Nobody expected such a poor performance from Vladimir Tarasenko, but here we are, with less than a month to go in the 2024-25 season, and he’s been arguably the biggest disappointment out there. Well, maybe next to Mikko Rantanen during his short and unmemorable stint with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Anyway, if you’re a Red Wings fan, you probably can’t help but feel conned at the moment. Besides the obvious fools gold this team dished out, Tarasenko was supposed to at least bring a sound, top-six scoring presence.
Instead, the Wings have gotten nine goals and 27 points out of the guy through 66 games, a minus-14, and a 7.6 shooting percentage. No, this wasn’t what the Wings signed up for when they snagged Tarasenko in free agency, and right now, you can argue he’s doing nothing but taking up space in what has become an underwhelming lineup.
Only one real option exists for Vladimir Tarasenko at this point
Tarasenko had a full no-trade clause, making it tough to move him before this season’s deadline. For the most part, the Red Wings were in fools gold mode, so there was little-to-no likelihood Tarasenko would have agreed to any kind of trade.
Fast-forward to today, when the Wings are as good as finished in Hockeytown, at least until October, and the only real option for Tarasenko would be a trade. Once the 2025-26 league year begins, he will have an eight-team no-trade clause, making him far easier to move.
But who would trade for Tarasenko after such a bad season? You’ll be surprised, since there’s always the possibility he just didn’t fit in well with Detroit. So, I won’t be shocked when another team, a probable contender for 2025-26, believes Tarasenko would be a good fit for their lineup and overpay for him.
Tarasenko has absolutely no chance sticking around with the Red Wings
Even if Tarasenko went on a run and played a more solid game for the final month of the season, there’s no redemption. For one, he’s an older player who shouldn’t fit into the younger core that general manager Steve Yzerman is intent on building.
For another, Tarasenko is also at the stage of his career where he’ll only want to play for Cup contenders, likely those in which he can sidle in as a middle-six forward. This would limit his ice time to 13-14 minutes per game, if not less, where he can serve as a supplementary scorer and/or playmaker.
Overall, it’s been a disappointing run for Tarasenko as a member of the Red Wings, and any hopes of him and his former rival, Patrick Kane, teaming up to deliver sound results to Hockeytown have gone to the wayside. Still, if Steve Yzerman shopped Tarasenko, he’s still relevant enough of a name to generate interest from executives out there whose teams need to get just a little deeper.