After silencing doubters with a 20-goal resurgence, the veteran winger embraces a mentorship role in Minnesota while hoping to transform his successful one-year trial into a long-term stay.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — When the Minnesota Wild took a low-risk chance on Vladimir Tarasenko last summer, few expected the veteran winger to become one of the team’s best fits both on and off the ice.
After a difficult previous season that raised questions about where his NHL career was heading, Tarasenko responded with a bounce-back year in Minnesota, reaching the 20-goal mark again while becoming a respected voice inside one of the league’s tightest locker rooms.
Now, it sounds like he hopes his time with the Wild is far from over.
“Absolutely, would love to return,” Tarasenko said during the team’s end-of-season exit interviews. “Me and my family are very thankful for Minnesota people and organization make the transition smooth as possible.”
Tarasenko said both he and his family quickly felt comfortable in Minnesota despite never previously living in the State of Hockey.
“We met a lot of great people, not only in the Wild, but in the kids’ hockey, and we’ve been helped everywhere around,” Tarasenko said. “We’ve been accepted very well.”
The veteran winger also credited Minnesota’s leadership group and culture for helping him immediately fit in with the team.
“If you look at the guys who've been here a long time, like Jared and Marcus and Brodin, they will help you out, you kind of learn the team culture,” Tarasenko said. “It was really easy fit for me.”
On the ice, Tarasenko rediscovered parts of his game that appeared missing a year ago. While he admitted there were still “a lot of chances” he wished he finished, reaching 20 goals again carried significance after the adversity he faced previously.
“It meant a lot for me, especially after last year,” Tarasenko said. “I would never say I'm very satisfied with myself, but it was nice thing to do, and it was helping the team winning.”
But Tarasenko’s impact extended beyond scoring.
One of the players he appeared to take a special interest in was fellow Russian forward Danila Yurov, who completed his first NHL season this year.
Tarasenko repeatedly spoke about helping Yurov navigate not just hockey adjustments, but life away from home.
“I try to help him as much as I can to adjust because I remember it's very hard to change not only the style of play, but overall change the country,” Tarasenko said.
Tarasenko said when he entered the NHL as a young player, he did not have an older Russian veteran guiding him through the transition.
“When I came in, I don't have any Russian guys who's older than me, who's maybe able to help me,” Tarasenko said.
That experience appears to have shaped the role he embraced with Yurov.
“He's a very well-raised, very polite young gentleman who's very nice to be around,” Tarasenko said. “He was willing to learn, which is very, very rare right now.”
Tarasenko also praised Yurov’s competitiveness and confidence growth throughout the season and playoffs.
“As you see during the year and in the playoffs, he plays with way more confidence,” Tarasenko said. “He'll never get scared of taking a hit or something. He's a very smart, intelligent player.”
Even after another painful playoff exit, Tarasenko still believes Minnesota has the pieces needed to become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
That is a positive thing to hear from a guy who has won two Stanley Cups in his career.
“This team can play against every other team in the league,” Tarasenko said. “I do think this can happen.”
And after one season in Minnesota revitalized both his production and comfort level, Tarasenko made it clear he hopes to continue being part of it.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
