Red Wings Sign Tarasenko, Deal Fabbri

After spending most of the time since the opening of free agency revamping the team’s defense and goaltending, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman turned to the forward unit on Wednesday, signing free agent Vladimir Tarasenko and trading Robby Fabbri to the Anaheim Ducks.

HEADED TO THE TARASENK-SHOW!

The #RedWings today signed forward Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract with an AAV of $4.75M. pic.twitter.com/ZLR93snIdW

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 3, 2024

UPDATE: The #RedWings today acquired Gage Alexander from Anaheim in exchange for Robby Fabbri and a conditional 4th round pick in 2025. pic.twitter.com/06FHfZAJSW

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 3, 2024

Detroit will be Tarasenko’s fifth team in just over two years. He split last season between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers – winning the Stanley Cup with the latter, after splitting 2022-23 between the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers. He was a teammate of current Red Wing Patrick Kane in that New York lineup.

With Tarasenko in the lineup, Fabbri seemingly became expendible. His trade brings back goalie Gage Alexander, an ECHL-level netminder who adds to the glut of goaltenders in the Detroit organization.  That roster now includes Ville Husso, Cam Talbot, Alex Lyon, Jack Campbell, Sebastian Cossa, Jan Bednar, Carter Gylander, and Alexander.

When the Red Wings seemingly missed out on all of the big-name forwards on Day One of free agency, Tarasenko’s name was the one that most jumped out at me from the list of remaining players.  I think the way that this works out is that Tarasenko is an upgrade over the departed David Perron and Jonathan Berggren is an upgrade over Fabbri.

As for my usual jersey number frivolity, I think Tarasenko – with his usual #91 unofficially retired in Detroit and the #10 he wore in Florida actually retired – will wear #11 for the Red Wings.