Blues exploring trade options for Tarasenko

The St. Louis Blues are exploring a trade for winger Vladimir Tarasenko, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

Tarasenko has a full no-trade clause but has reportedly told St. Louis of several teams for which he’d be willing to waive it. The 29-year-old has two years remaining on his current contract with a $7.5-million annual cap hit.

Tarasenko has been limited to 34 regular-season games over the last two seasons due to a lingering shoulder injury and multiple surgeries. He skated in 24 contests this past season, recording four goals and 10 assists.

When healthy, Tarasenko has been among the league’s best goal-scorers. He ranked third in the league with 182 goals from 2014-19, trailing only John Tavares and Alex Ovechkin.

Tarasenko has notched 218 goals and 224 assists in 531 career NHL games. He hit the 30-goal mark in five straight seasons before hurting his shoulder, including back-to-back 40- and 39-goal campaigns.

Tarasenko makes season debut vs. Kings

St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko made his season debut Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings.

In a corresponding move earlier Saturday, the Blues placed defenseman Colton Parayko on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Tarasenko has been recovering from the third shoulder surgery of his career in late August.

“It was a long period without playing hockey, but most important, we needed to get it fixed and get it done and get it healthy again,” Tarasenko said.

He added, “The three surgeries is in the past, there is some speculation still, but it was a different injury, not the same injury three times. Now it’s healthy, I feel strong and ready to come back and can’t wait until I step on the ice.”

The sniper hurt his shoulder in October 2019, which resulted in his second surgery. After spending the majority of the 2019-20 regular season recovering, he returned for the playoffs. Tarasenko only appeared in four contests before undergoing the third procedure.

The 29-year-old led the Blues in goals for five straight seasons prior to the 2019-20 campaign. Since 2013, he ranks 13th in the NHL with 214 tallies.

Blues place Tarasenko on long-term injured reserve

The St. Louis Blues moved star forward Vladimir Tarasenko to long-term injured reserve, the club announced Wednesday.

Tarasenko underwent a third shoulder surgery in late August, and St. Louis planned to re-evaluate him in late January. He had been on the standard injured reserve until Wednesday.

The Blues were expected to place the Russian sniper on LTIR in order to get cap compliant before the start of the regular season. His entire $7.5-million cap hit is now off the books until he returns.

Tarasenko had his second shoulder surgery after playing only 10 regular-season games in 2019-20. He did not return before the pause and played only four contests in August before leaving the bubble for another evaluation that led to his most recent procedure.

The 29-year-old underwent his first shoulder surgery in April 2018.

St. Louis also recalled forwards Jordan Kyrou and Mackenzie MacEachern from its taxi squad Wednesday.

Tarasenko needs 3rd shoulder surgery, will be re-evaluated in 5 months

St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko will undergo his third shoulder surgery next week and will be re-evaluated in five months, the team announced Wednesday.

Tarasenko most recently underwent shoulder surgery in October 2019 and said he was very close to returning before the NHL season was suspended in March. He rejoined the club once play began in August but skated in just four games before exiting the bubble for another evaluation on his shoulder. He also underwent shoulder surgery in April 2018.

General manager Doug Armstrong voiced concern for his star winger but is confident that Tarasenko will do everything he can to return to form.

“It’s certainly not a positive that we’re going through right now,” Armstrong said, according to NHL.com’s Lou Korac.”It’s his third surgery. We just know that he prepares and trains hard and he needs to get back and play well for us, but yeah, it’s a concern in the sense that he’s going to have three surgeries.”

How much hockey Tarasenko will miss remains unclear with the start date for the 2020-21 campaign undetermined.

The Blues sniper led the club in goals over five straight seasons entering 2019-20. He played a pivotal role in helping the franchise capture its first Stanley Cup in 2019, contributing 11 goals and 17 points in 26 playoff games.

Tarasenko not picky about bubble life: ‘I just need a bed, food’

St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko knows his stay in the NHL’s Edmonton bubble will be only temporary and that he doesn’t need anything too luxurious.

“We don’t go there like for a resort, where we’re expecting unbelievable food service, like five-star summer resort. We’ve going for playing hockey,” Tarasenko said, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford.

He added: “I don’t need much to live. I just need a bed and food.”

Tarasenko and the Blues will set up shop in Edmonton at the end of July, with the rest of the Western Conference joining them there.

It was reported in late June that the hub cities will feature several amenities to appease players and staff. The bubble in Edmonton will reportedly provide players with outdoor and indoor activities such as golf simulators, basketball courts, movie nights, video games, live entertainment, ping pong, pool tables, lounge areas, and rooftop patios.

Tarasenko has been out of action since October after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Tarasenko says extra time off helped strengthen shoulder: ‘Everything is good’

St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko says the added time off due to the NHL’s hiatus has allowed him to strengthen his surgically repaired shoulder.

“I was really close to coming back and playing when the season was delayed so I got some extra time to recover,” Tarasenko said Monday, according to NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. “Not even recover, extra time practicing and making it more strong. Everything is good.”

Tarasenko played only 10 games this season before undergoing a procedure Oct. 29 to repair a dislocated left shoulder. The Russian winger returned to practice Feb. 8 but was unable to get back into a game before the NHL suspended play March 12.

In detailing his recovery, Tarasenko said he needed to get comfortable skating again before gradually adding more difficult components to his game.

“You start slow, you start with the basics, some exercises where you can … not learn to skate again, but remember the feeling, and I think it’ll be pretty quick (to come back),” he said.

“I skated a few times (during the pause) so it wasn’t that hard. It’s like the usual start to skating, you work on the basics and you move to harder and harder levels.”

Tarasenko, who led the Blues in goals in five straight campaigns entering 2019-20, felt rejuvenated from rejoining his teammates before the stoppage. With training camps set to begin July 10, the 28-year-old is excited to carry that momentum into the summer.

“The closer you get, the more positive emotions you have, the more happy you are for seeing the boys for the first time, skating with them,” he said. “I was lucky to go on a couple road trips (before the season pause) and feel that atmosphere. I’m ready to come back and play some hockey.”

The Blues, along with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Vegas Golden Knights, are slated to compete in a round-robin tournament to establish the top four Western Conference playoff seeds if play returns this summer.

Berube: Tarasenko ‘ready to go’ for postseason

The defending Stanley Cup champions will have their most talented scorer available if and when play resumes.

St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko is on the mend after being out of action since late October.

“He’s good,” Blues head coach Craig Berube told The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford on the “We Went Blues” podcast.

“Before we stopped, he was ready to come back the next week and play, so, he did a great job of getting himself back,” Berube continued. “He did a great job with his rehab, along with the training staff, and he kept himself in great shape. He actually came back in better shape than he came to camp (in September) … He’s been on the ice and doing things right now, so he’s ready to go.”

Tarasenko was hurt during a game on Oct. 24 and had shoulder surgery performed five days later. He was given a timetable of at least five months the day before the procedure.

The 28-year-old forward collected three goals and 10 points in 10 games before the injury. He led the Blues with 33 goals in 2018-19 and played a key role in their championship run, posting 11 markers and 17 points in 26 playoff games that spring.

Tarasenko led St. Louis in goals for five consecutive campaigns before 2019-20, notching at least 30 in each one and burying 40 in 2015-16.

Tarasenko to miss at least 5 months following shoulder surgery

St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko will undergo left shoulder surgery Tuesday and be re-evaluated in five months, the team announced Monday.

Tarasenko suffered the injury Oct. 24 against the Los Angeles Kings, leaving the contest in the first period after logging just four minutes and 37 seconds of ice time.

The 27-year-old winger was riding a five-game point streak before sustaining the injury. He’s recorded three goals and 10 points through 10 games in 2019-20.

The talented Russian played a pivotal role during the Blues’ Stanley Cup run this past spring, contributing 11 goals and 17 points in 26 playoff contests while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time per game.

Tarasenko has led the Blues in goals for five straight seasons, notching at least 30 tallies in each of those campaigns. Only Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares have recorded more goals than Tarasenko’s 185 since the start of the 2014-15 season.

Tarasenko ‘ready to go’ after sustaining shoulder, knee injuries during Cup run

Vladimir Tarasenko says he’s healthy.

The St. Louis Blues sniper allayed any fears about his status for training camp after suffering a pair of injuries en route to winning the Stanley Cup in June. 

“Now everything feels fine,” he told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti on Thursday. “I’m still recovering, but I feel strong, I feel good and ready to go.”

Tarasenko revealed he sustained a dislocated shoulder early in the Cup Final against the Boston Bruins but continued playing.

“My shoulder popped out in Game 2 in the second period,” he said. “They put it back in, and I was able to finish the game.”

Tarasenko had surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder last offseason but didn’t require a procedure this summer.

He also had a knee scope performed following the championship victory in June.

Despite the two injuries, the 27-year-old winger didn’t miss a playoff game in 2019.

Tarasenko out with upper-body injury, to be re-evaluated in 10 days

St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko is dealing with an upper-body injury and will be re-evaluated in 10 days, the team announced Sunday.

Tarasenko suffered the ailment during Thursday’s win over the Los Angeles Kings and did not play Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.

Jaden Schwartz took Tarasenko’s spot on the top line alongside Ryan O’Reilly and Brayden Schenn during Saturday’s overtime loss.

Tarasenko started the season off slow after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery but has been red-hot of late, tallying 34 points in his last 26 games. He leads the Blues with 28 goals on the season.

St. Louis is comfortably in a playoff spot, sitting third in the Central Division with 79 points.