Vladimir Tarasenko's name popped up in Florida Panthers rumors again, and insider Elliotte Friedman finally explained how real it got.
Friedman dropped the details Monday night on the FAN Hockey Show. So why bring up a deal that reportedly never happened?
The connection, per Friedman, traces back to one specific scenario. Someone had suggested that if Brad Marchand's injury dragged on longer, Tarasenko could have ended up in Florida.
Friedman was blunt about where that stands now. Obviously that hasn't happened, he said on the show, closing the door on any notion of a deal in motion.
This wasn't Friedman presenting it as his own scoop, either. He was relaying speculation that had been floating around, not confirmed front office intel out of Florida.
Florida's forward group already runs deep, with Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett and the Tkachuk brothers holding down the middle six, which made the Tarasenko fit more theoretical than practical.
The timing lines up with where the Panthers sit right now. Florida is fresh off a 6-3 win over Carolina Sunday night, extending a one-game winning streak.
Paul Maurice's group looked sharp doing it, too. Florida turns right back around for a rematch against the Hurricanes Tuesday, a quick chance to prove Sunday wasn't a one-off.
Tarasenko's market stays ice cold as camps open
Whatever almost happened, it didn't. Tarasenko remains unsigned, sitting on the open market while training camps around the league are already running full tilt.
That's the real story buried under the rumor. A former 30-goal winger with a Stanley Cup on his resume is watching preseason games from the outside.
It is the hockey equivalent of standing at the gate after your flight already left. Everyone else is boarding somewhere and you are still checking the departures board.
Florida, for what it is worth, was not hurting for forward depth to begin with. The rumor never needed real legs to travel. It just needed a recognizable name attached to it.
Marchand's health will keep mattering more than any rumor tied to him. If he misses time once the regular season opens October 2, do not be shocked if Tarasenko's name resurfaces.
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Should the Panthers have actually pursued Vladimir Tarasenko instead of standing pat?
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