Another notable free agent is off of the board, as star winger Vladimir Tarasenko has signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Ottawa Senators.
Welcome to the Tarasenk-Show! 🤩
The #Sens have signed forward, Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year contract! pic.twitter.com/BFPkPZfeES
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) July 27, 2023
Heading into the 2023 NHL Offseason, Tarasenko was of the top free agents, and he naturally received attention from several clubs because of it. Yet, the skilled winger has now found his new home with the Senators, and he should be a strong addition to their roster.
Tarasenko’s 2022-23 Season
Although hockey fans know how talented of a player Tarasenko is, his 2022-23 season ended up being a bit of a down one for his standards. In 69 games played split between the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, the 31-year-old posted 18 goals, 32 assists, and a minus-14 rating. Although those numbers are not bad by any stretch of the imagination, they were low for his standards. Keep in mind, he just recorded 34 goals and 82 points in 75 games in 2021-22.
As a result of this, Tarasenko will now be looking to have a bounce-back season of sorts with the Senators in 2023-24. When seeing how strong of a career he has had, there is plenty of reason to believe that he can do just that.
Tarasenko’s Fit With the Senators
Yes, Tarasenko had a rough season in 2022-23, but he remains an effective top-six winger while performing at his highest level. Due to this, the 2010 first-round pick is likely to receive time on the Senators’ first line or second line and will serve as a strong replacement for Alex DeBrincat. The 6-foot-1 winger also offers solid versatility, as he can play both sides, so he should fit virtually anywhere in Ottawa’s top six.
Related: 2023 Free Agency Tracker
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Tarasenko is also well known for his effective scoring and passing ability, so there is zero reason to believe that he will not receive power-play time with Ottawa. His skill on the power play is a major reason for his success in the NHL, and the Senators would be doing both the team and Tarasenko a disservice if they don’t utilize the star there.
Tarasenko Offers Experience & Success to Senators
Another excellent element about Tarasenko is that he comes with plenty of overall NHL experience. Over the course of his 11-year career, he has appeared in 675 games, posting 270 goals, 304 assists, and 574 points. Besides his clear offensive success, he also has several individual accolades. He is a four-time All-Star, two-time NHL second All-Star team member, and most notably, a Stanley Cup champion.
Adding a player who has had so much success in the NHL has the potential to be very beneficial for the Senators. Even if Tarasenko had a bit of a down year for his standards, he is still an effective second-liner at least, and he should improve the Senators’ offense significantly because of it. It will be fun to see how well he performs for the Senators during this contract and if he can bounce back in 2023-24.