The Detroit Red Wings are having a tough start to the season. They currently have a 7-8-3 record and are last in the Atlantic Division standings.
The Red Wings have also been cooling off lately, as they have lost each of their last three games.
The Red Wings struggling right now is not necessarily surprising, though. Dylan Larkin is refusing to play as he waits for a trade, while Simon Edvinsson is still a restricted free agent and wants to be moved as well.
Now, as Detroit continues to struggle early on this season, one of their former players remains an unrestricted free agent.
Former Detroit Red Wings Free Agent Bust Still Unsigned
After hitting the free agent market over four months ago, former Red Wings forward Vladimir Tarasenko surprisingly still remains a free agent.
Tarasenko still being a free agent comes after he had a strong 2025-26 season with the Minnesota Wild. In 75 games with the Wild during the 2025-26 campaign, he posted 23 goals, 24 assists, and 47 points.
With numbers like these, it is surprising that Tarasenko has yet to land a contract for the season. He would have the potential to be a very solid addition for a contender on a short-term deal. This is because he not only can still produce good secondary scoring but also has two Stanley Cup championships on his resume.
Looking Back at Tarasenko’s Time With the Red Wings
The Red Wings signed Tarasenko to a two-year, $9.5 million contract during the 2024 NHL offseason.
The expectation was that Tarasenko would be a key part of the Red Wings’ top six as they looked to be a playoff team. However, the 2010 first-round pick struggled immensely in Detroit.
During the 2024-25 season with the Red Wings, Tarasenko posted just 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games. These numbers were very low by Tarasenko’s standards. Keep in mind, he had 23 goals and 55 points in 76 games split between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers just the season before.
After struggling to find his fit in Detroit, the Red Wings traded Tarasenko to the Wild during the 2025 NHL offseason for future considerations. With this, signing Tarasenko proved to be a disappointing move for Detroit. This is especially when noting that he ended up bouncing back nicely after being traded to the Wild.
It will now be interesting to see if Tarasenko will find a new home in the NHL soon. Given how rough his Red Wings tenure went, we shouldn’t expect him to head back to Detroit anytime soon.
Former Detroit Red Wings Free Agent Bust Still Surprisingly Unsigned