How Vladimir Tarasenko, the Panthers’ ‘hockey professor,’ has been key behind the scenes
Anton Lundell doesn’t waste an opportunity to learn from Vladimir Tarasenko. Their stalls are right next to each other at the Florida Panthers’ practice facility in Fort Lauderdale and the two are playing on the same line, learning more about each other with each passing shift and each conversation on the bench in between stints on the ice.
“He’s a real hockey professor,” 22-year-old Lundell said of 32-year-old Tarasenko. “He’s very smart.”
Tarasenko’s high hockey IQ has been well documented since the Panthers acquired him from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline in March. So, too, has his vast postseason experience, with over 100 playoff games in his career and a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
But when one looks at his performance throughout these playoffs based on the statsheet alone — just two goals and five points in 16 games — it’s worth remembering all he does away from scoring goals that has proven to be valuable for a Panthers team once again on the cusp of returning to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Take Game 5 against the New York Rangers as the latest example. The Panthers’ third line of Lundell, Tarasenko and Eetu Luostarinen had struggled through the first two periods, but after each shift, there was Tarasenko doing anything and anything to keep his linemates composed.
And sure enough, after a pair of solid shifts early in the third period, they finally broke the game open midway through the frame when Lundell fired a wrist shot from the left circle that got past Igor Shesterkin as Tarasenko was driving to the net from the middle. Florida never trailed again in the eventual 3-2 win.
“He sat on that bench all night and talked to those two young guys all night long,” Paul Maurice said. “He suddenly, like, wired them into the game: ‘Stay in the game, stay in the game.’ And then both of those guys were very good as the game went on. Like, really, really strong. So there’s more to this than just bar down and he would think, ‘I gotta score,’ to be a good player here. To the fact that line didn’t have a lot of action, there wasn’t a lot of forward motion, I think Vlad had a lot to do with that (in the third period).”
Tarasenko understands the importance of good communication and the importance of making an impact away from the net. He also has been in Lundell and Luostarinen’s shoes before and took it upon himself to be a mentor to the two of them.
“They’re very smart players who like to learn,” Tarasenko said. “It doesn’t matter if we play on the same line. We have to keep communicating and talking about stuff so that we have a chance to know each other better and this way we can be more productive.”
Perhaps more importantly, Tarasenko felt comfortable to be in that position despite being a relatively new face on the team. He joined the team on March 6 after the Panthers acquired him from Ottawa for a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft (which becomes a third-round pick if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup) and Florida’s third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.
But Tarasenko gave him a “warm welcome” as soon as he got here. That was enough to feel like part of the team.
“The group is very tight,” Tarasenko said. “They’re supporting each other. Nobody is left alone. Everybody’s involved.”
In addition to the five points, Tarasenko has logged 27 hits and blocked 13 shots while being aggressive and instinctual on defense — the latter portion of which has been an under-the-radar quality skill for him with the Panthers.
“I’ve seen him shoot the puck, but the first thing I appreciated about him was his reaction from offense to defense,” Maurice said. “If he lost control of a puck or somebody else did, where he moves first, how fast he moves, you can tell where a guy’s brain is and how he views the game by his first reactions off a change of possession.”
Added Panthers forward Sam Bennett: “Every single guy, especially Vladi, is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Whether it’s scoring goals or contributing offense or not,guys are going to find ways to contribute and he has. He’s selling out, blocking shots. He’s been a great leader for us. He’s a huge part of this group and part of why we’re having success.”
This story was originally published June 1, 2024 at 1:45 PM.
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