What Is Tarasenko's Ideal Role in Detroit?
At 32, Vladimir Tarasenko might no longer be the 30-40 goal sniper he once was, but how can the Red Wings get the most out of the summer's marquee acquisition?
At 32, Vladimir Tarasenko might not be the nailed on, but he hardly belongs in a sarcophagus either. Instead, Tarasenko arrives on the heels of a 55-point regular season and more importantly a second Stanley Cup championship. Without question, Tarasenko is the highest profile of the Red Wings' offseason acquisitions, but his role moving forward is not quite so clear.
Detroit and Tarasenko agreed to a two-year, $9.5 million contract. It might not have been what either party had in mind as the summer began, but it has the potential to be more than just a marriage of convenience. Tarasenko can still score, and he brings a keen awareness of what it means to be an offensive driver on a team that privileges defense.
However, there can also be no denying that Tarasenko is no longer a 30-40 goal scorer, suited to 18-20 minutes of ice time a night. He hasn't hit 30 since the '21-22 season, not exactly an eternity ago but two full seasons removed from his arrival in Detroit. From there, a question begs: What exactly is Tarasenko's ideal role today? Can he still be a productive top liner if the Red Wings ask him to be, or is something else in store?
Last season, Tarasenko averaged 15:44 minutes a night during the regular season. More specifically, he played 16:03-per-night in 57 games with the Senators, then averaged 14:48 in 19 games with the Panthers to close out the year. That 15:44 is his lowest season-long ATOI since averaging 15:10 in 65 games as a 22-year-old in the 2013-14 season. On Florida's 24-game march to the Cup, Tarasenko's ice time dwindled to just 13:22-per-game.
Realistically, that Ottawa figure is probably the best comparable for projecting Tarasenko's role in Detroit. The Senators' roster last year is in a roughly similar place to what the Red Wings' will be this year, and the two teams have broadly similar ambitions: get back to the playoffs. That Panther team was probably the deepest in the league up front a year ago, so it's hardly a slight to Detroit to suggest that this year's Red Wings can budget Tarasenko a bit more ice time than did Florida in the postseason.
On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, Connor Earegood and I discussed this topic, with me raising the possibility that to best balance the lineup, Detroit might be best off placing Tarasenko on the third line, even if his talent and reputation might dictate a more prominent billing. You can see me make that case in the featured video above, then listen to the full show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts:
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