- Mike Rupp named the Flyers a landing spot for Vladimir Tarasenko on NHL Tonight
- Philadelphia finished dead last in the NHL on the power play at 15.7 percent
- Read below for the numbers behind the fit and the roster crunch working against it
Vladimir Tarasenko still does not have a team, and NHL Network has an address in mind for him.
Mike Rupp made the case for Philadelphia on NHL Tonight, landing on a power play that has been starved for finishers. Here’s the segment:
The number behind the pitch is ugly. The Flyers converted at 15.74 percent last season, dead last in the league, and managed 37 power-play goals across 82 games.
Tarasenko scored five of his goals on the man advantage in Minnesota. Drop that into Philadelphia and he lands second on the roster, behind only Trevor Zegras.
| Player | PP Goals | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Zegras | 10 | 26 |
| Vladimir Tarasenko (Minnesota) | 5 | 23 |
| Matvei Michkov | 4 | 20 |
| Noah Cates | 3 | 18 |
| Owen Tippett | 3 | 28 |
His full season holds up too. Tarasenko finished with 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games on a $4.75 million cap hit, doubling the 11 he scored in Detroit the year before.
There is a second angle in Philadelphia that has nothing to do with the power play. Matvei Michkov spent his summer attacking his conditioning after a rough sophomore year, and a Russian winger who once scored 40 in a season is a useful person to hand him.
Roster math is the argument against it. Danny Briere already has Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Porter Martone and Michkov on the wing, and he spent this offseason handing out extensions instead of adding forwards.
Rupp is hardly the first person to find Tarasenko a home, either. Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton have all been floated since the market opened, with Ottawa and Montreal in the mix as well.
None of it has produced a contract. Philadelphia won 43 games and made the playoffs with the worst power play in hockey, which is the strongest argument Rupp has going for him.
Camps open next month, and Tarasenko is still on the board.
