DobberHockey’s Khurram Sher talks up Red Wings back-up goaltender Daniil Tarasov this morning, suggesting that the 6’5,” 196-pound goaltender may very well assume the #1 goaltender’s mantle if John Gibson falters this upcoming season:
Daniil Tarasov (Florida Panthers to Detroit Red Wings)
Daniil Tarasov was a 3rd round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017, and played 33 games as the understudy to Sergei Bobrovsky last year in Florida. He finished the season 13-15-3, with a 0.895%, and a quality start percentage of 51.5%. Tarasov was plucked from free agency and signed to a 1 year, $2-million contract.
In Detroit, he finds himself behind John Gibson on the depth chart, and Gibson was an Oreo cookie in Detroit: starting slow (4-7-1, 0.865% in October and November) and ending slow (6-10-2, 0.892% in March and April). In between, he was dynamite (19-4-1, 0.925% in December, January, and February combined, per ESPN).
Gibson has had a history of injuries and always misses at least a few games from being banged up. He has remained relatively healthy starting 56, 52, 44, 28, and 57 games over the past five years. However, he is now 32 years old, and in a contract year.
The Red Wings will gladly give plenty of looks to Tarasov to evaluate if he can bridge the gap to Trey Augustine in the post-Gibson world. Keep an eye out on Gibson’s health or poor play; it could lead to an opening for Tarasov. His father, Vadim Tarasov, played in nets for many years in Russia with Metallurg Novokuznetsk and Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
Continued with other “faces in new places“…
