On Wednesday, the Ottawa Senators sold Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a third-round selection and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
In place of the 2024 selection, the Panthers will send their third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft if they win the Stanley Cup.
On July 27, Tarasenko agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Senators, who would keep half of his salary. Following the season, he will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.
General manager of the Senators Steve Staios stated, “I guess with the position we’re in and ‘Vlady’ becoming a UFA, it was prudent for us to be able to look around and make a move to gain some assets moving forward.” “I’m pleased with the comeback. I’m glad Vlady gets to return home because his family has been there for the entire year, giving him the chance to play on a top team, have opportunities, and be near his family once more.”
In 57 games this season, the 32-year-old forward has 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) for Ottawa (25-32-3).
Coach Jacques Martin of the Senators stated, “That’s part of our business,” before to Ottawa’s 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. “He was in the previous year.””The last year of his contract was upon him. When you consider his plus/minus, the amount of goals he scored, and his overall performance, he was having a really fantastic season for us as a player. It provides a chance to another young player who will have to step in and fill that hole.”
With Tarasenko’s arrival, the squad now has seven players with ten or more goals, with Sam Reinhart (45), Carter Verhaeghe (30), and Matthew Tkachuk (21) leading the way. In addition, he has a house in South Florida.
Regarding trade rumors, Tarasenko stated on February 12th, “I don’t think about it.” “Thoughts of today and tomorrow’s game cross my mind. You know, if you spend too much time thinking about the past and the future, you just end up losing the present. You know, when you dwell too much on the past and the future, you simply lose interest in the present and become anxious all the time. Yes, I may occasionally think about it, but usually I try to put it aside and get ready for the upcoming games.”
With a 16-2-0 record since January 22, Florida (43-16-4) leads the NHL with 90 points and has won six straight games. The Philadelphia Flyers will visit the Panthers on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (BSFL, NBCSP).
Tarasenko intends to assist the Panthers in making it to the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive year. The previous season, they made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second wild card from the Eastern Conference, but fell in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Vladimir is a highly skilled and experienced scoring winger who provides our club with another dynamic offensive option as we embark on the remainder of our season,” Bill Zito, the Panthers general manager, stated. “We are excited for him to join our team, and to compete for the Stanley Cup once again.”
In 732 regular-season games for the Senators, New York Rangers, and Blues, Tarasenko has 615 points (287 goals, 328 assists), and in 97 Stanley Cup Playoff games, he has 64 points (44 goals, 20 assists). Tarasenko was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (No. 16) of the 2010 NHL Draft. In 2019, he and the Blues won the Stanley Cup.
“We thought Vlady was great,” Staios remarked. “Although we appreciated his contributions to our group, this was the result over time. We’ve run out of possibilities. The greatest benefit of the arrangement was that we were content with our current situation. Additionally, it gives us some time to look at other things at this moment.”