Maple Leafs, defenseman Chris Tanev reach 6-year contract - ESPN

Chris Tanev and the Toronto Maple Leafs agreed to a six-year contract worth $4.5 million annually, just days after the defenseman's rights were traded to his hometown team.

Tanev, who was a pending unrestricted free agent, had his rights traded Saturday by the Dallas Stars to the Leafs in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick and prospect forward Max Ellis.

Getting his rights allowed the Leafs to have an exclusive window to get a deal done with Tanev before he could reach the open market with free agency set to start at noon ET.

Strengthening their defense within the confines of having three players who make more than $10 million annually has been a challenge for the Leafs over the last few seasons. That number was pushed to four starting with the 2024-25 season with William Nylander's eight-year extension worth $11.5 million annually kicking in.

One of the objectives facing the Leafs this offseason was trying to find a right-handed shot who could complement Morgan Rielly to give them a new look on their top defensive pairing.

Adding Tanev accomplishes that goal.

He gives the Leafs that top-pairing, right-handed shot defenseman whose prowess as a more defensive-minded player works in tandem with Reilly, a puck-mover who finished with seven goals and 58 points in 72 games last season.

Plus, the Leafs will receive some offensive contributions from Tanev as he has had 11 straight seasons of more than 10 points.

Figuring out what would happen with Tanev was one of the big questions facing the Stars after they were eliminated from the Western Conference Final by the Edmonton Oilers.

The Stars came into Monday with just two defensemen under contract while Thomas Harley is a pending restricted free agent who received a