Wednesday: Tarasenko’s surgery was successful, and he will be re-evaluated at the beginning of training camp in September.
Tuesday: The St. Louis Blues were conducting season-ending media availability today, when Vladimir Tarasenko revealed that he has a dislocated shoulder and will undergo surgery tomorrow. The 26-year old sniper was forced out of the playoff deciding game against the Colorado Avalanche, and couldn’t help his team climb back and try to secure a postseason berth. Tarasenko expects to be ready for the start of the 2018-19 season.
The Blues’ superstar forward scored 33 goals this season, his fourth straight campaign with at least that many. Armed with one of the most dangerous shots in the league, his offense wasn’t enough to carry St. Louis into the playoffs. Tarasenko still has five years on his contract at $7.5MM, but could actually be a relative bargain for that amount as he heads into his late-twenties. With the salary cap going up and long-term deals becoming the norm for players coming out of their entry-level contracts, the Blues can be sure that they have a superstar locked in for a reasonable rate.
The team will have to look for an answer next season, as for much of this year they looked like one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference. A February swoon that included a seven-game losing streak would eventually come back to bite them, as they would miss the playoffs by just a single point.