Vladimir Tarasenko draws surprising interest from team no one expected

Vladimir Tarasenko has spent the entire summer sitting on the open market, and while that alone has raised eyebrows, the latest twist takes things somewhere new.

According to Artur Khairullin of Sport-Express, KHL powerhouse Ak Bars Kazan is looking to bring in NHL talent ahead of the 2026-27 season, and Tarasenko is one of three names on their radar, joined by Evander Kane and Evgenii Dadonov.

Kane's situation has been complicated by more than just results on the ice, and Dadonov managed only a single goal in 24 games last season, so his NHL future already looked shaky.

Tarasenko is a completely different story.

He put up 23 goals and 47 points for Minnesota in 2025-26, then added five more points in 11 playoff games.

A player producing at that level still being unsigned this deep into August is genuinely rare.

Talk of a Wild reunion hasn't disappeared, and Tarasenko has also been connected to Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo and Chicago at various points this summer.

Nothing has come close to a signing.

He even switched agents, bringing on Dan Milstein, a move many read as a sign he wants to test the entire market before settling anywhere.

At 34 and with two Stanley Cup rings, staying in the NHL almost certainly means more money and a better shot at another title.

But the longer he waits, the more a guaranteed KHL contract starts to look like a real option instead of a backup plan.

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