Maple Leafs acquire negotiation rights to Chris Tanev

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The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired the signing rights to defenseman Chris Tanev in a trade with the Dallas Stars on Saturday, in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick and prospect Max Ellis.

Tanev, 34, is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and by grabbing his rights now from Dallas, the Maple Leafs have an exclusive opportunity to sign Tanev before he hits the open market.

Toronto rightly anticipated Tanev would have several suitors as a free agent. The veteran is a coveted right-shot defender who would instantly take on a top-pairing role for the Maple Leafs. Toronto has been desperate to match Morgan Rielly with a new partner and Tanev…