Vladimir Tarasenko is testing NHL free agency again, and Tampa Bay is one insider's pick for where he lands.
NHL Network's @asgrimson said on NHL Tonight this week he'd like to see the 14-year veteran end up with the Lightning.
Tarasenko put up 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games this season with Minnesota, still producing at a real top-six level even at 34 years old.
He's been hot lately too, posting 5 points over his last 10 games as his market value only keeps growing heading into a wide open free agency period.
Tampa Bay finished 50-26-6 for 106 points this season, fifth overall, exactly the kind of contender looking to add real scoring depth for a playoff run.
NHL Network broke it down on air, framing Tarasenko as exactly the kind of value winger a real contender should be chasing right now.
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Why Tampa Bay makes sense for Tarasenko's next contract
Tarasenko carried a $4,750,000 cap hit in Minnesota, a number that looks very reasonable against his 23-goal, 47-point production.
He also added 5 points in 11 playoff games this past postseason, proof his scoring touch doesn't disappear once games get tighter.
Coach Jon Cooper has won with veteran wingers before, and slotting Tarasenko into Tampa Bay's top six would give the Lightning even more secondary scoring.
GM Julien Brisebois has stayed aggressive at building around a contending core, and a cost-effective winger like Tarasenko fits that pattern very closely.
Free agency rarely works out exactly how insiders predict it, but a 23-goal scorer hitting the open market at 34 should have real suitors lined up.
Nothing is signed yet. Tarasenko remains unattached, and Tampa Bay is just one name in a free agent market that's about to get busy fast.
Should the Lightning sign Vladimir Tarasenko this offseason?
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