Getty Vladimir Tarasenko signs with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Detroit Red Wings have signed the top available forward remaining in free agency on July 3.
Detroit announced they have signed Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year deal worth $4.75 million per season. He had signed a one-year deal worth $5 million with the Ottawa Senators last offseason before being traded to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline.
HEADED TO THE TARASENK-SHOW!
The #RedWings today signed forward Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract with an AAV of $4.75M.
Tarasenko entered free agency fresh off of winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers. The Russian had also won the Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
Tarasenko recorded 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points in 24 playoff games. Between the Senators and Panthers this past year, Tarasenko recorded 23 goals and 32 assists for 55 points in 76 games.
The 32-year-old has been in the NHL since the 2012-13 season while he was with the Blues. He was drafted 16th overall in the 2010 NHL draft by St. Louis. In his NHL career, he’s skated in 751 games recording 293 goals and 336 assists for 629 points.
Red Wings Active in Free Agency
After signing Tarasenko to a two-year deal, the Red Wings still have over $20 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.
Detroit has just nine forwards under contract along with six defensemen, but has four goalies under contract.
Before free agency opened, the Red Wings re-signed Patrick Kane to a one-year deal. In free agency, Detroit signed goalie Cam Talbot to a two-year deal, defenseman Erik Gustafsson to a two-year deal, defenseman William Lagesson to a one-year deal, goalie Jack Campbell to a one-year deal, and forward Tyler Motte to a one-year deal.
However, Detroit saw David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere leave in free agency, which was expected as general manager Steve Yzerman knew he didn’t have the cap to bring everyone back.
“We’re just not gonna have enough money to bring everybody back,” Yzerman told reporters on June 29. “It’s not the way it’s gonna work. And we’d love to bring everybody back but we’re not bringing everybody back, and we’re trying to make these deals with all these guys that allow us to bring them all back. But I’m not sure we’ll be able to do that.”
Before free agency opened, Detroit traded Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks in a cap dump.
Detroit Trades Robby Fabbri
After the Red Wings announced the signing of Tarasenko, the team traded forward Robby Fabbri and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft to the Anaheim Ducks for Gage Alexander.
UPDATE: The #RedWings today acquired Gage Alexander from Anaheim in exchange for Robby Fabbri and a conditional 4th round pick in 2025.
Fabbri is entering the final year of the three-year $12 million deal he signed with the Red Wings in December of 2021. The forward is set to make $4 million in the 2024-25 NHL season.
Fabbri was selected 21st overall by the Blues in the 2014 NHL draft and won the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019. He was traded to Detroit on November 6, 2019, and this past season with the Red Wings, he recorded 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points in 68 games.
As for the return, Alexander is a goaltending prospect who was selected 148th overall by Anaheim in the 2021 NHL draft. The Canadian played in the ECHL last season as he went 5-8-2 with a 3.76 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage.