The NHL’s greatest crew is beefing up the identical means the Rangers did final yr, by buying Vladimir Tarasenko.
The Florida Panthers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, based on a number of studies, two days earlier than the NHL commerce deadline.
Ottawa will obtain a conditional 2024 fourth-round decide and a 2025 third-round decide, they usually’ll retain half of Tarasenko’s remaining wage.
The 32-year-old has 17 targets and 24 assists in 57 video games this season and can add one other weapon to an already harmful Panthers assault.
The Rangers acquired Tarasenko from the Blues forward of final yr’s deadline, together with Patrick Kane, and the Russian had eight targets and 13 assists in 31 regular-season video games earlier than recording three targets and an help within the Rangers’ seven-game sequence loss to the Devils.
He then signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Senators.
Ottawa made progress final season and hoped to be in playoff competition this yr, however they’re struggling by means of one other ugly season at 25-31-3.
The Senators fired normal supervisor Pierre Dorion in November and head coach D.J. Smith in December, naming Jacques Martin as their interim coach.
The Panthers, in the meantime, are atop the NHL standings at 90 factors.
Sam Reinhart is within the midst of a profession yr for Florida with 45 targets and 30 assists in 63 video games, and Matthew Tkachuk has 21 targets and 50 assists in 62 video games.
They’ve additionally gotten nice goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky (2.29 GAA, .918 save proportion) and Anthony Stolarz (2.07 GAA, .921 save proportion.)