The wait is over and a Vladimir Tarasenko trade has happened. For the second year in a row at the trade deadline, Tarasenko has been traded to the Florida Panthers. In return, the Ottawa Senators will receive a pair of draft picks. The writing was on the wall with this trade the moment the contract was signed. With the Senators out of the playoff mix, the move makes sense for both parties.
Senators trade forward Vladimir Tarasenko
Tarasenko chose to bet on himself when he signed his one year contract. He has hit the 20 goal mark and has 30+ points during the 2023-24 season. It is comforting to know that he is still able to light the lamp and bring that prolific player he is known to be. However, it has been a down year for the Senators.
The team was pegged to take the next steps and it has been downhill up until this point. With the damage already being done, Ottawa has become sellers and will be sellers with the playoffs out of the mix. The return of Shane Pinto has helped tremendously, but the slow start is not enough to overcome.
What this Means
For the Senators
The future is still bright in Ottawa after the Tarasenko trade. With the core group established for the foreseeable future, the team has the means to build around them and retool around it. Losing Tarasenko stings because he could’ve been a key factor but the return outweighs losing him for nothing in free agency.
For the Panthers
Entering the playoffs, having extra depth scoring is huge. That is where Tarasenko can come in. Tarasenko was a large part of the St. Louis Blues capturing the Stanley Cup in 2019 and was a strong player for the Rangers in 2022-23. Tarasenko is a known threat and is a player that opposing teams do have to be aware of when he is on the ice. He does not need to be the guy but can be a complimentary piece to the lineup. The Panthers getting a proven scorer will be huge down the stretch to what is an already stout group.
Main Photo: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
