Wild Forward Hoping to Regain All-Star Form

With the Minnesota Wild needing secondary scoring help, can their new forward regain his all-star form?

Apr 17, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Red Wings right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (11) stretches during the warmup before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Wild were one of the surprise teams of the 2024-2025 NHL season. After a red-hot start, the team secured another postseason berth before losing in the first-round to the Vegas Golden Knights. The loss gave general manager Bill Guerin the belief that this team can take the next step this year. Heading into the upcoming campaign, the Wild’s core remains mostly unchanged as they try to run things back in America’s State of Hockey.

One key addition for the Wild this summer was former Stanley Cup-winning forward Vladimir Tarasenko. A two-time champion with the St. Louis Blues and Florida Panthers, the Russian-born winger has played in over 800 NHL games, compiling over 300 goals in that time. With Minnesota needing secondary scoring help, can he regain his all-star form?

The 33-year-old winger is not quite the player he was in his prime anymore. When he first arrived in North America with the Blues, he became a bonafide sniper. He recorded five straight 30+ goal seasons, including the year St. Louis won its first ever Stanley Cup in 2019.

Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (10) kisses the cup after winning game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

What remains for Tarasenko is a lethal shot. Last year, he was an above average scorer from the mid-range danger zones. Over the 2024-2025 campaign, he launched 60 shots on goal from the mid-range danger zones, defined by NHL EDGE ”29 to 43 feet away from the center of the goal the from the area between 29-43 feet of the center of the goal and bound on both sides by an imaginary line drawn from the faceoff dot to 2 feet outside the goalpost.” Those 60 shots ranked in the 88th percentile among all skaters last year, and his six mid-range goals finished in the 77th percentile.

What’s even more impressive is his shooting percentage from that area of the offensive zone was unimpressive. The league average last year from the mid-range area was 11.8%, but Tarasenko converted on just 10% of his mid-range shots on goal. The Wild hope they can continue putting the puck on his stick in that zone and produce more goals as a result.

The flip side is that the Wild might get last year’s version of Tarasenko. With the Detroit Red Wings last season, he looked like a player entering a new phase of his career. While he was an impressive player in the mid-range area, his overall effectiveness regressed. Over 80 games, he recorded 11 goals and added 22 assists for 33 points while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time per game. Minnesota has plenty of players capable of hitting the 30-point mark, meaning Tarasenko has to return to the 20+ goal plateau to become an impact player with his new organization.

It’s entirely possible for Tarasenko to regain his all-star form. The Wild are hoping the uniting of himself with fellow Russian star Kirill Kaprizov sparks some magic and reignites the veteran scorer’s production. It’s far from a guarantee, but the Wild are banking on Vlad Tarasenko returning to an elite place that helps propel Minnesota to new heights in 2025-2026.

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