason.
The Winnipeg Jets have two clear positions in need of an upgrade. This article will focus on one of them, wich is a top-four defenceman to help ease some of the defensive matchups off of Josh Morrissey’s workload, and is preferably a right-handed shot. Tanev perfectly fits the mold of what the Jets could use to fill that role.
Chris Tanev From the Calgary Flames is a Perfect Fit for the Jets
Tanev finds himself near the top of almost every trade board, and why wouldn’t he be? He is the perfect veteran defensive acquisition for any contender looking to bolster their defence core. He is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), which would slot him into the ‘rental’ category when assessing trade targets.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for 2024 Trade Deadline
The Calgary Flames have already begun to sell off their pending UFA’s, as on Wednesday night they traded Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a first-round pick, prospects, and Andrei Kuzmenko. Tanev could be next out the door, as the market is seemingly heating up heading into All-Star weekend.
Tanev won’t help the struggling power play, and he won’t chip in offensively at five-on-five, but he would be a huge asset and boost to the Jets’ penalty kill, which finds itself clicking along at 77.4 percent, well below league average. Whether he slides next to Morrissey on the top pairing, or Brenden Dillon on the second pairing, he would play a top-four role for Winnipeg and add to their already impressive defensive analytics.
Adding to their near-historic defensive analytics would enforce arguably Winnipeg’s biggest strength heading into the playoffs, and could give them the defensive firepower to shut down the other top teams in the Western Conference. The Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks all contain high-powered forward groups, and the Jets acquiring Tanev would improve their ability to counter that in a playoff series.
Tanev Would Fit in Winnipeg’s Defensive System Seamlessly
It’s safe to say that Tanev would have no issues adjusting to “Winnipeg Jets hockey”, as the Jets find themselves fresh off of going 34 straight games allowing three goals or fewer, falling just one game shy of the modern-day record. Tanev, known for his prototypical defensive defenceman style of play, would fit in perfectly in Winnipeg’s top four.
At 33 years old, Tanev’s defensive game remains as strong as ever. As we can see below from his Jfresh Hockey card, he is undoubtedly one of the best pure defenders in the league and even finds himself making “highlight reel blocked shots” every once in a while.
In a recent interview with Scott Oake on After Hours, Tanev referred to current Jets Head Coach Rick Bowness as “one of the best mentors I had as a young defenceman” as Bowness’ coaching clearly resonated with Tanev early on in the defender’s career. There’s no doubt that any Head Coach would love to have Tanev on their team, but especially Bowness, who has preached defensive accountability and “buy-in” since the day he took over as coach of the Jets.
Walker, Chychrun, & Other Defensive Trade Option for the Jets
Sean Walker is a name that I mentioned to keep an eye on early in the season, and with the Philadelphia Flyers recently acquiring Jamie Drysdale from the Anaheim Ducks, Walker is popping up on trade boards and in all likelihood will be traded before March 8.
Walker has posted 17 points in 50 games with the Flyers this season and could step onto the Jets blue line in a depth role if need be in the playoffs. The Jets currently have seven defencemen on their roster after they lost Declan Chisholm to the Minnesota Wild on waivers. An addition of Walker would give them an upgrade over Nate Schmidt on the third-pairing and would give them even more defensive depth as they gear up for a Stanley Cup run.
Other defennders popping up on trade boards include Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators, Noah Hanafin from the Flames, and Nick Seeler from the Flyers. The trade deadline market as a whole is thin, but especially so on defence, so moving quickly might be in the Jets’ best interest, regardless of who they choose to pursue.
