Tarasenko demands a trade, Blues want him out ASAP

Eichel, Keith, Tarasenko... another star player on the move this offseason.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Tarasenko demands a trade, Blues want him out ASAP
Zuma Press

In case you missed the news yesterday, St. Louis Blues insider Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic released a bomb shell report on Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko stating that Tarasenko has demanded a trade out of St. Louis. 

From Rutherford:

Tarasenko has officially requested a trade from the club, multiple sources have told The Athletic.
The right winger asked for the move earlier this offseason, and Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is currently attempting to facilitate the deal, according to league and team sources. There is no apparent timetable for a move, but the expectation is that it could happen before the start of the 2021-22 season.

Frankly, this is shocking. Or, at least it is until you realize why Tarasenko wants out. Rutherford reports that the Russian sniper has been at odds with Blues management since his mishandled shoulder surgeries in both 2018 and 2019.

Again from Rutherford:

So why does he want out? According to sources familiar with the situation, he is upset with the team’s handling of his shoulder surgeries in 2018 and 2019 — his first two of three such surgeries, which were both performed by Blues physicians — and feels there’s no trust left between him and the organization.

As you may recall, those two surgeries bookended the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup championship.

If ever there was a time to mend a broken relationship it's in the wake of a championship, but the Blues neglected to do that and reportedly doubled down on their mistake in 2019 with a second mishandled surgery. The funny thing is that NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reports that the Blues also have no interest in salvaging things with Tarasenko. They want him out just as much as Tarasenko wants out himself.

From Friedman's most recent 31 Thoughts podcast:

"I also think the Blues would like to move on too. This is two sides looking at this and saying, 'It's time to do it.' I do believe both sides want a divorce. 

Anyone else think this sounds like a "You can't fire me, I quit!" type scenario?

Whatever ends up happening with Tarasenko, I would caution any fanbase out there itching to add him to their team. Yes, Tarasenko is a supremely talented player but he's played just 34 games combined over two seasons and he's paid $7.5 million for the next two seasons. Buyer beware, you may be receiving damaged goods.