Non-fans of the Detroit Red Wings have had plenty of opportunities to take pot shots at the Wings over the last month. From Jesper Wallstedt's performance to the Ottawa Senators sneaking into the playoffs, there's plenty of material to criticize the Yzerplan.
That said, Steve Yzerman's trade of Vladimir Tarasenko this last offseason was completely warranted.
During the 2024-25 season, Tarasenko looked completely disengaged, putting together just 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points -- a career low. Multiple reports throughout the season suggested that Tarasenko was unhappy in Detroit and that there wasn't a good fit for him within the system. Last July, the Red Wings finally cut the cord, trading Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations.
Unfortunately, that trade, in hindsight, appears one-sided. Tarasenko turned back the clock this last season, hitting 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points. It's hard to put the blame on Yzerman for this one. While, yes, Tarasenko's production this season would have been beneficial for the Red Wings, there's no guarantee that he would've been able to replicate his 47-point performance in Detroit.
Sometimes, players don't work out with teams. Take a look at Mikko Rantanen's brief foray with the Carolina Hurricanes. The star winger didn't feel as out of place as Tarasenko in Detroit but it was clear that it wouldn't be a long-term fit by the time they traded him again.
Tarasenko's replacement thriving in Detroit
If one simply looks at paper transactions and box scores, they may believe Mason Appleton to be Tarasenko's successor. In practice, however, this was not the case. Appleton never served in a consistent top-six role like Tarasenko. His replacement didn't manifest itself through free agency; rather, it came from an unlikely successor within the organization.
Emmitt Finnie, one of the brightest spots of the 2025-26 season, finished off the season with 30 points -- just three points shy of Tarasenko's numbers. He played his way up and down the lineup and managed to find production at just about every opportunity he could. While 30 points might not seem impressive on paper, the fact that a seventh-round pick did this at his age is more than encouraging for the future.
This was Finnie's rookie year and the most grueling season he'll ever have to undertake. At 20 years of age, he has nowhere to go but up in his career. Tarasenko, on the other hand, turns 35 next season. Even with his performance this season, there's no guarantee he'll be able to keep up that level of production in the future.
While the Wild may have "won" the Tarasenko trade, the Red Wings will be better off in the long run without Tarasenko on the roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google