“That’s the reason I came, because I like the way the team played,” Vladimir Tarasenko said on the day he was introduced as a Detroit Red Wing. “I believe this team can make the playoffs and do some special things.”

Having just won his second Stanley Cup, Tarasenko hoped to continue that good feeling by joining a Red Wings team looking to continue its upward trajectory. After signing a two-year deal to move to Detroit this summer, he played his first preseason games in the Winged Wheel, producing results that drew mixed reviews from his coach.

“I certainly hope so,” Derek Lalonde replied when asked by The Hockey News on Saturday if the physical side of Tarasenko’s game was being underestimated, before suggesting he wasn’t entirely satisfied. “Vlad has two goals for us. I think he did his job last night by giving the Red Wings a 3-1 lead. I’d like to think that a slightly more detailed, motivated group would have pulled this off when it came down to it, but that obviously wasn’t the case last night, which is frustrating. In the last sentence, he described the Red Wings’ collective performance against Ottawa on Thursday, but his subsequent comments made it clear that the same applied to Tarasenko.

“You can see how we’re built,” Lalonde continued. “Some of our skills are very poor across the lineup and that shows in puck battles and recoveries. There are evenings when it can’t be good enough. I think he’s just a little bit bigger and we’d be happy for him to help us. “I’m glad he tried to get his game in order.

With that in mind, Lalonde points out that Tarasenko’s promise lies in his ability to bring grit and skill to Detroit’s top six at the same time. In this regard, Tarasenko serves as a direct replacement for David Perron, albeit with perhaps slightly different settings on the skill and grit sliders, whose spot in the top six will be taken by Tarasenko after Perron signs in Ottawa. However, Lalonde’s statements also indicate that he has not yet fully met this demand.

Tarasenko is unlikely to win anything less than the Stanley Cup among the Red Wings’ veterans this preseason and among veteran players across the league. There were flashes of his physical condition in his final preseason game against Ottawa (it was these moments that Lalonde was referring to when describing Tarasenko getting his game in order), and it’s not hard to see why a 32-year-old Veteran of 12 NHL seasons would hold back at this time of year in the name of self-preservation.

As Christian Fischer points out, Tarasenko’s value was evident – even on the back nine of his career – during his run to a second Stanley Cup with Florida last spring. “Obviously he has had a very successful career,” Fischer said on Saturday morning. “(I) watched the entire Panthers run and how good he was in that run. Even in St. Louis, I remember watching those playoff series. In my opinion he is one of the best scorers in this league.”

That winning pedigree is alluring to Lalonde, not as a single point on a resume, but mostly because of the fact that Tarasenko has twice now shown the exact level of commitment needed to win the sport’s top prize. “He saw what it looked like to win,” Lalonde said. “If you look for people here who have won the Stanley Cup, it’s not that they won, it’s that they saw the process of winning, and that’s what’s exciting about someone like Vlad.”

Lalonde was also open to the idea that it was a process for Tarasenko to make such a commitment, but it is that process that Lalonde believes he can help Detroit now: “I think Vlad has had some frustrations, some ups in his career and downs, and I know.” His style of play probably put him at odds with some coaches at times, but he understood what it looks like to win and that’s a huge credit to him. We’re trying to build and grow, which is why We believe that Vlad can be a very valuable player for us.”

As with the other Red Wings veterans, a tepid preseason will soon be forgotten, replaced by either brighter days or far more serious concerns. In that regard, the good news for Detroit fans is that, according to Fischer, the shot that made Tarasenko’s name in the NHL is still as outstanding as ever at age 32, and Fischer sees one in Tarasenko exceptional scorer, winner, and leader.

“Seeing the shot in practice and in games is one of the fastest, craziest releases I’ve ever seen,” Fischer said. “It’s hard to explain, but he has a completely different way of letting go than most guys and it happens so damn quickly. You notice that after just one workout. I remember being in Traverse City when his puck hit the post and my puck. “When he hits the post, they make different sounds. He’s pretty fun to have on our team and he’s a true veteran and he knows what it takes to be successful in this league… I think he’ll be really good for us, a lot Score goals and be a really good leader for us.”

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