A Veteran Sniper is Off to the Minnesota Wild

Vladimir Tarasenko Trade to the Minnesota Wild

Acquiring a veteran sniper like Tarasenko can be a big acquisition. For example, when he joined the Florida Panthers for their 2024 Stanley Cup playoff run, he was the perfect addition to their third line. Minnesota is hoping he can provide something similar for them.

Looking back at Tarasenko’s career, he had been with the St. Louis Blues for a long time. He had appeared in 644 games over 11 seasons for the Blues. Since that time, he has moved around a bit, provide excellent veteran leadership and supporting offence to his teams. In fact, the Wild will be Tarasenko’s fifth NHL team since that time.

What Does Tarasenko Provide to Your Lineup

At the time of this Vladimir Tarasenko trade to the Wild, his production isn’t what it was at one time. Conversely, it still remains dependent of his role on the club. In 2023-24, combined with Ottawa and Florida, he had 55 points in 76 games. That was while playing an average of 15:44 a game. In addition, the past season in the Motor City, he only managed 33 points, but did play 80 games. In contrast, his production was down because he only played 14:47 a game. Not to mention on a Detroit team that struggled to find rhythm offensively. Possibly a reason why general manager Steve Yzerman felt he could move on from the 33-year-old.

Coming to Minnie, he is joining a group of some gifted, offensive talent. Players like Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek could all benefit from having a guy like him around. Furthermore, it might be an indication on Marco Rossi’s future. Maybe the Wild acquiring a (former) star like Vladimir Tarasenko in trade will help to encourage him to stick around. Alternatively, it is possible it is to replace his offence. Time will tell.