Red Wings sign Daniil Tarasov to 1-year, $2 million contract

Updated 4x at 4:06 PM: Per the Detroit Red Wings:

Update: In an ironic sense, from the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson comes an article suggesting that the Edmonton Oilers should have signed Tarasov instead of trying to trade for Sebastian Cossa, who ended up in Utah:

“For me, the best UFA goalies to sign would be Ingram or Tarasov,” said Kevin Woodley, InGoal magazine’s managing editor, pointing out that they were the top 2 in terms of adjusted save percentage in their trying environments last season, with Tarasov (33 games) one tick below the overall league average .896 save percentage, and .835 in high danger saves when average was .811.

True, Tarasov’s play was better in the first half than the second when he played more, but the Panthers were decimated by injuries, playing a lot of call-ups.

Do we ever totally know about goalies, who to sign, who to trade for?

“I’m looking at Bob’s (Bobrovsky) numbers and he’s been a below average league goalie for five of his last seven years in regular-season but he has the ability to turn it up in the playoffs,” said Woodley.

…

“The injuries kept Tarasov from getting a chance in Columbus. He missed so much time early in his career, then he had to clear waivers later and didn’t have enough reps,” said Woodley. So Florida traded him to get a draft pick back, rather than lose him for nothing. They were scared to send him down (minors) because they need how much people valued the talent.”

Update #1:

Update #2:

Update #3: Here’s Detroit’s press release:

RED WINGS SIGN DANIIL TARASOV TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

  … Goaltender Has Played in 98 Games with Columbus and Florida Since 2021-22 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today signed goaltender Daniil Tarasov to a one-year contract with an average annual value of $2 million.

Tarasov, 27, posted a 13-15-3 record with a 3.05 goals-against average and an 0.895 save percentage in 33 appearances with the Florida Panthers during the 2025-26 season. The 6-foot-5, 203-pound goaltender spent the majority of the 2024-25 campaign with the Columbus Blue Jackets, logging a 7-10-2 record with a 3.54 goals-against average, an 0.881 save percentage and one shutout in 20 games. Tarasov also registered a 1-1-0 record with a 2.96 goals-against average and a 0.908 save percentage in two appearances with the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters in 2024-25. Originally selected by Columbus in the third round (86th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Tarasov has compiled a 32-49-9 record with a 3.30 goals-against average, an 0.897 save percentage and one shutout in 98 appearances with the Blue Jackets and Panthers since 2021-22. Tarasov also produced a 17-12-3 record with a 3.25 goals-against average and an 0.894 save percentage in 34 AHL games with the Monsters from 2020-25.

A native of Novokuznetsk, Russia, Tarasov played in parts of two seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the Kontinental Hockey League, posting an 11-4-3 record with a 2.13 goals-against average, a 0.924 save percentage and two shutouts in 18 games during the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons. Tarasov also logged an 11-17-9 record with a 2.72 goals-against average, an 0.899 save percentage and one shutout in 41 games with Ässät in Finland’s top professional league in 2019-20. He was named Rookie of the Year in Russia’s Supreme Hockey League (VHL) in 2018-19 after notching a 17-6-2 record with a 1.71 goals-against average, a 0.928 save percentage and two shutouts in 25 appearances with Toros Neftekamsk. On the international stage, Tarasov won a bronze medal with Russia at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, finishing with a 2-0 record with a 2.80 goals-against average, an 0.893 save percentage and one shutout in three contests. Tarasov also competed at the 2016 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, going 2-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average, a 0.921 save percentage and one shutout in five games.  

Update #4: MLive’s Ansar Khan weighs in…

The Detroit Red Wings signed goaltender Daniil Tarasov to a one-year, $2 million contract Wednesday during the first day of free agency.

Tarasov, 27, posted a 13-15-3 record, with a 3.05 goals-against average and .895 save percentage with Florida last season.

He gives the Red Wings veteran insurance in case Michal Postava is not ready to back-up John Gibson next season. If Postava wins the back-up job, Tarasov, if he clears waivers, could join Trey Augustine in Grand Rapids.

Tarasov has a career record of 32-49-9 (3.30 GAA, .897 save percentage) with Columbus and Florida.

Here’s the Free Press’s Helene St. James…

The last time the Detroit Red Wings saw Daniil Tarasov, he was in the opposing net for their humiliating season finale.

Now Daniil Tarasov is on the Wings’ side, at least for a season: He agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal on Wednesday, July 1, on opening day of free agency.

The Wings needed a veteran goaltender to potentially serve as John Gibson’s backup, as Cam Talbot’s two-year stay came to an end this summer.

Tarasov, 27, has played 98 career NHL games, posting a 3.30 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. He appeared in 33 games last season for the Florida Panthers, with a 3.05 GAA and .895 save percentage. He made 24 saves on April 15 when the Panthers pasted the Wings, 8-1, in Florida.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Wings signed free-agent forward Viktor Arvidsson, a hard-nosed winger who likes to go to the net.

The Wings have good goaltending depth in the minors, headlined by Michal Postava and Trey Augustine – but neither has played in the NHL. Postava, a 24-year-old free agent signee from last summer, outplayed Sebastian Cossa (who was traded June 26 to acquire the No. 23 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft) down the stretch to take the No. 1 job in Grand Rapids, and is expected to get a chance to show if he can play in the NHL next season. (With a mere four exhibition games now, that’s going to be a short audition during that span, however.) Postava, though, can be sent to the minors without needing to be exposed on waiver wires.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan…

The Red Wings have found their backup goaltender. They Wings signed unrestricted free agent Daniil Tarasov to a one-year contract worth $2 million.

Tarasov, 27, spent last season with the Florida Panthers. Tarasov appeared in 33 games, had a 13-15-3 record, with a 3.05 goals-against average and .895 save percentage.

Tarasov spent the first three years of his NHL career in Columbus. He has a 32-49-9 record, 3.30 GAA and .897 SVS.

Tarasov will back up John Gibson, with both players being on expiring contracts.The Wings have goaltenders Michal Postava and Trey Augustine in Grand Rapids, with Carter Gylander in Toledo, and several prospects in the junior and college level.

And Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith:

Tarasov, 27, spent most of his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets before signing with Florida last year to be Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup. In a career high 31 starts last year, the Russian goalie had the second best sv% of his career at .895 and a 3.05 GAA. That totaled up to a 13-15-3 record backstopping an injury riddled Panthers squad that ended up holding the 9th overall pick in the draft the year after winning the Stanley Cup.

Tarasov should slot in as competition for the Red Wings top backup spot behind John Gibson, acquired last offseason. Yzerman and the Red Wings will be betting on a better defensive squad improving the statistical numbers for Tarasov, as the netminder has only averaged over a .900 sv% once in his career.

After shipping Sebastian Cossa out to the Utah Mammoth and Cam Talbot having a lackluster year last season, the Red Wings needed to bring in competition for the backup spot for Gibson, otherwise they’d have been entirely reliant on Michal Postava in his second year of North American hockey for backup netminding duties.

Given that Tarasov and Gibson are now effectively on one year deals, it would seem that Hockeytown’s front office believes that their future in goal should be ready for full time duties by the end of next season. In the meanwhile, Tarasov will have to fend off the fast developing Postava if he plans to be the No.2 in Detroit instead of the No. 1 in Grand Rapids.

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

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