Steven Lorentz has won a Stanley Cup, so you figure he would know.
The Maple Leafs winger, who hoisted the Cup with the Florida Panthers last June, had this to say about teammate Chris Tanev after Toronto put a lid on 2024 with a 3-1 win against the New York Islanders on Tuesday afternoon.
“You just know what he brings every single night,” Lorentz said. “It’s not flashy and you need guys like that on your roster if you’re going to win championships.
“He’s just such a selfless guy. Humble and quiet, but he’s the first guy to be laying out in front of pucks.”
If the Leafs eventually find their way down a Cup path to success in the next several years, you don’t have to imagine what kind of impact Tanev would have on that.
We’re seeing it now and we’ve been seeing it since he took his first strides on the Leafs blue line in October after signing a six-year contract in free agency on July 1.
No surprise, the Leafs were saying, that Tanev missed just a few shifts after taking a puck in the face during the second period on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena. We’re not sure how many more teeth Tanev had to lose, but there he was spitting out more as he made his way off the ice.
The blocks, whether he’s making them with his face or any other part of his body, tell just part of the Tanev story.
The Leafs haven’t had a defenceman like Tanev in a while, one who goes about his business in the efficient meat-and-potatoes way that he does. The next time Tanev shows any trepidation when he has the puck on his stick will be the first time. He and Jake McCabe have formed a solid duo in the back end.
“Composure, he never panics,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said of Tanev. “If he doesn’t have a play, he eats it and grinds it out of the zone, grinds it to make a play later. His ability is right here and right here.”
As he spoke those last words, Berube pointed to his head and his heart.
Tanev had four blocks against the Islanders, bringing him to 106, the most in the National Hockey League before all games were completed on Tuesday. Next among the Leafs is McCabe, who has 64.
Goaltender Joseph Woll, along with the other Leafs netminders, doesn’t have to make as many saves when Tanev is on the ice.
This was how Woll summed up Tanev’s influence: “He’s very underrated, even when people talk about how good he is defensively. He is so poised with the puck and he makes great plays and blocks a lot of shots. He’s a goalie’s best friend back there.”
It’s clear why Leafs general manager Brad Treliving coveted Tanev as much as he did before the trade deadline last season, and then had to be patient before trading for Tanev’s rights in the days leading up to July 1.
We can’t say how effective the 35-year-old Tanev may or may not be by the time his contract is done following the 2029-30 season. Right now, that doesn’t matter. Keep in mind the average annual value of Tanev’s contract: $4.5 million US. There aren’t many better bargains in the NHL.
What does matter is that the Toronto native is providing a defensive backbone that will be crucial once the puck drops in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a D-man block as many shots as he does, I’ll tell you that,” Berube said.
“He’s old-school, for sure, and he’s a gamer all around. He lays it on the line. Not a lot of those guys around anymore and we’re very fortunate to have him.”