Already some red flags with Tarasenko’s signing!

On Thursday, forward Vladimir Tarasenko was taken off the free-agent market when he signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Ottawa Senators.

While some believe Tarasenko will be able to fill the void left up front following the Alex DeBrincat trade out to the Detroit Red Wings, James O’Brien of Yahoo Sports believes the Senators might be taking a risk… He says that Tarasenko “is no longer the positive play-driver Dorion glowed about”, adding:

“Nonetheless, repeating results from the DeBrincat experiment could mean another round of letdowns.”

On top of that, O’Brien explains how the Senators could face another trade situation as the deadline in 2024 if they are sellers instead of buyers. Ottawa will be limited by Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause, which could get them a smaller return…
Tarasenko’s salary also bring the Sens close to the salary cap ceiling, and unfortunately, the team needs room for Shane Pinto, a lingering restricted free agent.

“It’s likely the addition of Tarasenko calls for a subtraction elsewhere.”

But if we focus on the positive, Tarasenko could slot in DeBrincat’s role as a second-line winger and bring a dynamic boost up front.

And in the end, Tarasenko partly got what he wanted. While he was seeking more money as a coveted free agent, he did manage to get the short one-year deal in order to set himself up for a major payday next summer, once he returns to free agency next summer.

If the Senators come out losing next spring, Tarasenko still got most of what he wanted…

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