Chris Tanev went through the tunnel twice.
Fans of the Calgary Flames held their breath in unison twice.
Thankfully, the resilient defenseman went back on the ice on both occasions, Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils, as if nothing had occurred.
In a way, that is Tanev’s style. That’s what he does. He is a man known for risking all and never blinking when playing through discomfort.
The Flames have cherished this quality since he joined the team prior to the 2020–21 campaign. Fans find it endearing, and his colleagues freely express their admiration for it.
For the team, losing him to injury for any extended period of time would be devastating. Everyone has always crossed their fingers and prayed for the best when he travels down the tunnel.
It’s just that right now, with the 34-year-old defenceman set to become an unrestricted free-agent at the end of the season and the Flames actively getting younger, he is also a trade chip that could prove particularly valuable in the month before the NHL’s trade deadline.
Furthermore, a major injury would undoubtedly hinder Flames general manager Craig Conroy’s ability to obtain a sizeable return from a potential Stanley Cup contender.
Whatever reason forced Tanev to exit the ice during Thursday’s game didn’t keep him out long.
Everyone is welcome to inhale deeply.
But Tanev’s remarkable toughness was on display again on Thursday night for his teammates, who are intent on ignoring outside rumors about possible deals and trying to extend their current three-game winning streak.
“I think he maybe just catches his breath and realizes he’s made out of steel,” said Flames rookie Connor Zary, who had a goal and an assist against the Devils. “I don’t know, but it’s pretty impressive. Every day it surprises me the things he does and the way he puts his body on the line.”It’s probably a bit unfair to the Flames players that so much of what happens on the ice for the next little while is going to be interpreted through the lens of the trade deadline.
But it’s most likeThere are only Tanev and Noah Hanifin left, and Conroy doesn’t appear willing to take a chance on losing either of them. Both players might fetch high prices in trades that could usher in a new Flames hockey era.
Don’t let an injury derail your ambitions, though. If either player suffered a chronic injury, their value as rentals would be lost, and Thursday night’s game served as a warning that injuries occur frequently.
Thankfully, though, it seems like it would take a miracle to remove Tanev from a game. Recall that during the 2022 playoffs, this player is said to have played with a separated shoulder, a strained labrum, and a strained neck.ly unavoidable. Elias Lindholm was moved off by the team last week. Conroy traded Tyler Toffoli in the summer of last year and moved Nikita Zadorov earlier in the season.
The Flames had seven well-known, prominent players at the end of the previous campaign who were scheduled to become free agents in the summer of 2024. Three of those have been exchanged. After being appointed captain, Mikael Backlund resigned.
The Flames head coach Ryan Huska told reporters after the game on Thursday, “You are always stressed when someone goes down the tunnel because you don’t really know what’s going on at the time.” “But you expect Chris to return because, as we all know in Calgary, he plays through everything and anything.”
However, nobody takes it for granted.
When questioned about Tanev, Zary appeared practically in awe of his colleague.
He’s among our team’s most crucial players, Zary remarked. “You watch what he does, game in and game out, it’s always the same, he goes above and beyond to win, and I believe it’s small things like that.” Occasionally, you see him enter the tunnel and immediately think, “Oh no,” but then you realize, “Oh, it’s Tanny, he’ll be back in 30 seconds.”
“It’s never easy like that, but you know he’s a warrior and will return.”
