6 NHL Free-Agent Landing Spots for Vladimir Tarasenko Amid Rumors

With NHL training camp approaching, there are a few big-name players still looking for a place to play and Vladimir Tarasenko might be the most accomplished among them.

The 34-year-old sniper had a bounce-back season with Minnesota last year after a disappointing campaign in Detroit the previous year. In 75 games, he had 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points.

He had five goals and eight assists on the power play, and if there's a good way to market him to a team in need, it's his ability to help on the man advantage.

Surely there's a market for a player who can still produce offensively and brings Stanley Cup-winning experience? If his defensive effort were stronger, we might not be writing about him.

That said, anyone who can chip in close to 50 points in a season should have a market and we've picked out some teams who could definitely make use of Tarasenko's skills.

When it came to scoring last season, the Flames were not associated with that in any way. Calgary scored the fewest goals in the NHL (208) and had the league's second-worst power play (16.2 percent).

With that lack of offensive output, how could the Flames not be interested in Vladimir Tarasenko?

He would have been Calgary's leading scorer with his output last season. He scored more goals (23) than any other Flames player. Even though his season was solid, it wasn't the best of his career, yet it was still better than anyone else on the Calgary roster.

The case for adding Tarasenko is easy because he would help the Flames score more goals and potentially win more games. His defensive play might not always be up to snuff, but it was an offensive desert in Calgary last season.

And if Tarasenko plays well and the Flames aren't in the playoff race, it would be an opportunity for Calgary to move him to a contender.

Chicago had a bold offseason, bringing back Patrick Kane and adding Bowen Byram to the defense. With how poor their offense was last season, those two will help give them a lift.

But with so many young players figuring out their games in the NHL, adding Vladimir Tarasenko to the mix could give the Blackhawks a bit of insurance in case they can't.

Chicago is well-acquainted with Tarasenko after his many seasons with the St. Louis Blues and again last season in Minnesota. It knows about his shot, how he works on the power play and how he would fit into its lineup.

Although you could argue that bringing Kane back fills that need, you could also suggest Chicago just needs more, especially with Connor Bedard likely missing the start of the season.

Tarasenko and his goal-scoring could give the Blackhawks a boost when times get tough for their younger players.

This offseason has been fascinating for Edmonton following the arrival of new head coach Mike Babcock, but they're also a team looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

They're not hurting for offense with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but bringing in an experienced shooter like Vladimir Tarasenko could give them the cover they need for younger players.

While the Oilers are a team that may not need more firepower, they are looking at potentially throwing rookie Isaac Howard back into the fire again this season.

Although the 22-year-old struggled in the NHL last year, he had a solid AHL season. But with a new coach and the same high expectations, supporting him with a veteran like Tarasenko could be the kind of depth Edmonton is looking for.

Adding Tarasenko to an already outstanding Oilers power play would be a case of the rich getting richer, but more scoring depth for Edmonton at 5-on-5 would be a good thing.

The Flyers' boldness this summer in trying to land Leo Carlsson puts them firmly on any list for available scoring talent, and Vladimir Tarasenko more than fits that bill.

His scoring skill and great work on the power play would give Philly at least one ace in the hole and it would also give fellow Russian, Matvei Michkov, someone to learn from.

The Flyers had the NHL's worst power play last season (15.7 percent) and while they want their current players to get better at it, adding a shooter and playmaker like Tarasenko could give their man advantage some needed juice.

If there's a catch with adding Tarasenko, how coach Rick Tocchet would handle the player's more offense-minded style of play would be worth keeping an eye on.

Part of Toronto's offseason makeover under new GM John Chayka involved basically rebuilding the entire third and fourth lines.

While that's good for toughening up the defense, it may leave the Maple Leafs' offense relying too heavily on their star players to do all the scoring.

Adding Vladimir Tarasenko as an option on the cheap could give them the scoring depth to help buoy them.

His talent offensively is still strong, as he demonstrated last season in Minnesota.

The Leafs have Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares to lead the offense and adding Gavin McKenna in the draft should help them score more, but you can't help but look at the Toronto roster and think it needs more.

Tarasenko has some limitations defensively, but new coach Jim Hiller's system should help to that end.

The Canucks were the NHL's worst team last season for many reasons, but a big one was that they just didn't score enough goals.

That issue doesn't seem set to resolve itself heading into the new year, as they're lacking depth in a big way, which should put Vladimir Tarasenko on their radar.

His 23 goals would have tied him for the team lead with Jake DeBrusk, and his 47 points would have been the fourth-most on the squad. Although he wouldn't solve Vancouver's problems, he would help address them by adding another guy who can contribute to the offense.

If there's a catch here, it's that Tarasenko might not want to join a team that is unlikely to be a playoff contender, never mind a Stanley Cup hopeful. However, this could be a situation where he can play himself into a contender by the deadline if he shows out. It may not be the most ideal way to go about it, but it's an option.