Bruins Rival Adds Stanley Cup Champion Before NHL Trade Deadlin

Before Friday’s NHL trade deadline, Wednesday, a rival of the Boston Bruins, made a significant deal. In exchange for draft picks, the Panthers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the Senators. Florida will give a third-round pick in 2025 and a fourth-round pick in 2024, which would become a third-round pick in 2026 if the team wins the Stanley Cup. Half of the All-Star forward’s pay is retained by Ottawa.

According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Tarasenko had a “strong say” in the agreement because he had a no-trade clause in his contract. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that he also desired a trade to the Panthers in order to be nearer to his family. The 32-year-old and Sergei Bobrovsky, a fellow Russian, are also good pals. The forward was dealt to the Rangers by the Blues last season, making this his second trade in as many seasons. Following his brief tenure in New York, Tarasenko signed with the Senators during the previous summer.

Nick Cousins and Carter Verhaeghe can now be moved around the lineup thanks to Flordia’s trade, giving head coach Paul Maurice and his staff additional resources as they look to win a championship after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights the previous year. Tarasenko may be familiar to Boston fans following his time with St. Louis in the 2018–19 Stanley Cup playoffs. With 33 goals in the regular season and 11 goals in the postseason, he topped the Blues in both categories. Tarasenko led St. Louis to a seven-game victory over the Boston Bruins by scoring three goals in the Stanley Cup Final.

Following the Bruins’ overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers at TD Garden on Tuesday, the Panthers led Boston by three points in the Atlantic Division. In 57 games with Ottawa this season, Tarasenko totaled 41 points with 17 goals and 24 assists.

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