The Detroit Red Wings are apparently considering parting ways with their Stanley Cup champion and top-six forward Vladimir Tarasenko, per Elliotte Friedman.
With the trade deadline looming, fans were eager to see what Yzerman planned to do to help his team win in the crucial last stretch of the season, and it appears he made a surprising player available on the trade block: Vladimir Tarasenko.
The 32-year-old veteran has scored only 22 points in 53 games so far this year. While the team is performing much better, Tarasenko hasn't been able to do the same, and parting ways with him and his $4.75M AAV contract, with another year left on it, seems like a great course of action for General Manager Yzerman.
Keeping him around for the playoffs would also make sense, considering that the Russian forward has won two Stanley Cups: one with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and one last season with the Florida Panthers.
However, if he gets an offer he can't refuse, sending Tarasenko and his salary to another team could be an interesting decision.