Vladimir Tarasenko, Senators Agree to 1-Year, $5M Contract in 2023 NHL Free Agency

Vladimir Tarasenko is headed to Ottawa after the Senators announced on Thursday that they have agreed to terms on a one-year, $5 million contract.

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise as Tarasenko had high praise for the New York Rangers organization following the team's first-round playoff elimination loss to the New Jersey Devils in May and kept the door open for a return.

"I like everything. I cannot say a single bad word about my time. I enjoyed everything… I and my family were taken care of very well. This is one of the top organizations in the league for the players," Tarasenko told reporters.

Tarasenko spent the 2022-23 season split between the St. Louis Blues and the Rangers. The Blues traded him to the Blueshirts at the trade deadline.

The 31-year-old wasn't as effective as he could have been in New York, and that could be a reason why the franchise opted to move on. In 31 games with the Rangers, he tallied eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points, adding three goals and one assist for four points in seven playoff games.

Tarasenko spent 10-and-a-half seasons with the Blues before being traded to the Rangers.

St. Louis selected the Russian in the first round of the 2010 draft, and he emerged as one of the best forwards in franchise history, tallying 262 goals and 291 assists for 553 points in 644 games.

The Blues opted to trade him during the 2022-23 campaign as they were out of playoff contention and wanted to get some assets to accelerate a partial rebuild.

Tarasenko now figures to play a key role for the Senators in 2023-24 and beyond as they aim to win a Stanley Cup for the first time.