Tarasenko came under the playoffs
Exactly a week ago, Vladimir Tarasenko came to the NHL All-Star Game in Florida, stood on the podium in front of the press, and was tormented with questions: “Vladi, are you sure you’re leaving St. Louis? How would you react to a possible exchange?
Tarasenko answered this: “Even Vladi does not know what future awaits Vladi. And you can ask our General Manager Doug Armstrong those questions. Only he knows the answers.”
And now, a week later, three weeks before the NHL deadline, Mr. Armstrong has given the answer, trading Tarasenko to the New York Rangers along with guard Niko Mikkola, in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2023, fourth round. in 2024, talented junior Hunter Skinner and forward Samuel Blaze, who played in St. Louis, and Broadway showed a nightmarish record (0 + 5 in 40 games), not integrating into the new team. Additionally, the Blues will pay half of the remainder of Tarasenko’s one-year contract, which is $5.5 million this season.
Yes, Vladimir will become an unrestricted free agent after this season. I asked my source, close to the situation, how he assessed this exchange. And he received this answer: “Tarasenko did not want to stay in St. Louis, realizing that in the future he would not receive a good contract. But he won’t be staying with Rangers next year either, as the New York club simply won’t have the money for him. This transition is done purely at the end of the season, in the hope of winning the Stanley Cup with the New Yorkers. And then Tarasenko, at 31, will go to the open market and consider all the proposals. What will be the price for him depends on how he plays now for Rangers.
Armstrong: ‘I thought Vladi would agree to go to New York’
Blues general manager Armstrong told how the negotiations went: “Several times during the season I spoke with Tarasenko’s agent, Paul Theofanos. And I said I would just do my work when I have profitable options. And when they come up, I will pass them on to Paul and Vladi for them to make a decision.
The fact is that in Tarasenko’s contract there is a clause about the impossibility of his exchange with another club without the consent of the player. Even 21 months ago, when Vladimir himself asked for a trade, he gave the general manager a list of clubs he was willing to go to. Among them were the New York Rangers. This option therefore surfaced almost two years later.
So what did Armstrong do? Indeed, he did his job. I found common language with New Yorkers general manager Chris Drury, and when they agreed on everything, Doug handed that option over to Tarasenko and his agent for final approval.
“I was hoping Vladi wouldn’t change his mind and was ready to go to Rangers,” Armstrong told The Athletic. – Obviously, New York is a landmark city for all NHL players. Therefore, when I called the player now, I would be surprised if such a transition becomes a problem for him.
Tarasenko discovered it while he was at the Blues training center. The team rested 10 days as part of the Stellar Weekend and now at 2:00 p.m. was to conduct the first training session.
“We were all very surprised, of course,” Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly said. – We were all nearby, and when it happened, we were happy to be able to talk nicely, just talk and wish Tarasenko the best.
“St. Louis” head coach Craig Berubi also bid farewell to Tarasenko: “A difficult situation, of course. Obviously, we haven’t shown good enough results this season, so these trades are being made. Vladi has been with us for a long time, we won the Stanley Cup together. I wished him luck and said, “Thank you for everything. He helped us become champions and he played well for our team for a long time.
Tarasenko wanted to leave the Blues for two years
I have to say, Tarasenko was selected by St. Louis in the 2010 draft, and the first-round pick (#16) went to him. In 11 seasons with the Blues, he was fifth in club history in goals (262), seventh in assists (291) and fifth in points (553). Simply put, Vladimir is a regional legend, a really cool player in the annals of St. Louis. And it was with him that the first Stanley Cup in team history was won. Moreover, in this cup race, Tarasenko scored 17 (11+6) points in 26 playoff games.
And if that 2019 league campaign was the pinnacle of a Blues career, then the decline has begun. A few seasons ago it became known that Tarasenko was unhappy with his position in the team. And the fact is not only that it was not he who was made captain, but O’Reilly, who came after the trade. Tarasenko didn’t like the way the team performed two surgeries on his shoulder and his career was in jeopardy.
This wait, while Vladimir was able to leave Saint-Louis, dragged on a bit. The player has played 137 league games and four playoff games since then. In the expansion draft, when Seattle was recruiting, Tarasenko was unprotected and could go to the Krakens. But the club of newcomers did not take it then. And now the exchange has taken place.
Why was the deal done so quickly, three weeks before the deadline? Because the exchange is also set up between “Chicago” Patrick Kane and striker “San Jose” Timo Mayer. They can also play very well in the first two lines. In other words, the market was competitive and the option had to be taken immediately if it was deemed appropriate.
After all, there were rumors that Kane could go to Rangers together with Panarin – they played together for the Blackhawks. If Drury had negotiated that, then Armstrong would have been dismissed.
In addition, on December 31, two players they wanted to change at once, Tarasenko and O’Reilly, were injured. If they were serious, no agreement would have taken place. But Vladimir returned earlier than expected and even managed to get to the All-Star Game.
Louis now has two first-round picks in what promises to be an explosive 2023 draft with Connor Bedard, Matvey Michkov and other stars to come. Also earned a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, which will convert to a third-round pick if Rangers now qualify for the playoffs. And, most likely, it will happen.
What Rangers have is they have taken a star marksman who will be very good on the link up with Artemy Panarin. The guys have been friends since playing at the World Junior Championship in Buffalo in 2011. Tarasenko enters from the right, Panarin enters from the left, Mika Zibanejad or Vincent Trochek can be center between them. All in all, the Rangers could have a very good chance of making some playoff noise this season. The main thing is that Tarasenko does not get injured anymore. If he doesn’t, his stock will go up even more, and he’ll get a really good contract in the market this summer.
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
