Maple Leafs' Chris Tanev left indelible mark in short time with Dallas Stars

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Chris Tanev’s tenure with the Dallas Stars was brief.

The memories of the defenceman’s impact with the team last season, however, remain.

“I loved the guy,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer said on Tuesday. “What I like is, what you see is what you get every night. He never wavers, he knows what his game is and brings it to the rink every night.

“He played through some really significant injuries with us in the playoffs, was really compromised and you would never know it. There were some days he could barely get his skates on and found a way to get out there and help us on a deep playoff run. Just a warrior.”

At the end of February last year, the Stars acquired Tanev from the Calgary Flames. Tanev played in a total of 38 games for Dallas — 19 in the regular season and 19 in the playoffs — and was a key component as the Stars advanced to the Western Conference final where they lost in six games against the Edmonton Oilers.

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Stars goalie Jake Oettinger and the Maple Leafs’ Joseph Woll, close friends off the ice, went out for dinner on Monday night. Naturally, the topic of Tanev and what he has been doing for the Leafs after signing a six-year contract last summer came up.

“Joe and I were actually saying how much we love playing behind him,” Oettinger said. “He’s one of my favourite defencemen that I have ever played behind. Just a great all-around guy. It was sad to see him go.

“He’s a goalie’s dream. Joe and I were saying, you feel like a guy has a Grade-A (scoring chance) and then Tanny will come out of nowhere and dive and make a block. He’s a heck of a defenceman and it was fun playing behind him.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

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