Steve Yzerman extricated the Detroit Red Wings from a contract that hadn’t remotely paid off, clearing cap space and a roster spot.
Vladimir Tarasenko, a free agent signing from last summer, was traded to the Minnesota Wild on Monday, June 30, the day before the start of NHL free agency.
That the trade yielded only future considerations in return – hockey code speak for nothing – isn’t as important as the fact the Wings don’t retain any of Tarasenko’s $4.75 million cap hit, which is what was left on the two-year deal the Wings signed him to on July 3, 2024.
Tarasenko, 33, never came close to contributing as expected for the Wings, finishing with just 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games.
Both first-half coach Derek Lalonde, and Todd McLellan, who replaced Lalonde at Christmas, gave Tarasenko every chance to succeed, giving him shifts on the top line and on the power play. But Tarasenko was a non-factor most games, and having had a whole season in Detroit, there was little to indicate a second year would be any better.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her books: “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of Hockeytown,” and “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings trade underachieving forward Vladimir Tarasenko to Minnesota Wild
Reporting by Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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