Vladimir Tarasenko and the Panthers have been eyeing each other, according to Elliotte Friedman, just days before the regular season starts.
"I've heard the Panthers and him have been kinda eyeing each other; I've heard there's some mutual interest," Friedman said on 32 Thoughts.
The veteran winger's last contract, carrying a $4,750,000 cap hit, ran through last season.
He spent that season with the Wild and put up 47 points in 75 games.
That included 23 goals, matching his combined total from 2023-24.
The Panthers already know him well. He played 19 regular-season games and 24 playoff games for them in 2023-24.
So why does a reunion make sense now?
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Panthers consider familiar veteran scorer as season opener approaches
He had nine points in that 2024 playoff run, including five goals.
Career-wise, he has 51 goals in 132 playoff games.
He knows long springs, too. He scored 11 goals in 26 playoff games for St. Louis in 2018-19.
Add 709 points in 906 regular-season games, and the resume speaks for itself.
The Blues drafted him 16th overall in 2010, and he spent parts of 11 seasons in St. Louis.
Since then, he has suited up for the Rangers, Senators, Panthers, Red Wings and Wild. His year in Detroit produced 33 points in 80 games.
This makes sense for both sides. The Panthers get a proven playoff scorer they don't have to guess about, and he gets another shot at a long spring.
It's like a restaurant bringing back a chef who once cooked its best night. Everyone already knows how the kitchen works.
He turns 35 in December. The Panthers already carry Aleksander Barkov at $10,000,000 and Seth Jones at $9,500,000.
Florida may not be the only door open, though. Nobody else has been reported, but a few teams could talk themselves into a veteran scorer this week.
The Blues are the nostalgia play. Jim Montgomery's group went 1-3-0 this preseason and could use a spark before opening in Dallas on October 2.
The Rangers already had him once. He put up 21 points in 31 games for New York in 2022-23.
He added four points in seven playoff games that spring. Mike Sullivan's club opens Tuesday in Boston.
The Hurricanes would be the spicy option. Rod Brind'Amour's champions blanked Nashville 6-0 on Saturday and host the Panthers on Tuesday.
The Oilers are 4-0-0 under Mike Babcock after beating Calgary 4-1. A team carrying Leon Draisaitl at $14,000,000 is clearly built to win now.
Paul Maurice's Panthers finished the preseason 2-0-2 after a 3-2 shootout loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Akira Schmid played the entire game in that one and made 20 saves on 22 shots.
The interest is there on both sides. Whether it turns into a contract before the puck drops in Carolina is the part nobody's reporting yet.
Should the Panthers bring back Vladimir Tarasenko before opening night?
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