Should Bruins pursue Chris Tanev or Noah Hanifin before trade deadline?
Are the Calgary Flames open for business before the March 8 NHL trade deadline? Should the Boston Bruins call their veteran defensemen?
On Wednesday night, the Flames traded top-six center Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks for forward Andrei Kuzmenko, two prospects, and two 2024 draft picks (including a first-rounder).
The Flames are five points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but with Lindholm now gone, it’s fair to wonder whether Calgary will trade away more veterans with expiring contracts.
Flames defensemen Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin are potential targets for the Bruins. Both players are eligible to become unrestricted free agents in July. If the Flames are unable to extend either one, it makes sense to move them to avoid a situation in which they go for free in the summer.
At the trade deadline, the Boston Bruins are looking for a physical defenseman who can play a lot of minutes, kill penalties, block shots, clear traffic, and play hard defensive minutes during playoffs. With Derek Forbort’s injury causing him to miss many games, the Bruins could benefit from adding another defenceman in this mold.
Let’s start with Tanev, because he fits the description above.
Tanev is fifth in the league with 135 blocked shots. He is not afraid to put his body on the line to prevent pucks from reaching the net. Tanev is also a good penalty killer, averaging 2:39 of shorthanded ice time per game, which leads the club. He is a key reason why the Flames have the third-best penalty kill percentage. Acquiring Tanev would reduce the stress on Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, who have already played a significant amount of minutes this season.
Tanev’s highlight packages, including the one below, are packed with blocked shots and great defensive plays.
Another reason to seek Tanev is that he might be a top target for several of the Bruins’ biggest Eastern Conference opponents. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs are among the teams interested in Tanev. Brad Treliving, the Leafs’ general manager, previously worked with the Flames, therefore he is familiar with their roster.
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Calgary’s “general price tag” for Tanev is “a second-round pick plus another asset,” as reported by league sources. If a team was willing to trade up to a first-round pick, Tanev would most likely be available now.
The Bruins do not have a second-round pick until 2026. They do not own a 2024 first-round pick. Tanev is 34 years old, thus he’d likely be a rental. If that’s the case, handing up a 2025 first-round pick for Tanev is just too much. Perhaps the Bruins and Flames can work out a different trade, but this is one example of Boston’s lack of draft money becoming an issue.
Hanifin is a better long-term option. He is 27 years old. He is from Norwood, Massachusetts, and attended Boston College. He’s a legitimate top-four defenseman with excellent two-way skills. In 49 games, he has 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) and averages a career-high 23:29 of ice time.
Hanifin’s talent and age make him worth giving up a 2025 first-round pick (plus other assets) to acquire, as long as he signs an agreement to stay in Boston beyond this season. The Boston Bruins traded for Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks before the 2022 trade deadline, and signed him to an eight-year contract shortly thereafter.
On Thursday’s Jeff Marek Show, Friedman stated that Hanifin must make a decision. “I believe Calgary would want to keep him. It depends. There are two items here. No. 1: What does Hanifin want? And, secondly, what becomes available to him? I believe Calgary has made it apparent that they want to keep him, both in words and in their offers. I believe Hanifin needs to make a decision.
“I believe the other thing is, now that the Flames have offered him a really big offer, what does it mean for other teams that like him? Because I believe there are some. I believe he has as much control over the Hanifin situation as anyone else.”
The Bruins might also use a middle-six forward. Since the holiday break concluded on December 27, they have scored the most points in the NHL, both overall and at even strength. The team has prospects, like Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov, who might come up from the Providence Bruins to add offensive depth. Providence’s defenseman prospects are not as impressive.While Mason Lohrei possesses offensive talent, he may not be ready for rugged action in the playoffs.
These are some of the reasons why general manager Don Sweeney should prioritize obtaining an experienced defenseman who will bring more truculence to the Boston Bruins’ lineup. You can never have too much depth on the blue line, and adding another quality player would greatly improve the Bruins’ chances of winning several rounds in the playoffs.
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