The Russian NHL champion has moved to the legendary club. What can we expect from the union of Tarasenko and Detroit?
July 4, 2024, 15:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
A new professional challenge for Vladimir.
Vladimir Tarasenko was one of the biggest figures on the NHL free agent market, and while the Russian did not acquire a new team in the early hours of the transfer window, the Russian tank and two-time Stanley Cup winner did not remain uncertain about his future for long. Tarasenko had the option to stay in Florida, Pittsburgh made a specific offer, but in the end Vladimir signed with Detroit. A two-year contract with a salary cap of $4.75 million.
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The newly crowned NHL champion received almost the same amount of money as he had signed a deal with Ottawa a year ago, but there is one difference in these contracts. Tarasenko came to the Senators with one goal: to move to the Stanley Cup-contending club before the deadline. And Vladimir coped with this task brilliantly. The current two-year deal with Detroit, perhaps, suggests that the Russian connects his immediate future with the Red Wings.
Of course, Tarasenko is no longer the same as in St. Louis. He is 32 years old and Vladimir is unlikely to be able to play the role of first fiddle. On the other hand, the forward is in an excellent moment of his career. Health problems are far behind him, the second Stanley Cup adds positive emotions and self-confidence, and he is still not a veteran at all. Moreover, Tarasenko, after many years in the “Bleus”, proved that he can be useful to almost any NHL club and is ready for any role. The playoffs with Florida, where Vladimir was very useful in the shadow of the Panthers’ management, is a clear example. But both in the Rangers and in Ottawa, the Russian was not completely lost.
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Unassuming, versatile, who has not lost his taste for hockey and victories – this is how Tarasenko seems to be as a hockey player now. In Detroit, Vladimir will reunite with Patrick Kane, with whom he tried to win the Stanley Cup with the Rangers last year. It is quite possible that the Tarasenko-Kane combination will become the attacking force on Detroit’s second line. This is unlikely to help the “Red Wings” reboot in one fell swoop and immediately aim for the trophy, but it is time for Detroit to return to the playoffs. The Red Wings have not played a Cup game for eight years, but they are progressing, and experienced players who know how to win championships are often the most useful in such situations.
There may still be a beautiful partnership with Tarasenko and Detroit. A Russian, who wore number 91, has already gone down in the history of the Red Wings forever. Vladimir, of course, will not be able to become the same legend of the franchise as Sergei Fedorov. But if, with the help of Tarasenko, the “Red Wings” regain at least some of their former greatness for a short time, then the new turn in the Russian’s career will be fully justified.
