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LATEST NEWS: NHL Star Made A Statement About Contract Signing
forward and younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev, Brandon shared a few words about his elder signing his hometown team during the offseason.
Brandon was attending Edmonton Oilers‘ Zach Hyman‘s golf tournament on July 15 when discussing his brother’s move to Toronto completed on July 1, via TSN.
“With Chris being back home now, it’s very exciting for my family and him, so it’s great to see him put on a Leafs’ jersey being a hometown boy,” Brandon Tanev said.
The Tanev brothers, who hail from Toronto, spent time with the Kraken (Brandon), the Calgary Flames, and the Dallas Stars (Chris) during the 2023-24 season as the older Tanev was traded ahead of the March 8 deadline.
“It’s exciting, it’s one of those things where you, as a kid growing up in Toronto, everyone dreams about it and now his has come to reality. So, he’s a great add for them and our family is extremely excited for him,” Tanev said.
Toronto locked Chris Tanev’s signing a few hours before July 1 when free agency opened by trading for his negotiating rights with the Stars. Once the market opened, the Leafs signed Tanev to a large six-year, $27 million contract that runs through his age-40 season.
Chris Tanev has appeared in 792 regular-season games since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011. Tanev scored 190 points in all those games, split into 33 goals and 157 assists.
Maple Leafs Signing of Chris Tanev Considered ‘Risky’
Tanev is already 34 years old and comes with injury concerns. That, in the eyes of NHL insider Chris Johnston, makes Tanev a ‘risky’ signing.
“The contract is long and risky. But, this was exactly the type of player the Leafs needed and exactly the one who was available,” Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show on July 4. “Assuming health, which you can’t always assume health for a 34-year-old who has had a series of injuries, I like it short-term for the Leafs for sure.”
According to Toronto Star insider Nick Kypreos, the Maple Leafs beat all other franchises trying to sign the blueliner with a longer term and they also outbid the Stars by $12 total million in what is believed to be an overpayment for the aging defenseman.
