It's been little over a month since Chris Tanev signed his mega deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs and he has said he is excited to get started with his new team and his new defense partner Morgan Rielly.
The 34-year-old defenseman who spent the bulk of his career in Canada also had a short stint with the Dallas Stars at the end of last season. With the longing of returning home he signed a six-year deal which holds a $4.5 million AAV. This cap hit was achieved due to the long nature of the contract which the Leafs feel very comfortable doing.
During a Zoom press conference, Tanev spoke highly of Rielly and cannot wait to begin their new partnership as its a certainty that they will be paired up as the top pair defensemen.
«Talked to him over the last day and a half about his thoughts about playing with me and being a partner, potentially, with me. That can potentially be a good fit. He's one of those elite players that there's not many around.»
Tanev said of playing with Rielly via TSN's Mark Masters.
General Manager Brad Treliving also spoke highly of his new defenseman as he was the GM of the Calgary Flames as Tanev was playing for that organization.
«An absolute warrior. He's a culture carrier for your room. Listen, I know the age he's at. But I think even in the last year he showed he's one of the top shutdown defensemen, one of the top defensive players in the league. And he's a right shot. He embodies everything you want in a teammate.»
It's incredible to think on how many defensive partners Morgan Rielly has had over the last number of years. It appears that Brad Treliving has done the right thing and has given him the partner he needs in order to thrive in hopes of giving the Maple Leafs a long playoff run.
