Not that he is a bad defenceman - he’s still a great defenseman… but I do think Tanev is starting to show his age. Purely anecdotal but in the playoffs last season and in this game, he’s starting to lose some puck battles he never used to and he’s a step slower getting to pucks. I think it’s the risk with guys like Tanev and Ekholm who are so dependable for so long, you take for granted that they lose a step. I think defensive defencemen are assumed to stay as effective at their strengths for longer than offensive defencemen because their game should be less dependent on speed but it catches up with them too. He’s still a good #4 defenseman though.
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