Tarasenko ready for Panthers debut, will move to left wing vs. Flyers 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Vladimir Tarasenko had his first workout with his new Florida Panthers teammates Thursday, although there were few introductions.

Tarasenko knows several Panthers players, either from previous teams or from spending his offseasons working out with them.

The 32-year-old was traded to the Panthers from the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, waiving his no-trade clause to jump into what he hopes will be a deep playoff run.

“It is exciting to come to Florida, I know a couple of the guys here,” Tarasenko said Thursday. “This team plays with emotion, and they are a hard-working team with a lot of skill. They are hard games to play against, so I am very excited to join this side here. I am going to do everything I can to help.

“This team has a chance to win the Stanley Cup.”

Tarasenko has almost exclusively played right wing during his NHL career, but he does shoot left so the Panthers will start him on that side of their top line with center Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart.

He has 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 57 games this season and 615 points (287 goals, 328 assists) in 732 games for the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Senators. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019.

“We figure if there are eight new things you’re dealing with on your first night, might as well have nine,’’ coach Paul Maurice said of Tarasenko switching sides.

The Panthers, who host the Philadelphia Flyers at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; BSFL, NBCSP), have won six in a row and 16 of their past 18 (16-2-0) to vault to the top of the NHL standings (43-16-4).

The energy level at their morning skate was noticeable, not just because of the winning streak.

“We make a trade, the new guy shows up, and there is a buzz,” Maurice said. “[Wednesday] was a travel day, so usually the morning skate is pretty sluggish after that. Today, the energy of an important trade where we brought in a really good hockey player brought some jump. It was special for sure.”

Barkov, seen talking with Tarasenko numerous times throughout the morning skate, said his new linemate looked as good as advertised.

“It is great; he is an unbelievable hockey player,” Barkov said. “I have heard many good things about him as a person as well. It is good to have those guys here. He really wanted to be here. And that’s the main reason he is here. He looked good this morning. It’s obvious that guy can play some hockey.’’

Tarasenko was told of the trade Wednesday morning at the Senators’ team hotel in Anaheim.

He then flew across the country to Florida, where his wife, Yana, and their three sons were waiting.

The Tarasenkos make their home in Weston, Florida, a suburb about 10 miles west of Fort Lauderdale.

“It is nice to be together with my family again,” Tarasenko said. “We are excited. It has been a long time away from home.’’

Tarasenko knowing some Florida players -- he was a teammate of defenseman Niko Mikkola with the Blues and New York Rangers -- which made it easy for Florida general manager Bill Zito to ask around and see if Tarasenko would be a good fit on a very close team.

Zito said he came away impressed with what he heard.

“One of the goals when we started here was to create a team environment and an organization where you want to be a part of it,” Zito said. “It is not just a number on a contract, but there is value to your life and with the team. Fit plays a big part, and we are ever mindful of the fragility of the room, the team and the community.”

Tarasenko, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the season, is the latest high-profile addition for the Panthers, who made trades for Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary Flames), Claude Giroux (Philadelphia) and Ben Chiarot (Montreal) in 2022.

Giroux and Tarasenko each waived their no-trade clauses to join Florida. Tkachuk signed an eight-year contract with the Panthers, who are looking for a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

That detail is not lost around the team.

“It is awesome; Vlad has been talking about wanting to come down here for a long time,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “He skates here in the summer, so we know him a little bit. Listen, he plays hard and is a winner. Adding a player like that is really exciting for us.”