The Minnesota Wild acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations on June 30. The Wild will pay the full amount of Tarasenko’s remaining contract (one year, $4.75 million).
Vladdy had 11 goals and 22 assists last year. However, he had a career-high 82 points in 75 games with the St. Louis Blues in the 2021-22 season. If Tarasenko, 33, is past his prime, the Wild will have bet on the wrong player. However, if he returns to form in Minnesota, they’ll have used that cap space effectively.
The money remaining on Tarasenko’s contract feels steep. Mats Zuccarello, 37, has a $4.125M AAV and put up 54 points in 69 games last season. However, there’s always minimal risk with a one-year deal.
Bill Guerin spoke about his motivations for the trade, citing Tarasenko’s track record of winning, his larger body, and experience as the primary reasons. Guerin stated that Tarasenko will “hopefully get back to the form that he’s had in past years,” so he expects the forward will produce more than 33 points next season.
Tarasenko said Kirill Kaprizov influenced his decision to waive a no-trade clause and move to Minnesota. Guerin has been vocal that re-signing Kaprizov is his No. 1 priority. However, he said that he didn’t sign Tarasenko to influence negotiations with Kaprizov. The Wild have also had success with former KHL players.
The Blues picked Tarasenko 16th overall in 2010, and he made his NHL debut in the 2012-13 season. St. Louis traded him to the New York Rangers in February 2023. The Rangers later traded him to the Ottawa Senators, then to the Florida Panthers, before he landed in Detroit.
While his TOI average hasn’t dropped below 14:47 since he debuted with St. Louis, Tarasenko has mainly been a third-liner and has been on a team that has struggled to score. Detroit finished the 2024-25 season ranked 22nd in goals for with 235, and didn’t make the playoffs. Still, the Red Wings have talented players like Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and they didn’t trust Tarasenko in a top-6 role, where he would play with players who can capitalize on the opportunities he creates.
Tarasenko is also bringing playoff experience to Minnesota. He won the Cup with St. Louis in 2019 and Florida in 2024. During his playoff run with the Panthers, Tarasenko had 5 goals, 4 assists, and averaged 13:22 TOI over 24 games. The Wild have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since 2015 and need players with postseason experience.
Vladdy may not have produced the expected amount of points last season, but he generates scoring opportunities. He has great on-ice awareness and can pass through tight lanes, as he does here.
He’s able to pick up the puck and make that immediate decision, a tape-to-tape pass through otherwise busy lanes. Below is another example of his quick reflexes.
That was a risky pass because Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner was inches from getting a stick on the puck and going for a breakaway. Still, Tarasenko’s clean pass makes it through, and Detroit’s defenseman Justin Holl gets a shot on net.
That’s the kind of precision the Wild need to make it past 4 rounds of the playoffs. While Tarasenko’s former Red Wings linemates didn’t capitalize on these scoring opportunities, Marco Rossi and Kaprizov will.
Tarasenko also displays a great hockey sense and confidence. Typically, you’re not going to have 3 forwards below the other team’s goal line, but Tarasenko reads that there are 4 Toronto players low in this play. He shows the confidence of a veteran player by going in as the 3rd forward low, and it pays because he can pick up the loose puck and get a shot on net.
He also has strength under pressure. In this clip, Tarasenko is battling it out with Philippe Myers and manages to maintain control of the puck. While still facing the boards, he manages to backhand the puck tape-to-tape onto Tyler Motte’s stick, who’s able to take a one-timer on net.
Tarasenko might not be putting up 80 points a season. However, the timing, precision, and grit on this play reveal the level of talent teams pay up to acquire. He also has a wicked one-timer that the Wild could use on the power play.
The Wild took a risk with Tarasenko. While he has produced at a level worth the $4.75M cap hit, he has not done so in several seasons. However, his playing style may be a perfect fit in Minnesota, and a boost to the Wild’s second line may bring out his talent and pay off in a meaningful way.
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