Daniil Tarasov was a 3rd round pick (86th overall) by the Blue Jackets in 2017. Former Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainan firmly believed that Tarasov would be a starting goalie in the NHL. Yet, his first few seasons in the NHL were plagued with injuries and inconsistent play.
Tarasov ended the 2023-2024 season with a lot of promise. In the final 2 months of that season, Tarasov played in 13 games, was 5-5-1, and sported a 0.933 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average. Those numbers gave the organization optimism that Tarasov was finally reaching his potential. The key for Tarasov was being consistent. Many observers were not sure if those numbers were sustainable or just a fluke.
The 2024-2025 season was a prove-it type season for Tarasov. He needed to show new general manager Don Waddell that he is an NHL goalie and should be part of the Blue Jackets goaltending rotation going forward.
Unfortunately, it appears that his good play in 23-24 was an illusion. His play in the 24-25 season was the opposite of his previous season. Tarasov played in 20 games, went 7-10-2, and sported a 0.881 save percentage along with 3.54 goals against average. Those numbers put him in the lower third of the NHL goaltending statistics. He ranked 61st in the NHL in save percentage and 83rd in goals against average. Frankly, that puts him as one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL.
Tarasov’s play was so poor that after the loss to Ottawa on 4/6, the team benched him. Starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was injured and missed the final 5 games of the regular season. Instead of playing Tarasov, the team opted to start Jet Greaves.
In all fairness, Greaves has played well in the AHL and deserved his chance. But, the fact that the team was still in a playoff hunt and decided to go to a young, AHL goaltender over their backup goaltender, speaks volumes to how the organization had soured on Tarasov.
One bright spot for Tarasov this year was his health. He was able to avoid any major injuries and was on the roster for most of the games. He did suffer through a few minor injuries, which aren’t uncommon. But staying healthy for most of the season was an improvement for Tarasov compared to his first 3 seasons in North America.
Tarasov is a restricted free agent this summer. His departure from the Blue Jackets is all but certain, as the organization has lost faith in him. I suspect that Don Waddell will attempt to trade Tarasov to a team for a low draft pick (6th or 7th round pick).
It’s worth a shot at trading him since goaltending is at a premium in the NHL. However, his poor play may not entice any team to use draft capital to acquire him. If Don is unable to trade Tarasov, expect a qualifying offer to not be tendered to Tarasov, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.
Final season stats: 20 games played, 7 wins, 10 losses, 2 OTL, 3.54 GAA, 0.881 save percentage, 1 SO. Overall grade: F
Tarasov was finally able to stay healthy for a majority of the season. However, he had one of (if not the worst) season of his NHL career. He was a liability in net and the coaching staff lost faith in playing him down the stretch.
With the good play he had to finished with in the 2023-2024 season, many had hoped that he could carry that into the 2024-2025 season. Instead, he regressed to the point where his return to the team is unlikely. No further explanation is required for this poor grade.