Insider says Tarasenko's feelings haven't changed despite player and team saying 'the right things'

All seems to be going well between the St. Louis Blues and star player Vladimir Tarasenko after what appeared to be a recent spat between the two parties. Last season, Tarasenko demanded a trade out of St. Louis, seemingly unhappy with his role on the team. A trade did not materialize over the summer and Tarasenko recently said the whole thing has been put behind him. Meanwhile GM Doug Armstrong and captain Ryan O'Reilly said Tarasenko was welcome back this season despite his request. According to one Insider, while the sentiments are nice, Tarasenko's desire to get out of St. Louis remains.

"Keep an eye on Vladimir Tarasenko‘s start in St. Louis. To this point, everyone has done and said the right things, playing nice in the sandbox – but that doesn't change the fact that Tarasenko still strongly desires a trade," said Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

"If Tarasenko gets off to a hot start, a trade could well materialize. Think back to last season: Patrik Laine entered the year in a similar situation, scored twice on opening night, and was soon moved to Columbus for Pierre-Luc Dubois."

"The same could happen here. Tarasenko has let it be known he is finally healthy after two botched shoulder surgeries, but the 29-year-old proving he is back to his consistent 30-goal sniper self is another matter. Tarasenko has two years remaining on his contract at a $7.5 million cap hit, while next season's actual cash payment drops down to $5.5 million."


It makes sense that both Tarasenko and the Blues would play it this way. If Tarasenko wants to drum up interest in a trade, getting off to a good start and maintaining it while being the best teammate possible is the best route to take. The Blues just want to make sure that Tarasenko gets the biggest return possible when a deal finally gets made. He can certainly be an excellent addition to a team at the trade deadline, although St. Louis would need to retain salary and may not want to do that if they are in the position for a playoff run themselves. It will be interesting to see how this plays out through the season.

Source: Daily Faceoff