Story by
Key Offseason Acquisition Dominating Wild Training Camp Early
- Story by
- Key Offseason Acquisition Dominating Wild Training Camp Early
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
It's an important season for the Minnesota Wild . They seem to have a superstar reluctant to sign long-term without knowing what the future looks like. They also didn't do much with the money freed up from buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter coming off the books.
If the offseason moves are going to be successful, then Bill Guerin will likely be getting what he expects from longtime veteran Vladimir Tarasenko . A bigger name than producer in recent seasons, he could provide a significant boost to the MN Wild.
Advertisement
The season is still a matter of weeks away, but early practice returns suggest that Guerin might be right on his new Russian.
Related Headlines
Vladimir Tarasenko standing out among Minnesota Wild camp
The sample size is small, and he's competing just against teammates, but that hasn't stopped Vladimir Tarasenko from looking impressive in the early going. At 33, and heading into his 14th season , he's no spring chicken. That hasn't stopped some of the youth he's been skating with from taking note.
One of the weirder sights as this 25th Minnesota Wild training camp has gotten underway has been former St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko roaming the ice at TRIA Rink wearing Wild colors. Not that anyone's complaining about the early returns.
Skating on a line with youngster Liam Ohgren and veteran Joel Eriksson Ek, Tarasenko has four goals and two assists in two scrimmages, both wins for his group.
"He's been pretty good so far, I think," Eriksson Ek said, laughing. "He can still shoot the puck."
As The Athletic's Michael Russo points out, the sight of Tarasenko in a Wild sweater is a weird one. This is a guy who has won a pair of Stanley Cup's and has twice been named an All-Star. He has 304 career goals under his belt, and is among the more decorated talents across the NHL.
Advertisement
In 80 games last year though, Tarasenko scored just 11 goals and had 33 points while being worth a minus-13. His heyday with the St. Louis Blues seems well in the rearview mirror, but it would be great if his Minnesota teammates rejuvenate him.
As for Tarasenko's solid start to camp — Yakov Trenin joked, "Two scrimmages, he's killing us" — he's enough of a veteran to realize these are just scrimmages playing with and against players who are not necessarily professionals yet, let alone NHLers. He called it a "friendly game" with "many work days ahead."
The early returns are nice to see from Tarasenko. He'll need to carry that level of production over to the regular season if the MN Wild are going to escape the first round of the playoffs.
With a track record of success, and knowing what it takes to go deep in the playoffs, Tarasenko's experience is just as valuable as his abilities. The more he can impart that on his teammates, the better.
MN Wild youth benefitting from Tarasenko's presence
It's not just what Tarasenko is able to do on his own, but his ability to level up the youth around him matters too. John Hynes is going to rely on multiple young players this year. Liam Ohgren is among those that must level up quickly. He is currently playing on a line with the veteran.
Initially pegged to play with Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek, the 33-year-old Tarasenko has been skating next to Eriksson Ek and youngster Liam Ohgren with Mats Zuccarello injured, and coach John Hynes likes how the three have debuted.
"A lot of game develops outside of the hockey [rink], when you can find the same things to talk about when you're on the bench, when you're in the locker room, and talking about the game," Tarasenko said about clicking with linemates. "At the same time when you play with guys who are willing to work hard and they don't care who scores a goal, you just work for each other. It makes the chemistry a little better."
As the Star Tribune's Sarah McLellan points out, Ohgren will be relied on early with Mats Zuccarello unlikely to start the season healthy. There's a lot worse landing spots for a young player than to be paired with a decorated veteran. The most chemistry developed between the pair, the better the results should be expected to be.
With one training camp under his belt, it's obvious how much more comfortable he looks. Eriksson Ek noted that Ohgren looks more poised. He's acting like he belongs, and he sure looks like he belongs on this line with Eriksson Ek and Tarasenko.
Ohgren played in 24 games for the Minnesota Wild last season. He scored a pair of goals and averaged just over 11 minutes per game on the ice. It was an opportunity to get his feet wet.
Advertisement
Now paired with Tarasenko, he'll be tasked with doing more and the Wild need the tandem to help level each other up. If Tarasenko can lead the way as he has shown early, and Ohgren can follow suit, then Minnesota will be in a good spot to start the season.
The Minnesota Wild kick off their regular season on October 9 in St. Louis against the Blues. That presents a pretty fun opportunity for Tarasenko.
Related Headlines
