We knew Steve Yzerman wasn’t done in free agency just yet — and he gave fans a nice little treat Wednesday afternoon when the Red Wings announced they have signed forward Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year deal at $4.75 million AAV.
Tarasenko, 32, is a two-time Stanley Cup champ, the most recent with the Florida Panthers just a week ago. He scored 23 goals and 32 assists over 76 games in the regular season between Florida and Ottawa.
It’s a fair price to pay for a veteran scorer like Tarasenko. The dude was once an absolute workhorse for the St. Louis Blues, the team who originally drafted him out of Russia with the 16th pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. He could easily slide into a second-line winger for this team but could also be handy as a third-line weapon.
Shortly after the trade, the Wings announced that Robby Fabbri is being traded to Anaheim along with a conditional 4th round pick in exchange for 22-year-old goaltender Gage Alexander. Fabbri had found a role on this Red Wings team and did it pretty well for the most part, but injuries have contiuously stunted his growth. The writing was on the wall for Fabbri — now the Wings have shed his $4 million cap hit, basically making room for Tarasenko’s money.
Still a lot to come this offseason. Steve Yzerman has yet to sign RFA stars Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. GMSY has expressed optimism that deals will get done.
