It is strange to me that no team has stepped up to pay a first round pick for tanev. He is legitimately one of, if not the best, shutdown defensemen in the league. It seems like every year, teams have paid at least a first round pick for defencemen that are not as good as him. Top it off with the fact that this 2024 draft is not as highly touted as others and I don’t see why these GMs think he should only cost a 2nd round pick. If teams don’t have a first in 2024, I doubt Conroy would have a problem accepting a first round pick from 2025 or 2026 - even if they are lottery/top 10 protected.
Maybe the pressure of the trade deadline will get one or more of them to step up but a first round pick seems like a reasonable price for what tanev brings to a playoff team.
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