The raid on the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers continued on Wednesday when the Detroit Red Wings signed winger Vladimir Tarasenko on a two-year contract worth $9.5 million.
The 32-year-old Tarasenko is the sixth player from Florida's Game 7 lineup to leave the team as a free agent, which is not uncommon in the NHL as other teams try to replicate that success. The 2019 and 2024 Cup winners will count $4.75 million against the salary cap through the 2025-26 season. The contract comes with a no-trade clause in year one and limited protection in year two.
He joins three-time champion Patrick Kane on the Red Wings, who are looking to end a franchise-worst playoff drought in eight seasons, after Kane re-signed for $4 million plus $2.5 million in incentives.
After acquiring Tarasenko, Detroit traded one of his former St. Louis Blues teammates, sending forward Robby Fabbri and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick to Anaheim for 22-year-old goaltending prospect Gage Alexander.
Tarasenko joined the Panthers before the trade deadline and recorded five goals and four assists in helping the team win its first championship in franchise history.
Sam Reinhart signed a new contract worth $69 million over eight years, keeping the core of the team, led by Matthew Tkachuk and captain Aleksander Barkov, intact, and restricted free agent forward Anton Randle signed a six-year, $30 million contract on the same day.
Of course, without unlimited cap space, you can't keep everyone. Brandon Montour signed with Seattle, fellow defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and backup goaltender Anthony Stolarz with Toronto, forward Ryan Lomberg with Calgary and Kevin Stenlund with Utah. Josh Mafra, a regular on the blue line during the Panthers' 2023 Finals run and who played 30 games during the regular season, signed a $775,000 contract with the Kraken to reunite with Montour.
In other league deals on Wednesday, Philadelphia re-signed RFA forward Bobby Brink to a two-year, $3 million deal, while Columbus acquired veteran defenseman Jack Johnson for $775,000 next season.
“Jack Johnson is a consummate professional and has been an extremely good player and leader in this league for many years and will be a great asset to our team, especially the young defensemen in our organization,” general manager Don Waddell said. “He's in great shape, plays a simple, hard game, has won a Stanley Cup and has great passion for this city and organization. We're very excited to have him back.”
Johnson won the Cup with Colorado in 2022. Edmonton, which fell just short in the final after losing to Florida, is trying its best to emulate the Panthers by winning last year. The Oilers only lost a couple of reserves in forwards Warren Vogel and Sam Carrick and defenceman Vincent Desharnais, and brought back free agents Connor Brown, Corey Perry, Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Troy Stecher and Calvin Pickard.
“I think all of our players believe in their teammates,” CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson said earlier this week. “The fact that we have all of our players back tells you everything I need to know about this team. I'm happy to have all of our players back.”
Jackson and the front office also signed veteran forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner and replaced Desharnais with 30-year-old Josh Brown. The Oilers and Panthers are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup in 2025, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
“I just wanted to have a chance to win,” said Enrique, who accepted a nearly 50 percent pay cut to stay with the team. “I think this team is special, and I had a lot of fun being part of it this year, so it was even more fun.”
