With a thin free-agent market, the 33-year-old Tarasenko checks off one box for the Wild before the frenzy begins in earnest.

The Wild have acquired veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations, the teams announced on Monday. Tarasenko, 33, is a four-time All-Star and two-time Stanley Cup champion. He's heading into his 14th NHL season. Last year with Detroit, Tarasenko scored 33 points (11 goals and 22 assists) in 80 games.

During the decade-plus he spent with the St. Louis Blues, fans at Xcel Energy Center didn’t care much for Vladimir Tarasenko. The crafty Russian forward was a thorn in the Minnesota Wild’s side during countless Central Division meetings, and in a few trips to the playoffs when Minnesota and St. Louis met head-to-head.