<p>A nice deal for a hometown player.</p>



<p>The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed defenseman <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/christopher-tanev/1494">Chris Tanev</a> to a six-year, $4.5 million contract.</p>



<p>It marks the largest cap hit in Tanev’s career, and it comes at the latter stages of his NHL tenure. He signed a five-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks in March 2015 that saw him make $4.45 million through 2020. The undrafted blueliner signed a four-year, $4.5 million AAV with the Calgary Flames in October 2020.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">6 years x $4.5 million for Tanev <a href="https://t.co/yAjm8sTxZR">https://t.co/yAjm8sTxZR</a></p>— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) <a href="https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1807782768241156532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2024</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Tanev’s signing rights <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-acquire-rights-to-chris-tanev-from-dallas-stars">were acquired by the Maple Leafs</a> on Saturday in a trade between them and the Dallas Stars. In the deal, the Stars received Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in 2026. The Toronto native was acquired by Dallas in a three-team trade featuring the Flames and New Jersey Devils in late February, with the expectation that he would bolster their blueline for a deep playoff run.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="157"></div>



<p>The move paid off for both Tanev and the Stars. In his new digs, he continued to be a strong defensive presence, helping Dallas advance to the Western Conference Final for the second straight season. However, Dallas ultimately lost to the Edmonton Oilers.</p>



<p>The Leafs are just the fourth team that Tanev has been associated with. The 34-year-old spent 10 seasons with the Canucks, before spending the four-plus campaigns with the Flames. In 792 NHL games, Tanev has scored 33 goals and 157 assists, with a plus/minus of +122. He has averaged 19:59 of ice time for his entire career.</p>



<p>In 60 playoff games, the former RIT product has scored a goal and 12 assists with a +15 rating, playing an average of 20:23.</p>



<p>The signing gives the Leafs seven defensemen signed to their NHL roster for the 2024-25 season. With his cap hit, Tanev is the second-highest paid player at his position on the, trailing only alternate captain Morgan Rielly, who is making $7.5 million a year through the end of the 2029-30 season.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="175"></div>



<p>The team now has 36 players signed to standard player contracts for next season. <a href="https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/mapleleafs">According to CapFriendly</a>, the Maple Leafs have a little over $7 million in projected cap space.</p>
