Panthers Likely Lose UFA After Trade for Blue Jackets’ Daniil Tarasov

Panthers GM Bill Zito adds the 26-year-old Russian netminder to Florida’s depth chart, likely playing behind Sergei Bobrovsky as Vitek Vanecek heads to free agency. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN writes, “When he was with Columbus, Bill Zito felt Daniil Tarasov had the highest talent ceiling of any goalie in their system.”

Tarasov played in 20 games for Columbus during the 2024-25 season, posting a 7-10-2 record with a .881 save percentage and 3.54 goals-against average. He notched his first career NHL shutout on January 18 against the New York Rangers.

Though his numbers with the Blue Jackets were uneven, Tarasov has shown promise in limited NHL action and impressed during stints with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. This a low-risk, potentially high-reward move for Florida.

Panthers Likely Freed Up Cap Space with the Tarasov Trade

Reactions on social media were mixed, with some calling the deal a savvy pickup by Zito and others questioning the Panthers’ faith in an unproven goalie. Perhaps the Panthers feel they have some flexibility with how stable Bobrovsky has been. And, the likely low cap hit Tarasov will command may help the Panthers do other business.