How Chris Tanev “adds a little bit of everything” to Stars in Cup pursuit

The fact that the trade deadline in the NHL comes relatively late in the season creates a mad race to get that last piece in order to make your push for the Stanley Cup.

The Stars got a head start on Wednesday, acquiring defenseman Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames while losing nothing from their current roster. It cost prospect Artem Grushnikov and three draft picks, a move that not only makes them better on the ice, but in their overall mindset as well.

“No doubt it’s a really strong message,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said of the mental boost that comes from GM Jim Nill acquiring a top-level defenseman. “He was probably at the top of everybody’s list. For Jim to be proactive and go out and get him, I thought it was fantastic.”

Tanev was one of the top trade deadline targets, and is the perfect fit for the Stars’ needs. The right-handed defenseman could play on a top pairing with Miro Heiskanen or could slide down and create a more defensive pairing with Esa Lindell. He gives Dallas more depth and flexibility in the area they probably have the biggest need.

“He’s got better puck skills and skating than people give him credit for,” said DeBoer. “He can skate and move the puck under pressure. He’s also a big, physical, hard guy to play against, so that gives you a lot of options.”

Tanev is 34 and can become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, so this is a big opportunity for him as well. He has played on good teams in Vancouver and Calgary, but he is now jumping onto a roster that many consider to be a top contender to come out of the Western Conference.

“I’m super excited to join the group and help the team win,” Tanev said Thursday. “That’s my ultimate goal and why I ended up being traded. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a team guy and willing to do whatever’s best to try to help this team win.”

Tanev has played with a few Stars players in the past, like Matt Duchene in international competition. He’s also played against many of the Stars in both regular season and in the playoffs.

“He’s tough to play against,” Duchene said. “He’s in really good position all of the time, a great penalty killer and blocks a ton of shots. He’s one of those guys, where you’re like, ‘Oh I got a Grade A,’ and then it’s off his stick in the mesh. He’s got underrated offensive abilities, too. He makes a great first pass, a guy who can get up and join the rush. He adds a little bit of everything to this team.”

With Jani Hakanpää and Nils Lundkvist returning from injuries, the Stars now have three right-handed defensemen. That could allow the coaching staff to play Heiskanen on his natural left side. DeBoer said the team might experiment to see what options are out there, but he added that he’s fine with Heiskanen playing the right side, as he has for much of his career.

“Both are in play,” the coach said.

Tanev has to get immigration papers and a work visa, so that could take a little time. Nill said there is a chance he might not join the team until they head to California to start a three-game road trip in San Jose on Tuesday. Whatever happens, the Stars are happy the trade was done more than a week before the March 8 trade deadline to give everyone the chance to adapt.

“We know what the belief is from top to bottom in here, that we can win a Stanley Cup this year,” Duchene said. “There’s a lot of games left and we’re probably in the most competitive division in the league. It’s so tight, and to get a guy like that can put you over the top. We have an elite team already, and it’s not like we were lacking in anything, but it definitely helps us. He’s a guy who can come in and be a big part of us.”

The Stars have a tough run over the final 21 games and are in the thick of a tight playoff race in the Central Division with Winnipeg and Colorado. One team will get first place and will face a wildcard team in the first round. The other two teams will play each other, with one going home for the summer after the first round.

So adding a player like Tanev is a pretty huge deal.

“This team has battled hard,” Nill said. “We’re in the top five or 10 teams in the league and we have as good a chance as anybody, so you want to supplement that.

“It’s hard to win the Stanley Cup,” he added. “It’s a battle, it’s a war. So let’s give ourselves the best opportunity, let’s get our roster as good as we can get it, let’s start playing the right way now and let’s give ourselves the best chance.”

Because Nill was able to involve New Jersey in the trade to help retain some salary, Dallas only has to pay 25 percent of Tanev’s remaining salary. This means the Stars still have some wiggle room to make another deal before the deadline, but Nill said he’ll simply let the excitement from this deal cool before he starts worrying about more trades. The Stars have two injured forwards in Tyler Seguin and Evgenii Dadonov, so they are juggling roster concerns every day. Right now, they are carrying just 12 healthy forwards, so every day is an adventure.

“There’s about 100 answers to that question,” Nill said when asked about the potential for another move. “Injuries can change that, roster size can change that. Right now, we’re really kind of living day-to-day with our roster and the salary cap.”

But simply adding Tanev, whenever he can start playing, is a big enough boost for right now.

“I think anyone who follows hockey has seen my name around for quite some time now,” Tanev said. “It’s a weird feeling, but at the same time, I’m extremely excited to start a new chapter in my career and meet everyone in Dallas.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.