The Ottawa Senators have had a disappointing 2023-24 season. As a result, they are sellers at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. That much is clear now as they have traded veteran forward Vladimir Tarasenko. The 32-year-old is headed to the Florida Panthers in a huge deadline swap.
Tarasenko has now been traded for the second time in two years. He went to the New York Rangers last season after the St. Louis Blues sold at the deadline. The reason behind this latest trade is similar to the reason for his trade out of St. Louis. Tarasenko is on a one-year contract, and the Senators didn't want to lose him for nothing in the summer.
The Panthers are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final. Florida went on an incredible run last season when they faced the Vegas Golden Knights in the final round. This year, however, they are not a Cinderella story. The Panthers are one of the best teams in the league, and this trade could help their Stanley Cup push.
The dust has settled a little bit on this trade. So, let's take a deep dive and examine the deal for both teams. Here are the trade grades for the Vladimir Tarasenko deal between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.
Full trade
The Ottawa Senators have traded veteran forward Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers. In return, the Panthers have sent a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick to Ottawa. If the Panthers win the Stanley Cup this season, the 2024 fourth-round pick becomes a 2026 third-round pick. Ottawa is retaining 50 percent of Tarasenko's $5 million cap hit as part of this transaction.
Panthers trade for Vladimir Tarasenko
Tarasenko lost his goal-scoring touch a bit last season. That said, he has regained it to some extent this year. In fact, the veteran forward has nearly matched his goal total from 2022-23. Furthermore, he has already posted his best point total since the 2021-22 season when he scored 82 points.
He joins a Panthers team that has emerged as one of the best clubs in the league. Florida was already difficult to beat given their physical style and suffocating defense. Now, they add an experienced goal scorer who has played in some of the most important games one can play in the NHL.
The Panthers brought Tarasenko in to aid in a Stanley Cup push. And it's easy to see why they believe the 32-year-old can help them down the stretch. He has seen his production dip a bit in recent years. However, he isn't that far removed from scoring 34 goals. And he has scored 30+ goals on six occasions.
However, Florida is acquiring him for the playoffs. And Tarasenko has a solid track record in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has played nearly 100 career playoff games, scoring 44 goals and 64 points. His best performance came in 2018-19 with the Blues. He scored 11 goals and 17 points as St. Louis won their first Stanley Cup.
The Panthers hope Tarasenko can bring leadership and secondary offense to their team. If he completely rediscovers his game, they could be very dangerous in the playoffs. For the cost paid, there is a lot to like about this trade from Florida's perspective.
Senators trade Vladimir Tarasenko
For the Senators, this return does feel a bit underwhelming. Of course, some factors play into it. First, Tarasenko had a full no-trade clause in his contract. This gave him complete control over where he landed, and other teams knew this. Second, the Senators were likely always going to retain salary to make this work.
The peak of this trade nets Ottawa two third-round picks. That's not necessarily terrible, but it's certainly underwhelming. Anthony Mantha netted the Washington Capitals a second-round pick. To be fair, Mantha has had a bit of a resurgence with the Caps. But Tarasenko has more points than Mantha this season.
If Mantha can get a second-round pick, I think a second-rounder for Tarasenko is pretty fair. Especially when taking their playoff experience into account. Ottawa fell a bit short of that here, though. It's worse if Florida doesn't win the Stanley Cup, as they only receive a third and a fourth-round pick in that case. Ottawa was in a tough spot, but it's still a bit disappointing.
Grades and final thoughts
The Panthers receive high marks for adding an experienced scorer to their already potent roster. And they didn't pay a huge sum to add a player with a Stanley Cup pedigree, either. Ottawa, however, earns an average grade. They had to move Tarasenko to avoid losing him for nothing in the summer. However, they still received an underwhelming return in the process.
Florida Panthers grade: A
Ottawa Senators grade: C
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