Chris Tanev’s performance vs. Wild could determine future with Canucks

Chris Tanev’s performance against the Minnesota Wild could ultimately determine his future with the Vancouver Canucks.

For most players on the Vancouver Canucks roster, 2019-20 marks the first of (hopefully) many chances they’ll have at competing for a Stanley Cup together.

But the postseason could very well mark the “last dance” for several notable Canucks: Veteran defenceman and fan favourite Chris Tanev, goalie Jacob Markstrom and top-six forward Tyler Toffoli, who are all pending UFAs.

Adam Gaudette is a pending RFA, but you know he’ll stay. Troy Stecher and Jake Virtanen are also set to become RFAs, and their futures in Vancouver aren’t quite as clear.

For general manager Jim Benning, re-signing Toffoli is going to be practically impossible. The Canucks have more than enough scoring depth, so they can afford to let Toffoli walk. For Markstrom, the price has to be right if he’s to remain in Vancouver.

As for Tanev, his future with the Canucks could simply come down to how he performs against the Wild — and in the round of 16 if they advance.

Money and term shouldn’t be the biggest issue in contract talks here. Benning surely knows that the price for a reliable top-four blueliner is around $4.5 million annually. But given Tanev’s injury history and lack of offensive upside, it’s hard to envision him getting much more than, say, $5 million annually on a new deal.

With a solid group of blue line prospects (Jett Woo, Olli Juolevi and Jack Rathbone), Benning might be somewhat comfortable letting Tanev walk in free agency.

But if Tanev can step up his game in the postseason and lead this young Vancouver team on a run, he could secure himself a long-term future with the only NHL team he’s ever known.

Stay-at-home and defensively sound blueliners like Tanev especially display their value in the postseason. You know head coach Travis Green will turn to Tanev against the opposition’s top line, and this is his chance to show that he deserves to be with Vancouver over the long run.

Tanev won’t take over games with his skating and puck-moving skills like Quinn Hughes. But if he holds down the fort and excels in a shutdown role — think Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo during the 2011 run — it could cement his long-term future in Vancouver.

However, a disappointing performance on Tanev’s end could force Benning to ponder the other side of the coin: Is it worth keeping an injury-prone defenceman who’ll turn 31 next season long-term, with a cap crunch looming?

Needless to say, there’s plenty at stake for Tanev as he tries to help the Canucks reach the round of 16 for the first time in five years.