New Team Linked to UFA Vladimir Tarasenko

Things have gone quiet recently on the Vladimir Tarasenko front on the free agent market. The UFA has been linked to several teams throughout the offseason, from the incumbent Minnesota Wild, to the Edmonton Oilers to the Ottawa Senators. 

Now we can add another Canadian team to the mix, as Jimmy Murphy and Shayne Gaumond speculated on The Sick Podcast this week that the Montreal Canadiens would be a perfect fit for the nine-time 20-goal scorer. 

Should the #GoHabsGo give UFA forward Vladimir Tarasenko a shot?#thesickpodcast @GaumondShayne @MurphysLaw74 pic.twitter.com/SoZSk0d1Hj

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) August 6, 2026

“He’s a versatile guy. Everyone thinks offence when you think of Tarasenko, but he can get back and help out a bit. I just think if you look at the UFA market and you are looking for a plug-in piece, he’s the best plug-in piece for the Montreal Canadiens at this point,” Murphy said. 

Why Tarasenko could be a good fit for Canadiens

Gaumond added that Tarasenko could be a nice fit next to Ivan Demidov, for a 'Russian Connection' pairing. Those two also have a connection by having the same agent, Dan Milstein. Tarasenko, in fact, switched representatives and hired Milstein just a couple of days before free agency began this summer. The agent also represents Alexandre Texier, who the Habs signed earlier last season after he was cut loose by the St. Louis Blues. 

Additionally, Russian prospects Gleb Pugachyov and Alexander Zharovsky are also repped by Milstein's agency, leading Murphy to add, "it seems that he's set on building a Russian mafia within the Canadiens dressing room."

Tarasenko bounced back from an off-year with another 23-goal season in 2025-26 for the Wild. He's obviously well past his days as a six-time 30-goal scorer with the St. Louis Blues in his 20s, but can still contribute offense to a team's middle-six.