Huge signing of Vladimir Tarasenko could be announced very soon

Vladimir Tarasenko scored 23 goals for the Minnesota Wild last season. He still doesn't have a contract, and training camps open in less than a month.

The 34-year-old winger tied for third on the Wild in goals and finished eighth in points with 47. Over 14 NHL seasons, he's hit the 30-goal mark six times.

So why is he still sitting there in late August?

On Wednesday's episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk pushed back on the idea that Tarasenko is simply running out of interest around the league.

"Half the league has north of $4 million in cap space," Yaremchuk said. "Why wouldn't you want a guy who scored 16 even-strength goals last year?"

Former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton, who played with Tarasenko over his career, didn't dodge the obvious question either.

Hutton pointed to conditioning as the real story here, not skill. Tarasenko has played more than 900 games and scored better than 300 goals across his career.

Why teams are still hesitating on a 23-goal scorer

"He is a guy in a world where conditioning and being in shape is so important, and at times, it can get away from him," Hutton said on the show.

But Hutton was quick to note the winger has changed that narrative in recent years. Tarasenko trains in Florida now and has reshaped his body deep into his 30s.

Here's the thing. If conditioning was ever a red flag, last season buried it. Sixteen even-strength goals doesn't happen by accident, and it doesn't happen from a guy limping through games.

Hutton called it a "super low-risk signing" for any team willing to offer a one-year deal at a reasonable number. He didn't shy away from the league's usual caution around Russian players either.

"I know at times, Russian players can be a bit of a buyer beware, but on a one-year deal?" Hutton said, letting the question hang.

That's the whole market in one sentence. Teams like the production. They're just not sure they want to commit term to find out if it holds.

The Wild got a full season of proof that it does. Whether another GM is willing to bet the same way before puck drop on opening night is a different conversation entirely.

Training camps are coming. Rosters are getting set. And Tarasenko, coming off one of the better bottom-six, top-six hybrid seasons a 34-year-old winger can put up, is still waiting by the phone.