The Edmonton Oilers have reportedly ‘kicked tires’ on Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko, a pending unrestricted free agent who controls his own fate thanks to a no-movement clause.
This, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, who reported the Oilers are one of many teams that have check in on Tarasenko.
The expectation is that Tarasenko, set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, will be dealt before the deadline Friday.
League sources told Postmedia there are as many as five or six teams that have shown interest in the 32-year-old, and it will be up to him to determine which destination fits best.
Though the Senators are seeking a second-round pick and a prospect in return for Tarasenko, he has some control over the situation. He has a full no-trade clause (NTC), which means he has every right to decide his future.
A league source told this newspaper that the Florida Panthers would be high on his list of possible destinations. They are among the teams that have kicked tires along with the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers.
Tarasenko’s strengths continue to be as an offensive play driver, scoring 17 goals and 41 points in 57 games this year, while playing in a middle-six role with the Senators. The 12-year-veteran has been a big time performer in the playoffs, too, with 11 goals and 17 points in 26 playoff games with the Stanley Cup winning St. Louis Blues in 2019.
He landed with the New York Rangers in a mid-season deal last year, scoring eight goals and 21 points in 31 regular season games, adding three goals and four points in seven unceremonious games.
But for his strengths as a play driver, providing 5v5 offence at an eight percent rate above league average, his defensive game is virtually non-existent this year. There, he’s contributing at a 12 percent rate below league average. That’s fine and all for the Oilers, who have high-end defensive players on their third line in Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele, providing an excellent balance to that third line. Tarasenko’s goal-scoring ability could greatly boost the Oilers’ depth.
Edmonton has draft picks, including their first in each of the next three years, this year’s second-round pick and theirs in 2026, and third-round picks in 2025 and 2026, as well as a few prospects they could involve in deals.
At the end of the day, the ball is in Tarasneko’s court as to where he lands, but the Oilers could surely be an appealing spot.
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