Ahead of the NHL Draft and free agent periods coming within the next seven days, many teams will be jockeying players. The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a change, offloading one of their soon-to-be restricted free agents to the Florida Panthers. Daniil Tarasov has been dealt to the Panthers for a fifth-round draft selection, 160th overall, in this week’s draft.
Tarasov Was Not The Blue Jackets’ Answer in Goal
Tarasov was once considered the team’s next big thing between the pipes, coming over after the 2020-21 Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) season. He looked good in limited starts for the Blue Jackets, but bounced between them and the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Cleveland Monsters over the last four years. The biggest issue has been injuries. Every time he seemed to gather a bit of steam and have a few games of success, he’d be derailed by another injury.
Related: Blue Jackets Should Move on From Daniil Tarasov This Summer
There are a couple of reasons Florida isn’t an out-of-the-blue destination for Tarasov. First, Panthers general manager Bill Zito was a massive part of the Blue Jackets organization when Tarasov was drafted and knows the player pretty well. Second, he joins fellow Russian and former Blue Jackets’ netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. If anyone is able to help Tarasov reach the potential that was once seen in him, you have to imagine it’s a couple of familiar faces and playing behind a significantly better team.
The move signals movement in the long-standing goalie tandem in Columbus. At the very least, it allows Jet Greaves, who has been excellent in limited starts, to get a regular run of ice time. Blue Jackets’ general manager Don Waddell suggested a change would be coming in the crease this offseason, and the move of Tarasov is a clear indicator that he meant it. Whether or not Elvis Merzlikins is next on the chopping block or receives a stay of execution is to be seen.
