Don’t Blame Chris Tanev For Cashing In On Excellent Season

Don’t #BlameTanev.

After signing two one-year “prove it” deals worth $1.5 and $2 million respectively, Tanev is expected to cash in on another fine season as he’s set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Tanev was originally a free agent signing by Mike Gillis on May 31, 2010 and described as a player that needed to grow up physically in order to handle the rigours of everyday NHL life. But Tanev worked through his physical limitations with a steady hand in his own zone, not overcommitting or making mistakes and playing an even-keel game that coaches often appreciate. He’s become a fan favourite in Vancouver for his soft spoken demeanour and his incredibly consistent play.

Paired with Alex Edler exclusively for much of the season, both players have been the glue that has kept the Canucks patchwork defensive unit together. Tanev became Edler’s partner after having Dan Hamhuis as his partner under John Tortorella, and he’s been an integral part of Edler’s resurrection as a  No. 1 defenseman in the NHL. Together, the two have played 662 of Tanev’s 762 on-ice, even strength minutes. Their partnership has paid off in spades for coach Willie Desjardins, as the pairing has posted a 53.7 per cent Corsi For going into All-Star weekend, tops on the team.

Further to the point that Tanev and Edler are carrying the Canucks on the back-end, the two have the highest Corsi For relative to their teammates at 4.7 and 4.8 per cent, respectively. To put that in perspective league-wide, they sit 13th and 14th in the league in that department (Brian Campbell leads the league at a whopping 8.1 per cent). Tanev’s been able to post that type of number by suppressing shot totals when he’s on the ice – he allows 47 shot attempts per 60 minutes, 13th lowest in the league.

What makes Tanev’s progression such a marvel to watch is the fact that he’s playing extremely tough competition and playing them at an elite clip. In the chart below, you’ll notice that Tanev played pretty sheltered hockey in previous seasons, both in terms of minutes and in zone starts. In 2011-2012, we can see some glimpses of his development, as he received an uptick in minutes and played some tougher zone starts. Under Torts, you can visualize Tanev putting elements of his game together, playing by far the most minutes of his career; he also transitioned well to Tortorella’s emphasis on a zone defence.

A chart that visualizes Tanev’s ice time and his possession metrics. News flash: he’s been great this season.

Benning said in the summer that he’d like to see a larger body of work out of Tanev, a completely acceptable premise given Benning’s unfamiliarity with the Canucks. Now that Tanev has all but delivered in the past two seasons, it’s almost a certainty that the Canucks will look to re-sign Tanev to a contract extension. However, that’s likely going to come at a hefty price tag.

Over the last year, a market has been dictated by several contract extensions with defensemen of various ilk, including Los Angeles’ pair Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin and more offensively-capable players such as Calgary’s T.J Brodie. These deals have almost all exclusively been in the five to six year range, with most approaching or over $20 million overall. Jonas Brodin from the Minnesota Wild had the most lucrative extension at six-years, $25 million.

Brodin seems like the most logical comparison in talks for Tanev’s extension. He has similar numbers relative to his teammates (11th in the NHL at shot attempts against per 60 minutes at 46.68). He isn’t driving possession at the same clip as Tanev (3.0 per cent, compared to 4.7) but Brodin initiates more offense, with the Wild getting 56 shot attempts per 60; the Canucks get 53 shot attempts with Tanev on the ice.

Jim Benning will ultimately ante up and pay the price for Tanev’s services. After all, he’s bordering on top-pairing status around the league and he just turned 25. The Canucks shouldn’t shy away from paying top dollar for a valuable asset, all the while buying UFA years and having him in the fold for what should arguably be the prime of his career.