Rumor mill: Vladimir Tarasenko changes agent in the middle of summer

Vladimir Tarasenko’s case is nebulous, to say the least.

We thought we’d see him land in Ottawa, only to be told he’d be signing a contract with the Carolina Hurricanes…

And now we learn that the Russian is changing agents. He will now be represented by Pat Brisson, one of the best in the game.

This indicates that, for the moment, there is no contract signed anywhere. He’s still an unrestricted free agent, and we wonder what’s next for him.

Larry Brooks indicated in a recent tweet that there were numerous offers in the player’s clan, offers hovering around $5.5 / $6.5 M per season. Tarasenko turned them all down, even though some of them came from Stanley Cup contenders…

Which adds even more uncertainty to his case.

Have learned that Tarasenko had multiple offers from clubs ranging from contenders to rebuilds in the $5.5-to-$6M per category at varying lengths. Rejected all-Carolina was one-and then fired agent. Kind of strange. (Had wanted to remain with Rangers but there was simply no space

– Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) July 5, 2023

The situation is a bit bizarre.

It’s rare, very rare, to see a player change agents in the middle of summer, especially when we’re talking about a player who has already received offers since July 1.

Obviously, Tarasenko didn’t like the way his former representative was going about things, and it will be interesting to see what happens with all this in the coming days.

That said…

The case of Vladimir Tarasenko and that of Alex DeBrincat may be linked in one way or another.

After all, we know the Sens are interested in the Russian, and we know they’re looking to trade the small forward right now. Andy Strickland, who covers the Blues, has an interesting take on things…

He explains that, right now, Pierre Dorion’s hands are tied precisely because of the Alex DeBrincat situation.

Strickland believes Tarasenko could agree to terms with the Senators once “Brinsky” is traded…

And the journalist opens the door to DeBrincat being traded to the Red Wings, an idea that has gained ground in the last week.

We’ll keep an eye on this over the next few days, and it could happen soon enough.

Barring a sudden shift, and as always things can change very quickly, my guess is that the Alex DeBrincat situation has held up Ottawa from signing Tarasenko. Once he’s moved, likely to the #LGRW, that will open door for Tarasenko to sign with Ottawa.

– Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) July 5, 2023

Bruins did try to trade Linus Ullmark

Linus Ullmark dominated the 2022-2023 season. He was sensational, to say the least, helping him win the Vézina Trophy, his first career award.

He came out of nowhere, of course. No one really expected him to be this good, and in the end, it was the Bruins who benefited.

Right now, Boston has great depth in front of the net. Jeremy Swayman was the second goalie last year, and we know he has great potential.

Perhaps that’s why the team tried to trade Ullmark in the last few days.

After all, let’s not forget that the Bruins are a bit tight on payroll, and we knew the team was trying to make a big splash on the trade market.

Trading his contract, which pays him $6 million a year until the end of the 2024-2025 season, could have helped Don Sweeney in this regard:

Bruins store Vézina Trophy winner: https://t.co/npHHMqPhMB

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) July 5, 2023

But hey. The Bruins haven’t found any dance partners, and they’ve made some interesting moves on the free agent market.

They currently have 11 forwards, 8 defensemen and one goalie (Ullmark) signed for next year, and they still have $6 million left to maneuver on the free agent or trade market.

Does this guarantee that Ullmark will start the season in Boston next fall? Not necessarily.

We know how things work in the NHL, after all. It can change quickly.

In gusto

– That does it.

To conclude this camp, a few loose observations from the last few days:

– a techno novelty
– this lunchtime’s intra-team match
– a hello from Paul Byron
– Joshua Roy’s number
– Rhett Pitlick’s futurehttps://t.co/mD62rTwqgA

– Guillaume Lefrançois 🟦🇨🇿 (@glefrancoisLP) July 5, 2023

– Of note:

– Clearly, the Jets’ hopefuls are getting along very well. It’s a sight to behold.

Got a few bromances brewing at camp 🫂 pic.twitter.com/o5FMyF4iyw

– Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 5, 2023

– Laffy opens up about the latest whispers about him in an excellent piece by Jean-François Chaumont.

“I’m not worried about rumours” – Alexis Lafrenière

Present at a golf tournament in Lachute, Lafrenière spoke to Le Journal about his future with the Rangers.

He still imagines himself in Manhattan. https://t.co/DSWmQXLA4f

– J-F Chaumont (@JFChaumontJDM) July 5, 2023

– That’s it!

The rain delayed the end of the match, but @denis_shapo came back strong 💪 pic.twitter.com/vCyIUqc9yE

– Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) July 5, 2023