Signed to a one-year deal this off-season, the Ottawa Senators are poised to move veteran right winger Vladimir Tarasenko before Friday's trade deadline.
The Senators entered this season with high hopes, as their group of young forwards took solid steps forward last season. The signing of Tarasenko, the presence of veteran center Claude Giroux, and the young nucleus led by Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, and others looked like a formidable forward group on paper.
Instead, the Senators have served up a disaster in Canada's capital this season, as they sit with a record of 25-31-3 and in last place in the Atlantic Division.
The team has been undone by shoddy goaltending and defense, as their 212 goals allowed is one of the higher marks in the NHL.
Their offense has not been up to snuff with the East's contenders, but among the non-playoff teams, only the New Jersey Devils have lit the lamp more often than the Sens.
The team had a stretch of play so disgraceful that it got head coach D.J. Smith fired, and another frustrating off-season of trying to figure out how exactly to get this core to win games lies ahead in Ottawa.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Vladimir Tarasenko
Contract Situation: Expiring after this season at $5 million cap hit
Season Stats: 17 goals, 24 assists for 41 points in 57 games
Possible Destinations: Carolina, Vegas, New York Rangers, Boston, Colorado, Florida
When the Senators landed Tarasenko in the off-season, they hoped they were adding the veteran scoring presence who could take their forward group over the top in combination with their young stars.
Tarasenko has held up his end of the bargain, producing at a fairly high level and having a positive impact in Ottawa's favor when he's on the ice.
The Senators have not, and now a contending team will reap the reward of getting to add the 32-year-old sniper to their forward ranks.
There are a lot of obvious fits out there, with probably none more obvious than the one in Carolina. The Hurricanes were the other finalist to sign Tarasenko this off-season, so the Canes could come calling if there are no hard feelings in Raleigh.
The Rangers brought Tarasenko in from the St. Louis Blues as a rental last season, and it worked out well enough that there could be some interest in running that back.
Florida, Colorado, Boston, and Vegas are all also in need of further scoring options, and all would likely be suitable destinations to convince Tarasenko to waive his full no-trade clause.
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