yardbarker
The Florida Panthers are evaluating Brad Marchand's lower-body injury, and multiple reports indicate the team might turn to a familiar face to fill the void. On Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Panthers have interest in signing Vladimir Tarasenko if Marchand is expected to miss an extended period. However, if Marchand's absence is short, Florida is unlikely to pursue a deal.
If the Panthers do reach out to Tarasenko, it's unclear who they would contact. According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, Tarasenko hired Dan Millstein as his agent earlier in the summer but terminated the partnership a few months later. There is no confirmation that Tarasenko has secured new representation. Nevertheless, he is arguably the top unrestricted free agent still available.
Many believe Tarasenko would welcome a call from the Panthers. While he waits for his next opportunity, he has been skating in Florida with fellow free agents Patrik Laine (UFA) and Alexander Nikishin (RFA). Tarasenko enjoyed success during his previous stint with the Panthers. Florida acquired him from the Ottawa Senators at the 2023-24 trade deadline, and he finished the regular season with six goals and 14 points in 19 games, averaging 14:48 of ice time. In the playoffs, he added five goals and nine points in 24 contests, helping the Panthers win their first Stanley Cup championship.
Since then, Tarasenko has struggled. His first year with the Detroit Red Wings was disappointing, producing 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games with a -13 rating. He performed better with the Minnesota Wild after an offseason trade, but the team was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
If the Panthers target Tarasenko, his salary will be a major question. Florida has approximately $3.1MM in cap space, but much of that stems from Aleksander Barkov's placement on long-term injured reserve. Since Barkov will return this season, the Panthers cannot simply spend his cap hit. Even though Tarasenko is coming off his ninth 20-goal campaign, he shouldn't command too much given his limited bargaining power. Still, even with a potential lineup hole depending on Marchand's status, the Panthers would almost certainly need to remove another player from the roster to create financial flexibility.
Originally reported by yardbarker.