Veteran forward Vladimir Tarasenko signed with the Detroit Red Wings in NHL Free Agency. It represents the fourth team he'll play for in a little over a year after being traded from the St. Louis Blues. Tarasenko went to the New York Rangers in that deal around the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. After that, he signed with the Ottawa Senators last summer before being traded to the Florida Panthers at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.
This is a lot of upheaval for one player. Moving teams this frequently can weigh on a player no matter how good they are. During this time, Tarasenko has seen a dip in his offensive production. He scored 18 goals in 2022-23 before upping that total to 23 this year. Both of these totals are well down from the 32 goals he scored in 2021-22.
Now, he has a chance to play a bigger role with the Red Wings. Detroit lost Daniel Sprong and David Perron this offseason in NHL Free Agency. Can Tarasenko replace the production they lost? How will he do in the two years he is set to wear the Winged Wheel? Here are two early bold predictions for Vladimir Tarasenko in Detroit.
Tarasenko feasts on the power play
Tarasenko had a down year in 2022-23 without question. The underlying analytics back this up. His offensive goals above replacement dipped from 12.6 in 2021-22 to 5.1 in 2022-23. In 2023-24, his OGAR rebounded to 11.5, according to Evolving Hockey. This shows that he had a similar offensive impact on the Senators and Panthers as he did on the Blues three seasons ago.
However, one area where the veteran winger hasn't historically dominated is on the power play. In 2023-24, only three of his 23 goals came with the man advantage. Additionally, his OGAR on the power play was -1.2 this past season. His career OGAR on the power play is 15.9 which is significantly lower than his 90.8 career OGAR at even strength.
With the Red Wings, he should make an impact with the man advantage. He will certainly be surrounded by players who can find him in space. Dylan Larkin has emerged as a fine playmaker in the NHL. Patrick Kane showed that he still has it after recovering from hip surgery. Finally, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond have become two of the best young players in the league.
This supporting cast should allow the veteran winger to finally make noise on the power play. Tarasenko will set a new career high in power play points in one of his two seasons in Detroit. The Red Wings maintain their strong power play from 2023-24. And that puts them on course to accomplish their main goal with this signing.
Red Wings, Tarasenko make playoffs together
Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman hasn't come out and said that it's a playoffs-or-bust year. That said, the expectations placed upon this team are only growing higher. The Red Wings have progressively improved every year under Yzerman's watch. But after six seasons, the pressure is mounting for this team to finally make some noise in the Eastern Conference.
Tarasenko has a ton of experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The veteran winger won his first Stanley Cup with the Blues back in 2019. This past season saw him raise the Cup for a second time as he won it with the Panthers. Tarasenko has skated in 121 playoff games, scoring 73 points.
Vladimir Tarasenko is a proven winner, and that will make an impact on Detroit. His newfound form on the power play, along with development elsewhere on the roster, will see the Red Wings into the playoffs. It may not be in the 2024-25 season, but they will make the playoffs together before his contract expires in 2026.
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