Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek targeted forward Alex Killorn and defenseman Radko Gudas when free agency opened on July 1, but it is unlikely the door is closed to bringing in more talent, which is where Vladimir Tarasenko enters into the equation. The 31-year-old winger would be a great addition to the Anaheim roster for the 2023-24 season.
Tarasenko’s Arrival Would Fill a Major Need
Anaheim’s roster is thin on right-wingers and, the offense could use a boost. Finishing and creating scoring opportunities has been a major problem for the team for a while. Since 2018-19, the Ducks rank 32nd in the league with a mere 2.51 goals-per-game average. In the 2022-23 campaign, they ranked 31st in the NHL with 2.51 goals per game, 28th in shots for per game (28.4), 30th in power-play goals (36), 31st in shooting percentage (8.9), 31st in five-on-five scoring chances, and 29th in high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five.
Tarasenko has surpassed the 30-goal plateau six times in his career, including a 40-goal performance in 2015-16. He would make a significant impact in the Ducks’ top-six and would be a big addition to the team’s first power-play unit. Tarasenko is coming off a bit of a down year, with 18 goals and 50 points in 69 games between the St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers, but an increased role in Anaheim could be just what he needs to get back on track.
Related: Meet the Anaheim Ducks’ 2023 Free Agency Additions
According to Bruce Garrioch, the Ducks were believed to be among the teams interested in acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Ottawa Senators (from ‘Ottawa Senators need help from Alex DeBrincat to complete a trade,’ Ottawa Sun, July 1, 2023). He would have been a great fit, especially since a long-term contract would have followed the trade. However, the Detroit Red Wings emerged as the winners of those sweepstakes and promptly signed him to a four-year, $31.5 million deal. It is unclear if Anaheim considered Filip Zadina, who ended up inking a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the San Jose Sharks, but his untapped offensive upside would have made him an intriguing option as well.
Anaheim has clearly been on the hunt for offensive help, and Tarasenko should be their next target. A contract here would make perfect sense and could be mutually beneficial.
Cap Space Won’t Be an Issue
The Ducks still need to sign key restricted free agents Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, and Jamie Drysdale ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Terry has an arbitration hearing scheduled for August 2, so the clock is ticking to get a long-term deal done before it is in the hands of an independent arbitrator.
Fortunately, the Ducks possess more than enough cap space to sign Tarasenko, Zegras, Terry, and Drysdale, and they are in a good position to outbid teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, and Florida Panthers, who have all been mentioned as potential suitors for Tarasenko this offseason. Similar to blueliner John Klingberg‘s situation last summer, Tarasenko could join the Ducks on a one-year contract in the $7 million range. Having that cap space is a major advantage for the organization and a one-year deal would offer plenty of flexibility for both parties.
Ducks & Tarasenko Would Be a Good Match
If Tarasenko proves to be a good fit with the organization, Verbeek could choose to keep him around and offer him an extension. However, the more likely scenario would be to flip him to a contender at the trade deadline, which is what the Ducks did with Klingberg, who was shipped to the Minnesota Wild. Hopefully, Anaheim can extract a better return for Tarasenko than they received for Klingberg. Verbeek already has a long list of potential trade candidates, which would be bolstered further by adding Tarasenko to the mix.
Tarasenko has not yet found what he’s looking for on the open market, which is also what Klingberg went through. Changing agents played a role in slowing down the process for Tarasenko, but it is surprising that he is still available this far into the offseason. The Ducks could swoop in again and give Tarasenko a new home.
Statistics courtesy of Hockey-Reference.
