The Florida Panthers are arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference, and they only got better earlier today. Looking for some more scoring help, they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a couple of mid-round picks. The Senators also retained 50 percent of Tarasenko’s $5 million cap hit. Here are the full details:
Tarasenko had 17 goals and 41 points in 57 games at the time of the trade, putting him on pace for 57 points. The Panthers already have a loaded offensive group that includes Matthew Tkachuk, a scorching-hot Sam Reinhart, and Aleksander Barkov. Adding Tarasenko to the mix should only make them that much more threatening. As for the Senators…whoops.
Tarasenko Makes Panthers Offense Even Scarier
Do the Panthers need another scorer? No, but why pass up on the opportunity if it makes the team better? Tarasenko isn’t the player he used to be, but he’s still quite dependable offensively, even if his defensive game is non-existent at this point of his career.
Tarasenko has averaged 22 goals and 59 points per 82 games over the last two seasons. He was a highly efficient five-on-five scorer for the Senators, averaging 2.26 points per 60 minutes. His even-strength offense has been worth a goals above replacement (GAR) of 7.6, so it’s clear he still has plenty of offensive value.
But for what Tarasenko provides offensively, he gives plenty of it back defensively. His even-strength defense has been worth a GAR of minus-6.2 this season, one of the worst numbers for a forward league-wide. That means the Panthers will have to keep his minutes sheltered, but I’m not really expecting that to be an issue.
Ideally, the Panthers and coach Paul Maurice will want to keep Tarasenko off the Barkov line since they usually get the most difficult assignments. The ideal fit for him would be on the second line with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, and I’m assuming that’s where Maurice will try to fit him in, knowing he’s struggled defensively and will provide more value offensively.
Aside from fit, it’s really hard to argue against what the Panthers gave up. Tarasenko had a full no-trade clause, meaning he had plenty of say on where he ended up. Based on reports, it seems like the Panthers were one of his top destinations, perhaps his top one. They essentially gave up a bag of pucks to acquire him since two mid-round picks don’t matter for a team like the Panthers, who are in win-now mode.
Related: Panthers Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From the Senators
Given the fit, what Tarasenko should bring to the team offensively, and what they gave up to acquire him, general manager Bill Zito hit the mark. It might not have been a home run, but let’s call it a triple that knocks in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Panthers Grade: A-
Senators Get an Underwhelming Return for Top Trade Chip
Aside from Jakob Chychrun, Tarasenko was the Senators’ best trade chip. I’m sure they hoped to get more for him, given the season he was having. But unfortunately, the no-trade clause clearly had sway over where he was going and what the Senators were going to get in return for him. If he limited their market to just the Panthers, that’s a tough draw.
That should also be a lesson to the Senators (and NHL teams in general) that they shouldn’t give out no-trade clauses like candy, especially if they’re a team heading into a season in a precarious situation. Obviously, the Senators thought they were going to be a playoff team in 2023-24. But given how the last few seasons have gone, they should’ve taken a more cautious approach and not given Tarasenko a full NTC (maybe ten teams?).
The other concerning part here is that despite 50 percent retention, they still only managed to come away with third- and fourth-round picks. The fourth can become a third if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup. But still, that is an underwhelming return, even if the Panthers were the only team Tarasenko was open to going to.
We’ll see what comes next for the Senators. If Chychrun gets dealt in the next 48 hours, they should be able to get a solid return for him. He’s a good player on a great contract and does not have no-trade or no-move protection. GM Steve Staios has to hit a home run on that one because the return for Tarasenko, one of their best trade chips, was close to a dud.
Senators Grade: C-
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Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey
