It’s clear as day that the goaltending situation in Columbus has not been ideal. Elvis played decent hockey at times during the season but fell off significantly down the stretch, while Tarasov struggled for the vast majority of the season. Tarasov, in particular, was near the bottom of the league in many statistical categories. He ranked 70th out of 81 goalies (minimum of 5 games played) in save percentage and 78th in rebounds per shot, per MoneyPuck.
It feels like this season was Tarasov’s best chance to cement himself as an NHL goalie, even if only as a backup.