The opening of the free agent market in the National Hockey League (NHL) was marked by a lot of high-profile transfers and deals. The author of one of them was Vladimir Tarasenko. A few days after the opening of the market, the star Russian forward signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings for a total of 9.5 million dollars.
In North America, this deal was surprising. Before the official announcement from the Red Wings, there were no rumors about Vladimir's move to the Motor City. It is all the more interesting to know the opinion of American journalists about this.
On the one hand, local media are encouraged. They are confident that a big-name, experienced and high-quality forward will give Detroit the offensive power it needs to make the playoffs. So, for example, says Max Bultmann, an observer of Red Wings affairs, in his column on The Athletic:
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“He's not generating scoring chances at the rate he once did, but he still has the shot needed to put the puck in the net. Like a tank, Tarasenko can win the battle for the puck along the boards and make his way through the traffic that we are used to seeing in playoff hockey. After a series of exchanges, Detroit got the opportunity to strengthen the attack. Tarasenko should help with this. Yes, this is not enough to compensate for all the problems in the attack, but it’s easy to imagine how Tarasenko completes Patrick Kane’s passes for a goal in the top 6.
Another The Athletic author, famous journalist Mark Lazerus, even headlined his article on the website as “Tarasenko will give the Red Wings the mentality of a true forward.”
«Yes, the Red Wings re-signed Kane and kept Christian Fischer. But it seemed they were marking time and were not catching up with the leaders of the Eastern Conference. Will this change Tarasenko? Not on his own. But he will help. «Detroit» made room for Vladimir and left the rest of the money for Lucas Raymonda, Moritz Seider and Joe Tarasenko — better allocation of resources and replacement for Robby Fabbri The throw is always the last thing to do, and Tarasenko has a really cool shot: on touch or not. playing in the Eastern Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals likely earned him a two-year deal instead of the one-year deal he got with the Ottawa Senators a year ago. Yes, he won't bring the forecheck he needs, but hey, the idea of Vladimir playing. together with Kane, very tempting,” wrote Lazerus.
ClutchPoints author Ryan Bologna also added that Tarasenko, thanks to his vast experience, will allow Detroit to finally return to the playoffs.
“He was one of the best players in the league during his career with the St. Louis Blues and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2019, one of the most historic turnaround seasons in NHL history. 2023/24 Tarasenko was an important part of the Florida Panthers. Apparently he will play a similar role with the Red Wings. It will be interesting to see what line he will be on and how he can perform for a full year. in the same place for the first time since the 2021-22 season,” the journalist noted.
The fact that Tarasenko provided himself with better conditions than those he had in Ottawa was also noted by Anthony Trudeau in an article on Daily Faceoff website:
«The two-year deal gives Tarasenko some job security after he signed a one-year deal with Ottawa last offseason. The 32-year-old forward showed he still has gas in the tank. Detroit suffered losses by releasing David Perron and Daniel Sprong — Let's hope Tarasenko can make up the difference, adding weight to the Red Wings' top six that they lacked in Raymond, Kane and Debrincat, who scored at a better pace than the Russian last season, but they don't have much. Now on his fifth team in three seasons, Tarasenko will also bring winning experience to a Detroit team that is desperate to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs.»
At the same time, journalists remain doubtful about the Russian's conditioning. striker. They point to his age, although Vladimir is only 32 years old, old injuries and a supposed lack of effectiveness when playing defense.
“This is not the Tarasenko who scored at least 30 goals a season, and not the hyperactive destroyer and underrated playmaker. He has clearly lost speed, is also largely uninterested in the forecheck and has largely given up on the idea of playing defense. K “at the end of his career in St. Louis, the Blues’ opponents scored almost five goals per 60 minutes with Tarasenko on the ice,” Lazerus said.
Trudeau also pointed out problems with the defense:
“” While he complements Detroit's formidable forward group, fans are wondering whether general manager Steve Yzerman plans to improve the team's weak defense, which cost it a playoff berth last season. Tarasenko no longer in his prime. He has been struggling with injuries for several years,” Bologna added in a column on ClutchPoints.
Vladimir Tarasenko will play his first official match with Detroit on the night of October 11, Moscow time. The Red Wings will host the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were perhaps the main contenders for the Russian striker.
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