Senators Trade Rumors: New Team Emerges As Tarasenko's Preferred Destination
As the top trade piece of the Ottawa Senators, sniper and impending unrestricted free agent Vladimir Tarasenko will almost certainly be finding himself in a new uniform come Friday at 3 pm ET, as the NHL's trade deadline hits.
The former first-round pick is a six-time 30+ goal scorer, and will be a huge add upfront for a contender heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Tarasenko was a key contributor to the St. Louis Blues' Cup run in 2019, scoring 11 goals in 26 postseason games. In fact, in 97 career playoff contests, he has a remarkable 44 goals. There's certainly no doubting his postseason chops.
But Tarasenko has a full no-trade clause, and he has some say on where he lands. And while the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers have all expressed interest in trading for him, insider Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests that the Florida Panthers would be his preferred destination:
A league source told this newspaper that the Florida Panthers would be high on his list of possible destinations... Tarasenko’s wife, and two toddlers, make their home in the Fort Lauderdale area and the Panthers are looking for another top-nine forward.
Adding the scoring of Tarasenko would most certainly make the Panthers one of the favorites heading into the playoffs, as they look to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive season.
However, one league executive told Garrioch that Tarasenko could hold any potential trade talks hostage by a particular demand:
“Normally the player wants to exchange waving his no-trade clause for something in return, and it would be no surprise if Tarasenko wants an extension with his new team,” the executive said.
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