Tarasenko wants a trade

[Brewin Flames]

Rutherford: Tarasenko wants trade out of St. Louis

 

Last off-season, Blues fans had to contend with Doug Armstrong being unable to sign Alex Pietrangelo. This off-season, it appears they’re going to have to find a way to cope with Vladimir Tarasenko being dealt to another team.

 

Blues beat writer for The Athletic Jeremy Rutherford shared information from sources that believe that Vladimir Tarasenko has requested a trade out of St. Louis .

 

He does a solid job of breaking down the causes of the acrimony, where Tarasenko might wind up, and if teams could/would trade for him.

 

The long and the short of the reasons that Tarasenko is said to have requested a trade boils down to his shoulder.

 

Three shoulder surgeries in quick succession have damaged Tarasenko’s value and led fans to question his readiness to play after his return this season. He looked tentative more often than not when he was on the ice, possibly carrying in the back of his mind that one more shoulder injury would be it.

The problem is Tarasenko’s reported perception of the quality of work in the first two surgeries, performed by Blues team doctors (the third was done by the Steadman Clinic in Edwards, CO).

In March, The Athletic wrote about those procedures and a third one, in 2020, which was carried out by non-club doctors at the Steadman Clinic in Edwards, Colo.

 

The ligament damage from the first injury was not corrected in either of the first two operations, sources say, and wasn’t caught until Tarasenko was seen by the doctors at Steadman.

It’s easy to see why Tarasenko would be upset if this is accurate. Unnecessary stress and damage in his shoulder damages Tarasenko’s career.

 

Anger at how the Blues handled the surgery appears to have boiled over to other aspects of his role on the team, such as his disappointment that Ryan O’Reilly was selected captain over him.

 

Also nagging at Tarasenko was his use in front of the net on the power-play instead of using him at the point.

Tarasenko has a no-trade clause that he can waive with a list of teams, which limits who the Blues can make a deal with and potentially what they can get in return.

 

Who - if anyone - acquires him boils down to who has cap space, who has assets to deal, and are they worthwhile to the Blues?

From The Athletic:

On Wednesday, The Athletic surveyed a handful of NHL general managers, who confirmed that Armstrong has quietly been shopping Tarasenko for a while.

 

Those GMs were aware of his availability but are not interested. It’s a small sample but could be a glimpse of the difficulty the Blues can expect in trying to move him.

There’s the rub. Do teams even want to deal quality assets for a player of Tarasenko’s cost and injury history?

 

If a team is willing to pick him up, they’re going to have to make the deal worthwhile for the Blues. St. Louis will be down a player who, in a healthy season, is a consistent scoring threat.

 

The Blues can’t bet against that without a sure fire return in play, and it appears that other GMs are hesitant to take that much of a risk.

 

Rutherford’s story dovetails with the report from last month from Shane O’Brien that the Blues were “ready to move on” from Tarasenko.

 

O’Brien’s speculation surrounded a hypothetical deal that saw Tarasenko and Matthew Tkachuk trade jerseys. Now we know that deal depends on if Calgary’s on Tarasenko’s list - and what package the Flames would want with Tarasenko for Tkachuk.

[OccamsRazor]

On 7/8/2021 at 6:40 AM, Brewin Flames said:

Also nagging at Tarasenko was his use in front of the net on the power-play instead of using him at the point.

Tarasenko has a no-trade clause that he can waive with a list of teams, which limits who the Blues can make a deal with and potentially what they can get in return.

 

 

I offer Jake Voracek for Tarasenko. That is my starting point. I prefer straight up.

 

Because there is risk involved taking him on and not much risk in Jake other than he is signed for an extra year.

 

But maybe Vlad could help jump start the Flyers impotent power play and he did have the Flyers on his approved list.

 

Not sure if the Blues would be interested or if they can find a better offer.

 

[mojo1917]

@OccamsRazor

Maybe this is the blockbuster deal?

I floated this based on your Colton Parayko suggestion

 

Phi: Voracek, Myers,  pick 2021 (2nd maybe the 1st)

Stl: Tarasenko, Parayko

 

Why would St Louis do this ? they need to sign a bazillion guys This move would give them NHL players 2 good ones and some magic beans plus the some cap space to sign some of their other guys. Myers upside is just shy of Parayko IMO, Voracek is reliable for 60 points drinking beer and eating pierogies. Myers salary offsets the difference in the Tarasenko/Voracek contracts and provides cap relief.

 

Tarasenko doesn't come risk free. 

 

[OccamsRazor]

2 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

@OccamsRazor

Maybe this is the blockbuster deal?

I floated this based on your Colton Parayko suggestion

 

Phi: Voracek, Myers,  pick 2021 (2nd maybe the 1st)

Stl: Tarasenko, Parayko

 

Why would St Louis do this ? they need to sign a bazillion guys This move would give them NHL players 2 good ones and some magic beans plus the some cap space to sign some of their other guys. Myers upside is just shy of Parayko IMO, Voracek is reliable for 60 points drinking beer and eating pierogies. Myers salary offsets the difference in the Tarasenko/Voracek contracts and provides cap relief.

 

Tarasenko doesn't come risk free. 

 

 

I like it the only issue i am looking at is it would have to go down after the expansion draft unless the Blues are going to just go with 8 skaters. Due to the fact they have 3 guys with NTCs.

 

And Vlad would require protection once trade due to his NTC who would Flyers expose for him??

 

Krug, Faulk and Scandella. So are they planning to expose Parayko???

 

I think not. So i will try to guess at their protection list.

 

Faulk

Krug

Scandella 

Vlad

Schenn

Perron

Binnington

 

Those are the 7 guys who MUST be protected. So who gets that 8th spot??

 

Parayko?? O' Reilly??

 

So other than that can we work around this?? Or wait till the expansion draft.

 

But if Blues leave Parayko exposed i think he claimed.

 

Otherwise i would do this.

 

[Buffalo Rick]

I hope the Sabres pursue him.  He is a huge pickup for someone

[Buffalo Rick]

So I assume Teresenko is still a Blue?  Like Eichel they are not going to get robbed. Just suck it up and play your butt off.  You are on a team two years removed from hoisting the Cup!  Stop your nonsense.   I wonder if Berube has finally lost this team?  Seems like he may have late last year?

[Fixxer]

On 8/23/2021 at 11:20 PM, Hockey Junkie said:

So I assume Teresenko is still a Blue?  Like Eichel they are not going to get robbed. Just suck it up and play your butt off.  You are on a team two years removed from hoisting the Cup!  Stop your nonsense.   I wonder if Berube has finally lost this team?  Seems like he may have late last year?

I wondr if we'll end up having a kind of Laine/PLD trade, where 2 guys who want to leave get moved one for another. Eichel and Tarasenko are both dealing with injuries. While I have not seen Eichel play much, the production is still elite when he plays, while Tarasenko's production has fallen off a bit. Vlad used to go to the net quite a bit and got a few concussion early in his career, which I thought was going to to be his issue, but the shoulders got in the way of things... - I remember when he was a young KHL star and how he was when the first got into the league!

[musky]

islanders will land him.

[ruxpin]

13 minutes ago, musky said:

islanders will land him.

 

I'm legitimately asking:   do you want him?   From my vantage, I'm not sure I'd want to give up what it takes given the risks of his health, etc.   The upside could be huge, the downside also huge--especially depending upon what is possibly given up.    Where are you on that as an Isles fan?

[radoran]

35 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

I'm legitimately asking:   do you want him?

 

24 points in 34 games over the past two (shortened) seasons? Another year after this at $7.5M?

 

I let some other team take that risk.

 

I don't think that the Blues send Tarasenko straight up for Mayfield, but freeing up $6M isn't something to sneeze at in the flatcap world we're in.

[JR Ewing]

I wouldn't take the risk. Acquiring Tarasenko is a bet against the house, since his shoulder is being held together with duct tape and bailing wire.

[Podein25]

9 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

I wouldn't take the risk. Acquiring Tarasenko is a bet against the house, since his shoulder is being held together with duct tape and bailing wire.

 

Duct tape is pretty strong stuff though. It's still what's holding my left knee together I think. Sure there's some screws in there, but it's the duct tape doing most of the work I figure. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 hours ago, musky said:

islanders will land him.

 

TBH, with Vladi's current baggage, if I am the Islanders, I look for lower cost alternatives.

You guys still have Beauvillier and Sorokin to sign (and I would assume the Isles would like them both to stay on), then the team has to think long term with Ryan Pulock because he is a UFA after this season.
Cal Clutterbuck and Leo Komarov will also need new contracts and perhaps the team can keep them on without breaking the bank.

I get the Islanders would like a real game breaker like Tarasenko, but even a healthy Tarasenko by himself, isn't going to change the Islander team philosophy of tough checking, defense first, then capitalizing on opportunities created through that style. In fact, he might even be "held back" because of it.
And that is IF Tarasenko can play.....again, there is that huge risk.

Still out on the market are guys like Zack Parise and Tyler Bozak.....aged veterans that can still offer something, especially to a defense first team, and can likely be gotten on very team friendly deals.
Then you also have a player like Ryan Donato still out there, who is just 25, in need of a solid structured team, and where he doesn't have to be the crux of anything on offense, but rather add to it...........sounds like a good fit for the Isles.

And all those guys would cost the team is a bit of cash, no assets given up, and no worries about a big money player who could possibly leave the team in a lurch.
The Islanders haven't been too far off from winning the last couple seasons, as you well know.
Right now, unless they are planning on overhauling their entire coaching staff along with their team philosophies, they really don't need large overhauls on the team.

Some smaller additions, some tweaks, and giving some players from elsewhere who have lost their way a chance to find it again with the team may be all this team needs (oh, and perhaps not running into the Lightning again in the playoffs  ) to get over the proverbial hump.
Hell, I'd even see if Zdeno Chara wouldn't mind returning to the Islanders on a team friendly deal with the idea he can help anchor down 3rd pair defense with an eye on a Cup.

I think if the team goes nosing around Vladimir Tarasenko, give up a bunch to get him, and he breaks down again (very, VERY likely), it could set the team back several years once again like it did with some of the other injury related fiascos they dealt with in the past.

 

[Buffalo Rick]

On 8/25/2021 at 6:48 AM, Fixxer said:

I wondr if we'll end up having a kind of Laine/PLD trade, where 2 guys who want to leave get moved one for another. Eichel and Tarasenko are both dealing with injuries. While I have not seen Eichel play much, the production is still elite when he plays, while Tarasenko's production has fallen off a bit. Vlad used to go to the net quite a bit and got a few concussion early in his career, which I thought was going to to be his issue, but the shoulders got in the way of things... - I remember when he was a young KHL star and how he was when the first got into the league!

i just learned that the Kracken landed Jaden Shwartz!!!!!????  Why the hell would the Blues let him get away?  OMG>  He is going to put the Kracken on the map instantly.  He is a damn star! Make no mistake about it. Blues have the Cup in their closet in big thanks to his offense  Beast

[radoran]

2 minutes ago, Hockey Junkie said:

i just learned that the Kracken landed Jaden Shwartz!!!!!????  Why the hell would the Blues let him get away?  OMG>  He is going to put the Kracken on the map instantly.  He is a damn star! Make no mistake about it. Blues have the Cup in their closet in big thanks to his offense  Beast

 

https://fox2now.com/sports/st-louis-blues/st-louis-blues-announce-protected-list-ahead-of-seattle-expansion-draft/

 

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2021/07/21/nhl-expansion-draft-results-seattle-kraken-picks/8049757002/

[Fixxer]

8 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

i just learned that the Kracken landed Jaden Shwartz!!!!!????  Why the hell would the Blues let him get away?  OMG>  He is going to put the Kracken on the map instantly.  He is a damn star! Make no mistake about it. Blues have the Cup in their closet in big thanks to his offense  Beast
 

I don't remember how the Blues protection list was put up. I'm not sure why they let him go, unless he has some injury issues or maybe they didn't like his 5.5 M cap hit. I always thought he was underated. Honestly, a few years back, the Blues let go off Pietrangelo and when I watched the MTL/VGK playoff series, Alex was the most lethal offensive player the whole series for the Knights.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Fixxer

[Buffalo Rick]

On 8/26/2021 at 8:00 PM, Fixxer said:

I don't remember how the Blues protection list was put up. I'm not sure why they let him go, unless he has some injury issues or maybe they didn't like his 5.5 M cap hit. I always thought he was underated. Honestly, a few years back, the Blues let go off Pietrangelo and when I watched the MTL/VGK playoff series, Alex was the most lethal offensive player the whole series for the Knights.

Pietragelopo is great.  So is Shwartz  WTF are they doing?  Now Teresenko?  they best keep him or trade him to my Sabres

[J0e Th0rnton]

On 8/25/2021 at 11:08 AM, JR Ewing said:

I wouldn't take the risk. Acquiring Tarasenko is a bet against the house, since his shoulder is being held together with duct tape and bailing wire.

I'd chance it if all they wanted in return was Evander kane

[radoran]

On 8/26/2021 at 8:00 PM, Fixxer said:

I don't remember how the Blues protection list was put up.

 

You could check the post immediately before yours.

[Buffalo Rick]

7 hours ago, radoran said:

 

You could check the post immediately before yours.

You mean where you posted links expecting someone to read an entire article?  Get real.  Type a response why dont you?  On a topic like this an entire link is not necessary.  So Teresenko is really that bad ?   I mean his shoulder?  Do you think he is finished being a star player?  I really believed 5 years ago he was the best player in hockey.   He was great.  At least he won that Cup with the Blues.  Came up big in one game vs Boston.  

 

OK.  I get it.  With the link, but with the lame attempt at joking about it it does not go over well with me.  I am just too used to it.  So the Kracken list is there, their entire roster I suspect?  They should look fairly good I could expect.  Hell the kid they robbed us of had great potential.   I think the system is flawed.  Did our teams have this luxury?  No.  Look at poor Don Cherry and his Colorado Rockies.  I try to say that with a straight face.  Just horrible .  And the Capitals expansion team?  I remember when the French Connection led Sabres beat them 15-3. The 3 coming from lack of a good goalie.   

[radoran]

2 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

You mean where you posted links expecting someone to read an entire article?  Get real.  Type a response why dont you?  On a topic like this an entire link is not necessary.  So Teresenko is really that bad ?   I mean his shoulder?  Do you think he is finished being a star player?  I really believed 5 years ago he was the best player in hockey.   He was great.  At least he won that Cup with the Blues.  Came up big in one game vs Boston.  

 

OK.  I get it.  With the link, but with the lame attempt at joking about it it does not go over well with me.  I am just too used to it.  So the Kracken list is there, their entire roster I suspect?  They should look fairly good I could expect.  Hell the kid they robbed us of had great potential.   I think the system is flawed.  Did our teams have this luxury?  No.  Look at poor Don Cherry and his Colorado Rockies.  I try to say that with a straight face.  Just horrible .  And the Capitals expansion team?  I remember when the French Connection led Sabres beat them 15-3. The 3 coming from lack of a good goalie.   

 

You mean expect someone to read the information they're asking about?

 

Bizarre.

 

You're routinely shocked to find out about things that happened over a MONTH ago.

 

I have some bad news about Bills running back OJ Simpson...

[Buffalo Rick]

On 8/29/2021 at 8:38 AM, radoran said:

 

You mean expect someone to read the information they're asking about?

 

Bizarre.

 

You're routinely shocked to find out about things that happened over a MONTH ago.

 

I have some bad news about Bills running back OJ Simpson...

Oh, I am the first one to say the prick needs to be removed from the wall of shame.  They will need room for Josh Allen so maybe someone will officially take his name down someday?