Insider Trading: Flames could have landed a first-rounder for Chris Tanev (but only if they took a player with term back)

Here’s LeBrun:

There was a lot of interest in Chris Tanev. Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto and Colorado were the four finalists that we know of, other than the team that got him, of course, the Dallas Stars, but it tells you that three Canadian teams who have Cup aspirations were in on him, which may also tell you what their next moves may be in terms of perhaps upgrading their blueline.

The Leafs had yet another conversation with Calgary on Wednesday, the day of the trade, but my understanding is that Brad Treliving still not willing to move that first-round pick in the Tanev deal and Calgary moves on with a Dallas deal. And it’s a deal that Calgary really liked. They’ve been criticized for not getting a first in this deal, but they like the prospect, Grushnikov. They see some Tanev-like attributes in him. And by the way, Calgary did have a first-round pick on the table in one of their trade offers, but it came with taking a player with term as part of the package and that wasn’t of interest to Calgary, so you understand the package they end up with, why it makes more sense for Calgary.

This is us thinking out loud, not LeBrun, but here goes: If we’re focusing on 2024 first-rounders, the Flames already have Vancouver’s (from the Elias Lindholm trade) and Toronto, per LeBrun, was unwilling to part with theirs. That leaves potentially Edmonton and Colorado as the teams that were possibly dangling first-round picks (along with a player with term) in a possible Tanev trade. Again: this is us making an educated guess, not LeBrun.

LeBrun also updated the Noah Hanifin situation:

They still have a major player that they will probably trade in Noah Hanifin, another pending UFA, they’ve been unable to sign him. As of Thursday, my understanding is that there was really nothing close on a Hanifin trade, and we know that can change quickly, but I think it speaks to the complex situation they have there in that two of the teams that really covet him, Boston and Tampa Bay, neither one of them has a first-round pick in this year’s draft. And also there’s a complication: Hanifin has a modified no-trade, there’s certain places he would go, and I think his agent Pat Brisson perhaps talking about a potential extension, which complicates things. So this may go ‘til next Friday, right to the wire, on Noah Hanifin.

Hanifin has an eight-team no-trade clause on his current deal. Our pal Frank Seravalli, of Daily Faceoff, has spoken in recent weeks in his appearances on Barn Burner about the potential for an “underwhelming” return for Hanifin, in the sense that the market for Hanifin’s services could be smaller than some perceive because of the Flames’ asking price for him and the likely desire of teams paying such a price to be able to sign him to an extension.

Nevertheless, we’re a mere eight days away from the 2024 trade deadline, which occurs at 1 p.m. MT on Friday, March 8.