ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½

Tanev made his chops as a stay-at-home defenceman because that’s where the opening was when he debuted in the NHL with Vancouver a dozen years ago, after signing as an undrafted free agent.

“When you first come into the league, you go to teams and there’s roles that are available,’’ Tanev said after another lively Maple Leafs training camp session Saturday morning, this one featuring the first all-out scrimmage, involving 70-plus players. “I think everyone coming out of juniors or college is a really good player, point-a-game players. But you go to a good team, as I did in Vancouver, and there’s not going to be an opportunity for you to play on the power play and do things maybe as offensively as you wanted to.

“So you have to carve out a role for yourself, find something you’re good at where you can help the team every night. That morphed into my game throughout the years.’’

And that is what made Tanev such an attractive target for Leafs GM Brad Treliving, the shiniest trinket plucked off the shelf. Treliving had signed Tanev once before, during a front office tour of duty with Calgary.

If Tanev ever had visions of himself as an Erik Karlsson-style blueliner, it was a passing fancy, quickly extinguished. “You never know. Things happen for a reason, right?’’ Prudently, he rolled with his strengths. “I compete hard, I work hard, I’m willing to do whatever the team asks of me. I leave it out there every night. That’s really who I am.’’

The Leafs have a long history of seizing upon impact defencemen with splashy resumés, except they’ve been in the downhill trajectory of their careers: Brian Leetch, Pavel Kubina, Mike Komisarek, François Beauchemin, Jake Muzzin, Luke Schenn.

Tanev will be 35 in December. Yet he was signed to a six-year $27-million (U.S.) deal about 90 minutes before he would have become a free agent on July 1, and after ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ secured his rights from Dallas. Nobody actually expects Tanev to be playing into his 40s; it was a flexibility-oriented contract to ease the salary cap hit over more years.

And that was an important factor, career stability, that lured the East York-raised Tanev back to his hometown, He and brother Brandon, a forward with the Seattle Kraken, played here and he will have grandparents nearby for his 20-month-old son and the baby he’s expecting soon with wife Kendra. While he claims it was an intense couple of days negotiating the agreement, the transition was painless and seamless.

“Once ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ traded for me, it was two and a half days where we were able to talk before free agency. My connection with Tree from being in Calgary — I knew him, I knew I could trust him. Gathered as much information as possible. Obviously this is a very good team with a lot of really good players, a lot of skill. I wanted to make sure I was going to a competitive team, a team that wants to win.’’

The Stars never consulted with Tanev before arranging the swap to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, after Tanev had acquitted himself exceedingly well in Dallas, particularly through 19 post-season games where he was a key component as the Stars almost made it to the Cup final.

Despite running into the obstacle of the Edmonton Oilers, Tanev racked up the most blocked shots for the playoffs — 73 — and tied for third in the regular season with 207, which will more than replace the 159 registered by the departing T.J. Brodie, who topped that category for the Leafs.

That is but one feature of the Tanev oeuvre which made him so seductive to Treliving, who tried to corral him in a trade last season. He is expected to be the rearguard bulwark, an elite classically defensive-minded right shot yoked with Rielly, a tenacious and formidable presence on the back end and killing penalties, deployed against the best offensive opponents, protecting the net, clearing away bodies.

His own body he’s sacrificed with fearless abandon, blocking shots with every inch of it including his face. Hence the smile with tombstone teeth, those he’s got left. Shot blocking is not a prudent way to make a living.

“It’s instinctive,’’ Tanev said. “There’s times when it’s obvious you’re going to have to block shots, when you’re penalty-killing, wrist shots from the blue line. There’s times when, hey, I need to get in the lane. Or maybe things break down and the other team has a 3-on-2 or 4-on-2.’’

He’s not locking an opponent’s eyes, looking for a tell on the shot. “You play against guys for quite some time, you learn their tendencies, know how certain guys shoot. It comes with experience.’’

And, hell yeah, it can hurt.

“It’s part of the game. I got hurt in the past quite a bit but in the last five or six years I’ve been really healthy. So, knock on wood.’’