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On Wednesday evening, as Calgary Flames trade acquisition Artem Grushnikov chatted with a reporter from his new hockey home, you could occasionally hear a cheer or a whistle in the background.

The 20-year-old blue-line prospect was still at the rink, watching what was suddenly his former team. He stuck around to say a proper farewell to his pals.

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About a half-hour before he was set to hit the ice with the Dallas Stars’ farm club, the Russian rearguard learned that he’d been swapped to Calgary as part of the return package for shot-blocking machine Chris Tanev. The Flames also received a second-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, plus a conditional third-rounder in 2026 that hinges on the Stars advancing to the Stanley Cup final this spring.

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“(Grushnikov) is a first-class individual, and he wanted to say a few words,” said Neil Graham, the head coach for the AHL’s Texas Stars, during a post-game scrum. “He spoke very highly of our organization and his time here, and we feel the exact same way about him. In terms of his character, it’s through the roof. You’re not going to get a harder-working player. I hope he has tons of success and opportunity moving forward in Calgary.

“That is the nature of the business — you’re going to have to move an asset to acquire a player of Tanev’s qualities. So Grush is going to go there, and I hope there’s a good path for him. I told him I’m from Calgary so if he needs anything, a home-cooked meal, let me know. But we wish him nothing but the best, and we hope he has a bright future.”

The Flames believe he does.

Trade grades are all the rage, we get it, but if you’re judging the acquisition of Grushnikov by the stats you can find on his HockeyDB page, you’re probably missing the point.

Some fans in Dallas, if they’re not familiar with Tanev’s game, might be making the same mistake.

While it’s certainly not fair to compare a guy who’s played just one pro season to a guy whose fearless style has left him with just one front tooth, Grushnikov and Tanev do have some common traits.

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Both are dedicated to a defence-first approach.

Both take great pride in their penalty-killing prowess.

Both are, apparently, beloved teammates. Tanev’s departure will rock the room at the Saddledome, even if it was inevitable that this pending unrestricted free agent would be traded before deadline day. (It’s fitting that Tanev’s stint with the Flames ended with a blocked shot. In fact, the 34-year-old was credited with an assist off his shin-pads on Mikael Backlund’s empty-netter Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings.)

Grushnikov, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 194 lb. and has a left-handed curve on his stick, has collected one goal and five points in his 44 minor-league outings this season. He will report to the AHL’s Wranglers.

“He knows what he is as a player. I think that’s what I like about him,” said Flames GM Craig Conroy during an interview on Sportsnet 960 The Fan. “He plays hard. He’s a great penalty-killer, a defensive defenceman, a good puck-mover, but he plays within himself. He seems to know what he is, and he does it really, really well. And to be a 20-year-old in the American League, he’s having a good year. I know the numbers aren’t going to pop, but we have guys like Jeremie Poirier and Hunter (Brzustewicz), offensive guys. This is a perfect complement to players like that.”

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Indeed, the Flames have a few could-be power-play quarterbacks in their defence pipeline. They drafted Poirier — now back to practice with the AHL’s Wranglers after missing most of this season due to a skate laceration — and Etienne Morin and welcomed Brzustewicz in the recent swap that sent Elias Lindholm to Vancouver.

Among their rising rearguards, Grushnikov joins Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov as the most promising stay-at-home sorts.

Word is, the Flames’ amateur scouts have always appreciated Grushnikov’s game. He was selected in the second round in 2021, the third member of a Stars’ draft class that was headlined by Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven. That next season, he helped the Hamilton Bulldogs to an OHL title and a Memorial Cup berth.

The reports from Calgary’s pro scouts were equally encouraging.

As Conroy mulled trade offers for Tanev, he asked his development coaches to study video of Grushnikov — another stamp of approval — and made calls to his contacts in the junior ranks.

“We did a lot of homework on him,” Conroy told Flames Talk on Sportsnet 960 The Fan. “Talking to people that had him in the OHL, he is going to do whatever it takes to be a player, and that’s what you like to hear. You know, he does all the extra. He’s in the gym. He’s out after practice. This is his goal, and this is what he wants to do.

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“They said it’s going to be hard to keep him out of the NHL. Those are the nice things to hear, and that’s what you’re looking for when you’re doing all the background checks. We talk about culture and what we want to bring in, and he sounds like a great fit.

“I talked to him (Wednesday) and he seemed very excited. I can’t wait to meet him in person.”

Grushnikov, during that brief chit-chat with Conroy, was still at the rink in Cedar Park, Texas.

He was bubbling about this new opportunity, saying “I’m so proud right now to be part of Calgary,” but he didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to his buddies. Tells you a lot about him, doesn’t it?

“I’m a hard worker and I try to do whatever I can,” Grushnikov replied when asked to describe his game. “You know, hockey is my life and I do all for being a pro, for playing, and do all for my dream. My dream is to win the Stanley Cup.”

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

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