Vladimir Tarasenko wants back in with the Florida Panthers, and Wednesday's news landed with Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand both hurt.
Elliotte Friedman said on the FAN Hockey Show that the winger would love to rejoin the club, and that Florida has some interest.
The holdup? Cap concerns. Tarasenko has been sitting unsigned, waiting to see whether the Panthers could open up room for him.
And now there's a real reason to look. Barkov has dressed for just two of Florida's games and hasn't found the scoresheet yet.
Marchand has also played only twice, scoring once.
Those two carry cap hits of $10,000,000 and $5,250,000. That's a lot of money tied up in forwards who aren't available right now.
It's like owning two luxury cars stuck in the shop while you take the bus to work every morning.
Panthers' scoring dries up as Sam Reinhart stays blank
Florida has scored eight goals through four games, every one of them on the road.
Two of those nights ended in overtime losses, 4-3 in San Jose and 3-2 in Anaheim. Close doesn't cut it when the offense keeps stalling.
Sam Reinhart hasn't recorded a point yet and sits at a -1 rating. Brady Tkachuk is also blank, going minus-2.
When two big-ticket forwards can't buy a point, a winger with 709 career NHL points looking for work starts to look awfully tempting.
He's not a projection. Tarasenko has piled up 327 goals over his NHL career, plus 51 more in the playoffs.
He also knows this locker room. The Russian lifted the Cup with Florida in 2023-24, posting nine points in 24 playoff games.
Last season in Minnesota, he put up 47 points in 75 games. Not star numbers. Still legitimate middle-six production from a winger who can finish.
Right now, Matthew Tkachuk is doing most of the heavy lifting up front with three points, including a game-winner.
Seth Jones chipped in during Tuesday's 2-1 win in Los Angeles, scoring while logging 25:33 of ice time.
Florida should make room. Betting on a proven playoff scorer beats hoping the bottom six suddenly finds some offense.
But Paul Maurice doesn't sign the checks. Bill Zito has to find the dollars, and Friedman made it clear money is the sticking point.
Would the Panthers really let a former Cup winner sign elsewhere over cap gymnastics?
Somehow, Florida still sits first in its division with six points. Jacob Markstrom has kept the club afloat with a .927 save percentage and a shutout.
Saturday brings the home opener against Minnesota, the team Tarasenko just left. A back-to-back in Buffalo and Columbus follows right after.
Every game Barkov and Marchand miss makes his wait a little shorter. Or a lot more awkward.
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Should the Panthers clear cap space to bring back Vladimir Tarasenko?
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