The Florida Panthers are making quick work to fill in their hole at backup goaltender. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Florida Panthers have acquired netminder Daniil Tarasov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. In response to LeBrun’s report, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic shared that the Blue Jackets are acquiring a late-round draft pick in the trade. Columbus confirmed the trade, announcing they’ve acquired Florida’s 2025 fifth-round pick (160th overall) for their former backup.
As a potential non-tender candidate heading into the offseason, the Blue Jackets did decent work in not letting Tarasov leave for nothing. After being surpassed toward the end of the 2024-25 campaign by youngster Jet Greaves, there was little chance Tarasov would remain in Columbus for next season. Now, he’ll attempt to revive his career behind fellow countryman Sergei Bobrovsky.
There was a time when Tarasov was believed to be the future of the crease for the Blue Jackets. Columbus selected Tarasov with the 86th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, and he quickly impressed a year later with the MHL’s Tolpar Ufa. After spending a few years in the Liiga and KHL, including a strong 2020-21 season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, where Tarasov recorded an 11-3-2 record in 16 games and achieved a .925 save percentage, the Blue Jackets brought Tarasov to North America.
Unfortunately, his professional career in North America got off to a slow beginning. In his first two years with the Blue Jackets and their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, Tarasov participated in just 43 games, which limited his development opportunities.
It wasn’t until the 2023-24 season that Tarasov became a full-time member of Columbus’ goaltending tandem. He managed an 8-11-3 record in 24 games with a .908 SV% and 3.18 GAA. His underlying metrics were strong, including 3.9 goals saved above average (GSAA) and a .565 quality start percentage, indicating that his development had returned to the right track.
Alas, this past season undid most of the positive steps he took a year ago. After starting the year as the backup again, Tarasov ended with a 7-10-2 record in 20 games, posting a .881 save percentage and a 3.54 goals against average, which caused his GSAA to drop to -10.5, resulting in the loss of his roster spot.
Given that Bobrovksy started 54 games for the Panthers during the 2024-25 season, and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, Tarasov should garner similar deployment next season. He’ll benefit from a stronger defensive core in front of him and may see his earning power grow before he becomes an unrestricted free agent before the 2026-27 NHL season.
One assumes that with this move Vitek Vanecek won’t be back. Oh well, at least he’ll get his name on the Stanley Cup.
Yeah, and that will probably be enough to get him a job next year.
With this goalie market, he’ll get a job
I like this trade for Columbus. I was saying earlier in the year that the Jackets would benefit from picking up a high-ceiling, low-performing goalie (Fedotov and Kolosov come to mind) and gambling on one of them instead of sticking with Tarasov, who’s had all kinds of chances and not taken advantage.
Maybe Tarasov finds another gear in Florida, but he might not even need to with the strong team in front of him.
How are these teams being fleeced so bad this year? I know Kane is a salary dump and Vancouver is naive to think they have their answer for long term in him but a 4th…really Edmonton and to a division rival??? Then Buffalo gets rode getting at best a 4th defenceman and a third liner for a budding ppg star. Now promising a goalie prospect who can play NHL games and all CBJ are getting a late round pick? This is embarrassing.
Not sure why you think this is a bad return. Goalies rarely get drafted in early rounds to begin with and Tarasov hasn’t exactly blossomed in the NHL. And at 26 he’s not old but calling him a prospect is a stretch. Add in the fact he was going to be gone for nothing very soon no one was going higher than a 5th.
Florida got fleeced here if anything. He was likely going to be non tendered
You clearly haven’t watched Tarasov play, he was given every opportunity to take the starting job and he couldn’t even lock down the backup job. They’ll move Elvis and bring someone in to compete with Jet which will be heads and shoulders better than Elvis and Tarasov were.
Tarasov has been awful and some say not a good lockeroom guy. Although same is said about Elvis. Columbus needs a complete overhaul in net, Greaves while he played well late, isn’t the future. They need to find a true #1 in net. Which they haven’t had since the goalie who has won the last 2 cups.
You guys just wait. Columbus seems to be similar for goalies like Edmonton. Just kill their development. He’s gonna go to FLA and I bet he challenges Bob for starting minutes
I’m pretty sure Bob won two vezinas with CBJ fairly recently.
I don’t think recently is the correct word. That was literally a decade ago. Look at how many highly touted goalies they’ve had only to ruin them. Korpisalo, Merzlikins, Tarasov. All highly touted goalies in the scouting community. All busts thus far. Tarasov is young enough he could have a Dubnyk like turn of fortunes.
I’m genuinely predicting like a Greaves-Fedotov tandem. I think Columbus moves Merzlikins (at the draft?) for an underperforming dark horse from a bad team.
Kane’s overall game is complete ass . Was likely going to waivers . He can pot a couple for you but at the detriment of being a clueless 3 zone defensively aware player . In today’s NHL you just simply can’t be that one dimensional and get paid 5 mil . I’m not sure he would even make Floridas roster
Hey so what does this have to do with this trade?
It was a rspose to people comparing this to the Kane trade . Its a fine trade for Florida but they didnt fleece the Jackets . They just took advantage of a situation where the Jackets had Greaves who is better right now
Haven’t people learned by now? Zito doesn’t miss!
I’m trying to tell these guys wait. In FLA this kid is gonna rebound in a big way. Future starter once Bob calls her quits.