Report: Senators among teams interested in Tanev

The Ottawa Senators won't let their position in the standings stop them from being aggressive at the trade deadline.

The Eastern Conference's last-place club is among the teams interested in Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

Tanev, 34, is in the last year of his contract with a $4.5-million cap hit.

Despite his age, the Senators view Tanev as a foundational fit but would likely require an extension to be in place before pulling off a trade, Dreger added.

Tanev has recorded nine points in 46 games for the Flames this season while averaging 19:40 per contest. He's known as one of the better pure shutdown defensemen in the league, as his defensive metrics are strong and he ranks fifth in the NHL with 135 blocked shots.

He also shoots right, which could make him a good fit for Ottawa's left-handed-heavy blue line.

Ottawa has reportedly listened to offers for Jakob Chychrun, a lefty defenseman who's most often tasked with playing on his off side. However, Chychrun called the trade rumors "ridiculous."

The Senators rank 30th in the NHL in goals against per game and haven't finished higher than 20th since they last made the playoffs in 2016-17. Tanev would certainly help in that regard.

It may be out of Ottawa's hands, though. Tanev's contract contains a 10-team no-trade list, so he'll have a say in where he ends up if he does get traded.

The Maple Leafs have also shown interest in the Toronto native, as general manager Brad Treliving attempted to pull off a trade for both Tanev and Nikita Zadorov earlier in the season before the latter was ultimately dealt to the Vancouver Canucks.