One of the NHL’s best scorers over the past decade is still without a contract 20 days after free agency opened.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t several teams looking to land UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko. The 34-year-old is coming off a 23-goal, 47-point season with the Minnesota Wild, bouncing back after a difficult 2024-25 campaign with the Detroit Red Wings.
Because of his play with the Wild and the team’s overall success, many assumed that players like Tarasenko and Mats Zuccarello would re-sign, but Zuccarello is already off to the Los Angeles Kings, and Tarasenko is testing the waters of free agency.
Tarasenko made headlines recently when he switched agents, hiring Dan Milstein, an NHL agent who represents several Russian players.
With all that, we’ll look at four NHL teams that could be a great fit for Tarasenko this season.
BUFFALO SABRES
The Buffalo Sabres are pushing hard to sign Patrick Kane, and according to multiple reports, Kane’s decision is coming down to either the Sabres or the Chicago Blackhawks.
If they land Kane, they likely wouldn’t find much use for Tarasenko, but if they miss out, adding the 34-year-old to their lineup would be a big get. Tarasenko’s ability to score on the power play and make plays at 5-on-5 is a valued skill set, and one the Sabres would love to add to their lineup. Despite losing Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals via free agency, the Sabres haven’t replaced him with any external moves.
Adding Tarasenko wouldn’t make up for the loss of Tuch, but it would sure help erase some of the goals and points they lost with his exit.
EDMONTON OILERS
The Edmonton Oilers have been linked to Tarasenko throughout the off-season, and for good reason. The Oilers haven’t really made any additions to their forward group this summer, and they are still lacking middle-six scoring options.
Tarasenko would likely thrive alongside a player like Leon Draisaitl. The two European forwards are both excellent shooters, but they also excel as passers. In the offensive zone, they could work plays to find each other in open space for shots on net.
But more importantly, the Oilers still lack depth scorers, and they need players at cheap costs. Tarasenko might not drive a line offensively as he once did, but as a secondary player, he can do a lot of good for an Oilers team that needs it.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
The Tampa Bay Lightning watched Nick Paul and Oliver Bjorkstrand leave this off-season, and their depth scoring looks to have taken a hit because of it. They added Ilya Mikheyev and Jeffrey Viel, but those additions fill a different role than scoring.
The Lightning struggled in the first round of the playoffs when their top players weren’t producing, and they’ll need depth scoring in the playoffs in a stacked Atlantic Division.
Tarasenko would also boost the second power play unit, which currently lacks power-play specialists.
UTAH MAMMOTH
The Utah Mammoth have shown that they are for real. Despite playing in a very difficult Central Division, they earned a playoff berth by locking down the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
They turned heads when they went toe-to-toe with the Vegas Golden Knights, but ultimately fell short. Despite that, the Mammoth didn’t just sit on their hands this off-season. They went out and traded for Vincent Trocheck, signed veteran winger Anders Lee, brought in Andrew Peeke for the third pair, and landed Sebastian Cossa, one of the NHL’s top goaltending prospects.
In addition, they also have top prospects like Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers, Daniil But, Dmitri Simashev, and Maveric Lamoureax waiting to earn spots in the lineup.
Adding Tarasenko to the lineup isn’t as vital as the three other teams mentioned, but a depth scorer of Tarasenko’s caliber could elevate the ceiling of this Mammoth team.