The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have signed veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year, $9.5 million contract.

Vladimir Tarasenko will be paid $4.75 million in each year of his contract with the Red Wings, and he figures to slot into a right-wing spot in the top nine. This is a second big move for the Red Wings on the right side, as they added Patrick Kane on a one-year contract that has a base salary of $4.5 million with incentives to potentially give him more.

In the past, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane were star players on rival teams. Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks had many battles with Tarasenko and the St. Louis Blues in the past decade. Both are Stanley Cup champions, Kane with three and Tarasenko with two. Kane won his three in Chicago, while Tarasenko won in 2018 with the Blues and this past year with the Florida Panthers.

This is not the first time that Tarasenko and Kane have teamed up, as they were both on the New York Rangers in 2023 after they were traded there. It was a disappointing first-round exit for the Rangers that season.

It will be interesting to see how the lineup shakes out in Detroit with both Taraseko and Kane joining on the right side. The top line presumably will be Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond from left to right. The second-line right-wing spot is up for grabs for Tarasenko and Kane, likely next to JT Compher. The third-line right-wing spot will likely be alongside Andrew Copp. Regardless of how this shakes out, the Red Wings have done significant work to make their forward group deeper going into next season as they try to make it back to the playoffs.

What does Vladimir Tarasenko bring to the Red Wings?

Tarasenko definitely brings a lot of experience. He was one of the better players in the league in his years with the Blues, and as mentioned before, helped them get to and win the Stanley Cup in 2018, which was one of the most historic turnaround seasons in NHL history.

However, Tarasenko is not in his prime anymore. He dealt with injuries in some years, but was still productive to an extent. In the 2022-23 season, he put up 10 goals with 19 assists for 29 points with the Blues before being traded to the Rangers, where he up up eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 31 games, according to NHL.com.

Tarasenko started last season with the Ottawa Senators, and in 57 games, he scored 17 goals with 24 assists for 41 points, and was then dealt to the Panthers to help them on their run to their first Stanley Cup. In the regular season with Florida, Tarasenko put up six goals with eight assists for 14 points in 19 games. He followed that up with five goals and four assists for nine points in 24 playoff games.

In the playoffs, Tarasenko was definitely a depth piece for the Panthers, and that is seemingly what his role will be in Detroit as well. It will be interesting to see what line he is on and how he can producse. It could help to have a full year in the same location for the first time since the 2021-22 season.