The Detroit Red Wings signed Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year, $4.75 million contract Wednesday, adding a big shot to an offense that lost 67 goals to free agency
Patrick Kane, now Vladimir Tarasenko. The 2024-25 Red Wings would've been an All-Star team back in 2016. But nine seasons later, they're looking for a couple of old Central Division veterans to give their second line some firepower.
Detroit announced Wednesday that it signed Tarasenko to a two-year, $4.75 million contract. Tarasenko, 32, just won the second Stanley Cup of his career with the Florida Panthers during a season in which he put up 55 points.
Tarasenko adds a big jolt to an offense that lost 67 goals to free agency, including the departure of top six winger David Perron. While Tarasenko isn't the takeover player he might've been at his prime, he's still an effective scorer. Tarasenko is known for his big shot. He hasn't broken the 30-goal mark since 2022, but that doesn't mean he can't still rip it.
How does Tarasenko fit into the forward corps?
Tarasenko's most natural fit is probably opposite Patrick Kane on the second line, uniting two former Central Division rivals and New York Rangers teammates. Combine Kane's visionary playmaking and Tarasenko's shot, and Detroit might just have a high-powered second line to provide scoring depth behind its top line.
As much success as those two might have together, Kane and Tarasenko could create a defensive headache. Putting it lightly, neither are known for their defensive acumen. And even with responsible centerman J.T. Compher likely to play between them, a Kane and Tarasenko duo might be counterintuitive to the defensive emphasis that Detroit wants to bring out of its roster. Steve Yzerman and Derek Lalonde spoke at length about this ideology at their season-ending press conferences in April, and it still seems to be the intended direction of the team.
In that case, Tarasenko might be a suitable option to play alongside Michael Rasmussen and Andrew Copp on the third line. Those two spent most of last season with Christian Fischer on the right wing, creating a successful shutdown line that gave opponents fits. While that line scored its share of gritty, hard-work goals near the net, a player like Tarasenko could bring more variance in the ways it can be effective. Tarasenko isn't a shutdown player, but his shot-blocking and hits were within a couple units of his career highs last season. And even if Rasmussen and Copp might have to cover some of his defensive mistakes, Tarasenko could help the Red Wings create three consistent scoring threats as opposed to a fiery top six followed by a defensive counterpunch third line.
All this is to say, Tarasenko is the kind of offensive player that gives Detroit plenty of options.
How effective can Tarasenko be?
Tarasenko has stuck around the 50-point mark the past couple seasons, but it wasn't too long ago that he scored well over a point-per-game (82 in 75) in 2021-22. So how effective can Tarasenko be? It really depends on how much Detroit asks of him, particularly with shooting volume.
The past two seasons have seen Tarasenko's shooting rates decline to around four attempts per game, which doesn't seem like a huge difference on a single game level but is one that is noticeable over time. Not surprisingly, Tarasenko's goal rates have dropped too. To get back some of Tarasenko's old scoring ways, Detroit could call on him to be a triggerman and elevate his chances to score. If he plays with Kane, he's sure to get many of them.
A comparison between Vladimir Tarasenko's shot in 2021-22 and 2023-24 from NHL Edge
NHL Edge
But, more usage could have tradeoffs. Tarasenko's shot has undergone a transformation over the past few years. According to data collected by NHL Edge, his top end shot speed has dropped from around 89.5 miles per hour to around 85.7 mph, meanwhile his average has risen from 47 mph to nearly 50 mph. Tarasenko might not have as much power to use on his shot, but he's giving it all when he does shoot it. Raising his reps might cause some decline in his shot's effectiveness given this situation, potentially overusing him if the Red Wings call on him to shoot more.
Besides the fine details of how Detroit might use him, Tarasenko adds more punch to the Red Wings' forward corps. The Red Wings needed to replace some of the scoring they lost from last year's roster, and they did to some degree with Tarasenko. While age might make players like him and Kane less effective as they were in their prime, they're still capable players. They will be ones the Red Wings lean on heavily next season.
