Penguins A to Z: Brandon Tanev is exactly what the Penguins needed

While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 53 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Player: Brandon Tanev

Position: Left winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 28

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 180 pounds

2019-20 NHL statistics: 68 games, 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists)

Contract: First year of a six-year contract with a salary cap hit of $3.5 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2025.

Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing on July 1, 2019

This season: Less than 48 hours after his team was humiliated by the New York Islanders with a four-game sweep in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, typically reserved, was fuming.

At his season-ending pres conference April 18, 2019, Rutherford chiffonaded his squad.

“I didn’t see a point where our guys came together as a team. And I wonder if it’s because there’s too many guys content with where they are in their careers after winning too many (Stanley Cup championships) and is that a signal where some of that has to be changed where you’ve got that eagerness again? … (The Islanders) were eager to win, they were determined. And the Penguins were not.”

Less than three months later, Brandon Tanev was given the largest unrestricted free agent contract in franchise history.

Labeled as “probably the fastest guy in the NHL” by forward Evgeni Malkin, Tanev has restored the energy Rutherford felt the Penguins were lacking. A sprightly yet abrasive force on the ice, Tanev’s skating and forechecking have allowed the Penguins’ to once again become a group which attacks the opposition with superior speed.

Tanev was initially lined up on right wing of Malkin’s line in the preseason and the early days of the regular season, but an injury to Malkin in October ended that marriage and led to a surprising but successful union for Tanev with Teddy Blueger at center and Zach Aston-Reese on the left wing.

That trio has formed what some consider to be the NHL’s best fourth line, even if rampant injuries forced it to be deployed more as a third line.

Regardless of how the line is labeled, coach Mike Sullivan has rarely hesitated to routinely match it against the opposition’s top line in the pursuit of hassling and vexing All-Star forwards into mistakes and frustration.

Individually, Tanev’s speed and tenacity has made life miserable for opposing defensemen retrieving pucks. Those traits have also ensured him a role as one of the team’s top penalty killers.

And while he was certainly not brought in for his offense, he was in line to establish new career highs for points before the NHL halted play. Additionally, his four-game-winning goals were second-most on the team.

The future: There are few sure bets in the NHL as it enters uncharted territory with a plan to resume the season this summer. Should that happen, it’s safe to assume Tanev will be welded onto his line with Blueger and Aston-Reese. Even as injuries pockmarked the rest of the lineup, Sullivan was so content with that trio, he rarely broke it up to fill in the top two lines.

Beyond this season, Tanev is here for the long haul given the length of his contract. There’s always a possibility he could leave the organization before it expires through a trade or buyout. Given his age and his rough-and-tumble style of play, Tanev’s enthusiasm could very well exhaust the limits of his body as he enters his 30s.

But that’s why the Penguins signed this player. He’s given them exactly what they needed.

Follow the Penguins all season long.