Evan’s NHL Daily: Tarasenko To Senators, Cooley Signs, Podcast Appearance

One of the better NHL free agents that was left on the market is now off the market, as Vladimir Tarasenko has officially signed in Canada.

For the Colorado Avalanche, we took a look at the division and where Colorado stacks up, and I made an appearance on a podcast to talk Avalanche hockey earlier this week.

All that and more in this Friday edition of Evan’s Daily.

Colorado Hockey Now

Let’s be honest – the Central Division is not good. A quick peek at some of the teams inside the division show that there are quite a few average to below average teams, but are the Colorado Avalanche still at the top? Or do they have some legitimate competition? Take a look at our July Power Rankings.

Podcast Appearance

Earlier this week, I made an appearance on the Tell It Avs It Is podcast to talk Avalanche. You can listen to the episode here. One of the things I discussed was realistic expectations for Nikolai Kovalenko when he does come over to the NHL, and it’s something I’ll likely write about here soon.

NHL Free Agency

Earlier this month, we heard rumors of Vladimir Tarasenko signing with Ottawa. Nothing happened. Then, he changed agents. On Thursday, he ended up signing with the Senators anyway, getting a nice one-year deal. For Ottawa, he’s a replacement for Alex DeBrincat, although he’s not nearly as good at this stage in his career. And if they happen to miss the playoffs again, he’s a nice trade chip at the deadline, although he’ll get to decide where he goes.

The #GoSens signed 31 y/o F Tarasenko to 1 year 5M cap hit deal:

5M Salary
Full No Trade Clause

Rep’d by JP Barry @CAAHockey https://t.co/xljrP0MYAr

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 27, 2023

Around The NHL

Logan Cooley decided earlier this summer to return to the NCAA for his Sophomore year, but apparently, he had a change of heart. Craig Morgan of PHNX was first to report it was going to happen, but Cooley signed his ELC with the Coyotes on Thursday, adding another talented young forward to their team for next year.

National Hockey Now

Pittsburgh: Dan is already looking ahead to 2024 and what free agents might help the Penguins.

Vegas: Chris responds to angry Facebook comments.

Boston: The Bruins, to the surprise of no one, will retire Bergeron’s 37.

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