Dallas Stars trade defenseman Chris Tanev for Max Ellis from the Toronto Maple Leafs

After his strong performance in the playoffs, Chris Tanev was certainly one of the top targets on the free agency market this season.

Instead, the Dallas Stars traded him.

During the second round of the NHL Draft on Saturday, the Stars traded Tanev’s rights to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Tanev, the 34-year-old defenseman Dallas acquired from Calgary before the trade deadline, was a top priority for the Stars when it came to re-signing him this season. Stars GM Jim Nill spent the weeks after Dallas’ playoff exit talking with Tanev’s team to finalize a deal, but the price was ultimately too high.

It was clear that if Tanev hit the market on July 1, Dallas would likely not be able to compete in a bidding war, considering the team would only have about $16 million to fill 10 spots on the roster.

The biggest challenge in re-signing Tanev was that Dallas had to pay significantly more for him than during his three months on the roster last season. Nill managed to sign Tanev with Calgary and New Jersey retaining 75% of his 2023-24 salary, leaving Dallas to cover only $1.125 million of his $4.5 million salary. The Stars gave up only a 2024 second-round pick, a conditional 2026 third-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick and prospect Artem Grushnikov in the trade, and kept all first-round picks, current players and top prospects.

But Tanev’s immediate impact in Dallas and his outstanding performance in the playoffs made him a strong candidate for a big payday.

Tanev played in 19 regular-season and 19 postseason games for the Stars this season, recording seven points (one goal and six assists) and averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time per game in the playoffs. He led the NHL in blocked shots in the playoffs (73) and was plus-seven in the postseason despite scoring just two points.

He also had to face the opposition’s best players, including Vegas’ Jack Eichel, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Conn Smythe winner Connor McDavid, and did not allow a single 5-on-5 goal in Vegas’ 144-15 series.

Before signing Tanev before the March trade deadline, Dallas was a mediocre defensive team, ranking 14th in goals against per game (3.03). After Tanev was added to the roster, the Stars climbed to second in the league in that category (2.11) during the final month of the regular season. They finished fifth in the playoffs (2.53).

The Stars do not have a right-back under contract yet. The only defender they have signed on the right side is Miro Heiskanen, who is actually left-handed. Nils Lundkvist is a restricted free agent, while Jani Hakanpää is an unrestricted free agent.

Dallas will have to make some external changes to fill the big void left by Tanev.

On X/Twitter: @Lassimak

For more Stars reports from the Dallas Morning News, click here.