The Detroit Red Wings have signed right-winger Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $4.75 million. Tarasenko is a defending Stanley Cup champion who scored 23 goals and added 32 assists in 76 games played for the Florida Panthers who helped the team win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.
The Panthers are in the Atlantic Division alongside the Red Wings and won the division with 110 points, while the Red Wings had 91 points. Tarasenko also won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. So, where does the acquisition of Tarasenko leave the Red Wings after largely standing pat to begin free agency? Keep in mind that the Red Wings also need to re-sign their restricted free agents, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.
On the same day that the Red Wings acquired Tarasenko, the team traded Robby Fabbri to the Anaheim Ducks along with a conditional fourth-round draft pick in exchange for goaltender Gage Alexander. Alexander is 22-years-old. The Fabbri trade shed $4 million in salary cap space to make room for Tarasenko. The Red Wings now have just over $20 million in salary cap space to sign Seider and Raymond and any other players that Yzerman may have in mind.
Tarasenko was traded to the Panthers from the Ottawa Senators at the 2023 NHL trade deadline in exchange for a 2024 conditional fourth round pick and a 2025 third round pick. Along with adding scoring help to the lineup, Tarasenko also can be a mentor to help the Red Wings’ team adjust to “playoff-style hockey.” In 24 games played during the team’s Stanley Cup run, Tarasenko scored five goals and added four assists. Tarasenko would be in the top five in points scored on the Red Wings in 2023-24.
General manager Steve Yzerman seemed excited about the move to acquire Tarasenko. “He’s a left-shot winger, bigger body, a little bit different type of player than our wingers like Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat — a bigger body,” Yzerman said. “He’ll fill out that top six, top-nine group. Scorer, straight-ahead guy, goes to the net. We feel it’s a really good addition.” The scoring of the right side of the Red Wings’ forward group has been helped during the offseason with the re-signing of Patrick Kane as well as the addition of Tarasenko.
Additionally, Jonatan Berggren is a young Red Wing who can play either the left or right wing. In 12 games played for the Red Wings, as well as 53 games played for the Grand Rapids Griffins during the 2023-24 season, Berggren scored 26 goals and added 36 assists. Berggren was one of four players, along with Seider and Raymond, to receive qualifying offers from the Red Wings. These offers allow the team that issues them the right of first refusal or a draft choice compensation if those players sign an offer sheet with another team.
Ahead of Red Wings development camp, Yzerman said, “We had some interest in one that we thought might be a fit. We decided very quickly that it’s going to be really some major surgery to try and get it done.” So, who was this mystery player? The obvious answer as to what move he was talking about is Steven Stamkos. Stamkos played most of his career with the Tampa Bay Lighting when Yzerman was general manager. The 34-year-old signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators worth $32 million.
I have written that the Red Wings will look very different in 2024-25. With the signing of Vladimir Tarasenko and the upcoming contract extensions of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, the team will look to build on the 2023-24 season which saw them be eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the season. With a full season from Alex DeBrincat the Red Wings may be able to get back to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
