Kevin Shattenkirk Injury: Updates on Blues Star's Status and Return
Feb 1, 2015
WINNIPEG, CANADA - NOVEMBER 23: Kevin Shattenkirk #22 of the St. Louis Blues gets set for a third period face-off against the Winnipeg Jets on November 23, 2014 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Blues defeated the Jets 4-2. (Photo by Lance Thomson/NHLI via Getty Images)
Kevin Shattenkirk has been deemed week-to-week after undergoing abdominal surgery due to an injury he suffered on Feb. 1 against the Washington Capitals.
Continue for updates.
Shattenkirk Continues Rehab With Team
Wednesday, Feb. 11
According to Andy Strickland of CBS Sports Radio, Shattenkirk will continue his rehab with the team in Florida.
Shattenkirk to Undergo Surgery
Monday, Feb. 2
The St. Louis Blueshave announced that Kevin Shattenkirk will be undergoing abdominal surgery after suffering a lower-body injury on Sunday:
St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today that defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk will undergo abdominal surgery after suffering an injury in the Blues' 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday in Washington D.C.
Shattenkirk will have the procedure in the next seven to 10 days and be listed as week-to-week following its completion.
Shattenkirk Injures Lower Body vs. Capitals
Sunday, Feb. 1
St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is in the midst of his best NHL season, but he was slowed down Sunday as an injury forced him to leave the Blues' clash with the Washington Capitals.
According to the team's official Twitter account, the 26-year-old rearguard suffered a lower-body injury and will not return:
Shattenkirk has a lower-body injury and won't return to today's game. #stlblues
It is unclear exactly what type of injury Shattenkirk is dealing with, but he came up gimpy after Caps superstar forward Alex Ovechkin caught him with a high hit, per NHL.com's Lou Korac:
Looks like on replay, Ovechkin caught Shattenkirk with an elbow to the head(?) after Shattenkirk initially stopped Ovechkin in his tracks.
Here is video of the hit, courtesy of Pro Hockey Talk:
The Blues have been among the NHL's best teams this season, and they trail the Nashville Predators by just two points for first place in the Western Conference's Central Division.
As pointed out by Andy Strickland of Big 550 KTRS, though, St. Louis can't afford to be without Shattenkirk for an extended period of time.
Can make the case Kevin Shattenkirk has been the the #stlblues MVP thus far...be a shame if he's forced to miss time
With 40 points through 48 games, the American All-Star is on pace to shatter his career high of 45 points set last season. He is second only to Calgary Flames blueliner Mark Giordano in defenseman scoring, and he is among the front-runners for the Norris Trophy.
The Blues are talented from top to bottom, so they may be able to cope without Shattenkirk over the short term, but anything more significant than that could severely damage their Stanley Cup chances.
Martin Brodeur Retires: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
Jan 27, 2015
ANAHEIM, CA - JANUARY 02: Martin Brodeur #30 of the St. Louis Blues reacts after a stop in play trailing 4-3 to the Anaheim Ducks during the third period at Honda Center on January 2, 2015 in Anaheim, California. The Ducks won 4-3. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Martin Brodeur has announced his retirement after a legendary career with the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues.
Continue for updates.
Brodeur Named Senior Advisor to General Manager, Speaks on Retirement
Thursday, Jan. 29
The St. Louis Blues confirmed that Martin Brodeur has been named Senior Advisor to the General Manager as part of his front office role with the team.
Brodeur later spoke about his move to the front office, via the Blues, Nick Cotsonika of Yahoo Sports and Tom Gulitti of The Record:
Brodeur on his new role: "I want to make sure I help the team. I'm here to help, I'm here to learn and I'm excited about it." #stlblues
Brodeur Announces Retirement, Will Join Blues' Front Office
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Legendary NHL goaltender Martin Brodeur is set to retire after a short stint with the St. Louis Blues and will reportedly join the team's front office. He previously spent more than two decades with the New Jersey Devils and set numerous league records.
The team officially announced the news on Twitter:
Brodeur will stay with the Blues organization in a management role in hockey operations. >>> http://t.co/sj22lAhGj1
Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatchpreviously confirmed the decision and noted an official announcement would come later.
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet previously reported Brodeur had decided to take a position with the Blues after stepping away to reconsider his status. He remained on the free-agent market until November, when the team signed him following an injury to Brian Elliott.
"The NHL's all-time winningest goalie made the decision after taking a break from the NHL team to ponder his future," Johnston wrote. "Two sources confirmed that Brodeur took the Blues up on the offer of an executive role."
He appeared in seven games for St. Louis this season. His numbers were well below his career marks, with a 2.87 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. Although it was a small sample size, it continued a downward trend from his final few seasons in New Jersey.
Assuming he doesn't have second thoughts down the line, he'll finish with a 2.24 GAA and a .912 save percentage for his career. He holds the top spot for games played (1,266), wins (691) and shutouts (125) for goalies, among other records.
As the Sportsnet report notes, it's interesting that Brodeur decided to take a front-office role with the Blues despite spending so much time with the Devils. It's unclear what led him to make that decision after opting to hang up his skates.
Brodeur will go down as one of the greatest goalies in NHL history. He won the Calder Trophy in 1994 as the league's top rookie, made nine All-Star Games, won the Vezina Trophy (top goaltender) four times and raised the Stanley Cup three times. He also won a pair of gold medals while representing Canada in the Olympics.
Now, it's on to the next stage of his hockey career.
Through four games (three starts) with the St. Louis Blues , Martin Brodeur is 2-2-0 with a 3.59 goals-against average and .882 save percentage...
Jaden Schwartz Injury: Updates on Blues Forward's Foot and Return
Dec 17, 2014
NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 04: Jaden Schwartz #17 of the St. Louis Blues skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on November 4, 2014 in Newark, New Jersey. The Blues shutout the Devils 1-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
St. Louis Blues left winger Jaden Schwartz has been placed on injured reserve due to a foot injury, the team announced Dec. 17. He's currently listed as day-to-day.
Continue for updates.
Schwartz's Status Upgraded
Thursday, Jan. 1
Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said that Schwart's status has been "upgraded to day-to-day," per the Blues on Twitter. Hitchcock added, per NHL.com:
It was really good. He went an hour (in practice). He went out early with the goalies and just shot pucks and skated and felt good. Then he skated for the first 20-something minutes of practice and did fine on that stuff. If he feels good getting off the plane and has a good skate tomorrow, he goes into that day-to-day mode. We’re hoping he’s really turned a corner and is getting close to ready to play.
Schwartz was the Blues' first-round pick in the 2010 NHL draft at No. 14 overall and has started to really come into his own this season.
The 22-year-old forward has registered 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in only 31 games thus far. Schwartz was hurt in the team's 5-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
This is a big blow for St. Louis. Forward Dmitrij Jaskin was called up from the Blues' AHL affiliate in Chicago in response to Schwartz's injury.
The hope is that Schwartz can come back and build on his early success and eventually help St. Louis down the stretch. The Blues sit third in the Western Conference and need to find alternative forms of offense while Schwartz recovers.
Martin Brodeur Signing with St. Louis Blues Is More About History Than Results
Dec 4, 2014
From a historical standpoint, seeing Martin Brodeur back between the pipes is great for the game of hockey.
Brodeur will once again don his No. 30 jersey tonight against the Nashville Predators. The name on the back of the jersey will be the same, but the logo on the front will be different.
Hit with a week-to-week lower body injury to starter Brian Elliott, the St. Louis Blues plucked the legendary goalie from free agency and put him in his familiar spot in net, as reported by ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun Wednesday afternoon. After 21 seasons with the New Jersey Devils, Brodeur is suiting up for another squad.
It's a move that has been met with some controversy, with skeptics like Nicholas Goss of NESN claiming that the signing of Brodeur "isn't a smart solution."
It'd be really easy to question this decision from Blues management. At 42 years old, Brodeur is more than long in the tooth, and many believe his recent work is not up to par for an NHL goaltender.
The numbers back that up. In 39 games last season, Brodeur had a below-average save percentage of .901, and his 2.51 goals against was the second-highest of his career.
However, the signing wasn't about Brodeur carrying the team on his back or even being the goaltender that won four Vezina trophies and three Stanley Cups during his 21-year tenure with the New Jersey Devils. It's about seeing one of the best of all time for perhaps the last time.
"I just want to have fun," Brodeur said, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford. "I've got nothing to prove to myself. I just want to go out and enjoy the season and enjoy the winning way like I was able to do in New Jersey for a lot of years."
A chance to add to an already illustrious legacy will be a reality every night. Brodeur is the league's all-time leader in victories. He'll go for No. 689 tonight against the Predators. That makes the netminder just 12 wins away from 700 for his career.
This means every night he's in net, Brodeur has the chance to edge even closer to a win plateau unseen in NHL history.
What some neglect to see is this is a low-risk play for St. Louis. Brodeur's contract pays him as such. He'll receive a base salary of $700,000, according to LeBrun, but it's laced with performance and roster bonuses. For example, LeBrun writes that Brodeur will earn "$10,000 for every point in the standings he earns while the goalie of record." The Blues are getting what they pay for.
It's also one with a high reward. Sure, Brodeur will likely back up 24-year-old Jake Allen until Elliot returns, and then maybe he's released. Here's the thing many haven't considered, though—what if Brodeur actually thrives?
Elliot isn't exactly Henrik Lundqvist, and Allen isn't a proven commodity just yet. Maybe, just maybe, the three-time Stanley Cup champion can flash what made him so special for so long.
The Blues have been strong Stanley Cup contenders the past three seasons but have mostly disappointed, making it no farther than the Western Conference Semifinals in those seasons. Wouldn't it be a story if Brodeur was the one to get the team over the hump?
Martin Brodeur will get his first game action tonight against the Nashville Predators
There's certainly a precedent for this in Brodeur's history. At 39, he helped the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final three seasons ago, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.
For as much flack as Brodeur gets over his .901 save percentage in his final two years with the team, his .909 regular-season save percentage during that Stanley Cup run wasn't much better. But he turned it on in the playoffs with a .919 save percentage, proving he still had what it takes to win on the big stage.
Whether it's only for a few games, a few weeks or deep into the postseason, fans should cherish the time and the history of one of the all-time greats. While there isn't a red devil crest on the front of his jersey anymore, there still might be a little magic left.
Martin Brodeur's Legacy Is Safe Even If Stint with St. Louis Blues Is a Disaster
Dec 2, 2014
Apr 13, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur (30) is honored by fans after his 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
It's going to be jarring. Your eyes will need a minute to adjust the way they would when emerging from a dark bar on a sunny day after a late-morning brunch went on too long.
At some point in the coming days, you will see 42-year-old Martin Brodeur in a St. Louis Blues uniform. The team announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to terms with the netminder:
After two decades with the New Jersey Devils, Brodeur will don royal blue and yellow in the coming days.
And not long after—perhaps it's even happening now—the ever-popular discussion about a legendary player's "legacy" will begin.
There are a lot of bad discussions and narratives in sports, but few, if any, are worse than sports writers talking about a great player tarnishing his legacy at the end of his career.
Imagine being 25 years old and returning home for Thanksgiving. Only instead of visiting your mom and dad, you are sitting down for dinner with your 58-year-old dad...and his new girlfriend. Are you uncomfortable? You sure are.
After 25 years of things being one way, they are now completely different. Your dad being overly affectionate with his girlfriend—ugh, just saying "girlfriend" makes you cringe—isn't helping you, either.
But once you get past the initial awkwardness, you begin to accept the situation. Why? Because there's nothing wrong with it and your dad is happy.
That's Brodeur. He's happy.
And that's all that matters.
Is Brodeur still great? Absolutely not. Is he even good? Nope. Average? Not in the past four years.
Season
Record
GAA
Save percentage
2010-11
23-26-3
2.45
.903
2011-12
31-21-4
2.41
.908
2013
13-9-7
2.22
.901
2013-14
19-14-6
2.51
.901
Is Brodeur a college freshman showing up at high school parties because all the attendees are aware of how legendary he was in high school even though some of the kids there aren't sure why he hasn't moved on? You bet.
But an NHL team—a very good one, mind you—still thinks he's good enough to help it win right now.
Whether Brodeur is just that is another argument, but him going 25-0-0 or 1-5-1 with an .856 save percentage before being released doesn't change the fact he will be in the Hall of Fame three years after he retires.
If Brodeur doesn't care about his perceived legacy, why should I? Or you? Or anyone other than Brodeur?
Sports writers tend to attach a romantic quality to a player going out on top, like John Elway winning a Super Bowl and retiring or Barry Sanders calling it quits at the age of 31 after rushing for nearly 1,500 yards in his final season.
The same people also love a good joke about Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards jersey or Brett Hull in a Phoenix Coyotes jersey.
Or Brodeur in a Blues jersey, for that matter.
If Brodeur, Roenick or whoever still have a desire to play the game, who are you to tell them they shouldn't just because it challenges your fragile and special memories of them as younger men?
It doesn't matter if Brodeur's motivation is fun, ego, financial or a fear of a life without hockey—someone is going to pay him a lot of money to play a game.
Why would anyone give that up before they have to?
Brodeur is the career wins leader, shutouts leader, has three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies, two Olympic gold medals for Canada and has scored two goals.
You know that trapezoid behind the net that prevents goaltenders from playing the puck? It's there largely because Brodeur acted as a puck-moving defenseman for a large part of his career and teams had no answer for it.
If your first inclination upon hearing the Brodeur news is how four months in a Blues uniform will tear that down or make any of that less meaningful, grow up.
Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @DaveLozo.
Why Starting Martin Brodeur Could Destroy St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup Chances
Dec 2, 2014
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 17: Martin Broduer speaks with the media on the red carpet prior to the induction ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 17, 2014 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Blues made waves a few days ago when they brought all-time NHL wins leader Martin Brodeur in for some practices with the team.
On Tuesday, the team decided it had seen enough and agreed to a contract with the legendary goaltender:
The pact between Brodeur and the Blues is entirely unsurprising. After all, the team wouldn’t have brought him in for practices if it wasn’t 99 percent convinced that it wanted to add him to its roster. What was surprising—shocking even—was the statement that Ken Hitchcock made on the team’s official website.
“If he’s here, he’s going to play,” Hitchcock told Chris Pinkert. “We’ll figure out what game it is and what games they are, but if he’s here, he’s going to play. He’s not going to back up.”
In some quarters, that statement was greeted positively. Goaltending expert Kevin Woodley, a regular contributor to NHL.com and InGoal Magazine, tweeted that Brodeur’s mental approach made this a necessary decision for Hitchcock:
Hitchcock mercifully ends Brodeur as backup BS; simply not wired for it: "If he’s here, he’s going to play. He’s not going to back up"
The problem is that despite his formidable reputation and impressive career, Brodeur is probably the third-best goaltending option at the Blues’ disposal. Based on his recent work, he’s entirely unqualified to be an NHL starter at this stage of his career.
ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 25: Brian Elliott #1 of the St. Louis Blues talks with trainer Ray Barile during a game against the Ottawa Senators on November 25, 2014 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Elliott was removed from the game and replaced wi
We might as well start with Brian Elliott, who has been the Blues’ starter for much of this season and whose injury prompted the team’s interest in Brodeur.
Originally listed as week-to-week by the team, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that he’s already skating, which presumably means that he isn’t all that far from staging a return to the ice.
Elliott has been brilliant for St. Louis this season, posting a .931 save percentage over 14 games played, and he’s been excellent over four seasons with the Blues. That’s why the team was comfortable enough to roll with him as its starter this season.
His numbers since coming to St. Louis compare very favourably to what Brodeur was doing in New Jersey over the same span of time:
Season
Brian Elliott
Martin Brodeur
2011-12
38 games, .940 SV%
59 games, .908 SV%
2012-13
24 games, .907 SV%
29 games, .901 SV%
2013-14
31 games, .922 SV%
39 games, .901 SV%
2014-15
14 games, .931 SV%
Has not played
Even rookie goaltender Jake Allen is probably a better bet. His .918 save percentage over 11 games this year tops anything Brodeur has done since 2008. Even his career .911 save percentage trumps Brodeur’s work over the last four years by a healthy margin.
It’s understandable that St. Louis would want a backup plan just in case Allen hits some rough patches, but it’s awfully strange to shunt him to the back burner to make room for a 41-year-old who is clearly in the twilight of his career.
None of this, of course, is likely to hurt the Blues too much during the season. St. Louis is 16-6-2 on the year and has topped 100 points in two of the last three seasons. The club was also on better than a 100-point pace during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.
This is a good enough team that it can run out a league-average goalie and still finish inside the playoffs by a comfortable margin.
NEWARK, NJ- MAY 29: Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils speaks to the media during the 2012 Stanley Cup Final Media Day at the Prudential Center on May 29, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
That should be the scariest thing of all for Blues fans, because it means that even if Brodeur is perfectly mediocre, it isn’t likely to show up in terms of wins and losses.
If he struggles early, that can get chalked up to rust—particularly if the team is still winning games. Even a middling run might be enough to keep him in the No. 1 slot, and the closer the team gets to the playoffs, the more that Brodeur’s reputation as a winner is likely to become a factor.
While the Blues can play whomever in net during the regular season and still win games, the same is not true in the playoffs. St. Louis shares a division with some awfully good teams and has to find a way past Chicago just to make it to the Western Conference Final.
That’s where differences in the margins are going to count for a lot, and where Brodeur is really likely to cost the team if he’s still starting hockey games at that point.
Martin Brodeur to Blues: Latest Contract Details, Analysis and Reaction
Dec 2, 2014
NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 13: Goaltender Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils looks against the Boston Bruins at the Prudential Center on April 13, 2014 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
After 21 magical seasons with the New Jersey Devils, future Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur will spend the twilight of his career elsewhere after signing a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues.
It has long felt as though the 42-year-old netminder would be a Devil for life, but with Cory Schneider clearly ready to take over as New Jersey's full-time goalie, the Devils could no longer allow Brodeur to cut into his playing time significantly.
In many ways, Brodeur endured a roller-coaster season. His goals against average of 2.51 was solid; however, that can be attributed to the strong defensive play in front of him. His .901 save percentage was below average, and he hasn't boasted a save percentage above .908 since 2009-10.
Despite his eroding skills, Brodeur made it clear that he wanted to play at least one more season in the NHL and was willing to go elsewhere in order to do so, per ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun:
I've come to the conclusion that I'm definitely going to be available July 1. I want to play one more season and I want to see what's out there. ... I've had a lot of good conversations with the Devils, but I'm not inclined at going back at this point. I just feel that with (Schneider) the organization has to move on. Me being around might be tough a little bit for them. I don't completely put it out of the question (returning to New Jersey), but I don't want to mess up the cards for the Devils.
Brodeur found himself in an unfamiliar situation this past season splitting time with Schneider. It is blatantly obvious that the Devils tabbed Schneider as their goalie of the future after trading for him last offseason, but he appears to be the goalie of the present as well.
Brodeur played 39 games to Schneider's 45, but the younger Schneider clearly became head coach Peter DeBoer's preferred netminder. With a 1.97 goals against average and .921 save percentage in 2013-14, it is essentially a no-brainer that the Devils need to give Schneider more playing time despite Brodeur's veteran status.
Schneider himself has voiced his desire to play more as well and has requested to play the vast majority of the games next season, according to Rich Chere of NJ.com:
Some interpreted that as a case of Schneider making demands and trying to facilitate Brodeur's departure, but he insisted that isn't the case, per Tom Gulitti of The Record:
People said I was demanding this or that. It has nothing to do with that. There have been no demands. I think just personally for me I would like the opportunity to be a starting goalie—however many games that may be, however you define a starting goalie. I would just like that opportunity. I think I've at least earned a look and if they agree then we'll go from there. ... It's something I would like to be able to do at some point.
While the 28-year-old Schneider is clearly ready to take the reins, he has the utmost respect for Brodeur.
Rather than pushing his competition out the door through the media this past season, Schneider had nothing but good things to say about Brodeur, especially when trade rumors exploding leading up to the deadline, according to Randy Miller of NJ.com:
You know, there are far worse things than having two very good goalies on the same team heading into a playoff stretch here ... He's been itching to play. I know you guys (in the media) are just doing your job, but he's had to sit here and answer questions every day about what's going to happen. He doesn't know. He's answered the questions and I'm sure he's a little tired of it.
Brodeur proved that he still had some magic left in 2011-12 when he led the Devils on a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final. Although New Jersey fell short against the Los Angeles Kings, Brodeur played superbly throughout the playoffs that season.
That doesn't mean that Brodeur is still capable of reaching that form, but it is tough to argue against taking a chance on a player with a track record as impressive as his.
With three Stanley Cups and four Vezina Trophies to his credit, Brodeur boasts a resume that is essentially unmatched. He may not be the same goalie that he once was, but there is reason to believe that there is enough magic left for one more run.
Nobody ever believed that iconic Boston Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque would don another sweater, but he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche near the end of his career, and it resulted in a Stanley Cup triumph.
The same would be true for Brodeur in a perfect world, but fairy-tale endings don't always come to fruition in hockey.
All Brodeur wants is one last chance at glory, though, and his pursuit of it will be one of the biggest storylines of the 2014-15 season.
Brian Elliott Injury: Updates on Blues Star's Lower Body and Return
Nov 25, 2014
Nov 25, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott (1) makes a save against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott suffered a lower-body injury against the Ottawa Senators and missed the remainder of Tuesday night's matchup.
Continue for updates.
Wednesday, Nov. 26
Elliott Injury Time Frame Revealed
Lou Korac of NHL.com and Jeremy Rutherford of St. Louis Post-Dispatch have updates on Elliott's status:
Brian Elliott is week to week according to Hitch. Said it's an injury he's had before but recovered from quickly. #stlblues
Elliott, 29, has been solid on the season through 13 starts prior to Tuesday. The former Ottawa goalie holds an 8-4-1 record with a 1.90 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.
The team also noted more on the situation:
Elliott is leaving the game. He was shaken up with the traffic in the crease. Allen is coming in. #stlblues#OurBlues
Jake Allen, who replaced Elliott on Tuesday, holds a 6-2-0 record this season along with a 2.00 GAA. While he has been effective this season, Elliott is the more trusted starter for the Blues.
Holding a 2-0 lead when Elliott exited the game, the Blues ultimately lost 3-2 via shootout.
Vladimir Tarasenko's Breakout Start Putting Him in the Hart Trophy Conversation
Nov 5, 2014
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 03: Vladimir Tarasenko #91 of the St. Louis Blues celebrates his game winning shootout goal against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on November 3, 2014 in New York City. The Blues defeated the Rangers 4-3 in the shootout. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
In looking for a way to uniquely describe Vladimir Tarasenko, I researched a few different angles to attack this piece.
It's not enough just to say that Tarasenko is an unbelievably gifted hockey player who appears to be coming into his own with the St. Louis Blues this season; I needed something singular, much the way a brand needs a singular identity that can earn trust and awareness among casuals.
Is Tarasenko the best Russian hockey player besides Alex Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk?
Maybe. No, there's Evgeni Malkin too. And Alexander Semin, in spite of his early-season struggles, is probably better.
That's not good for brand recognition. "Vladimir Tarasenko is the fourth-best Russian in the NHL but maybe fifth if Alexander Semin is on his game."
What if we focused on his age? At 22, Tarasenko could very well be the best player in the league right now under the age of 23. Yeah, that's it. We've found our hook, the angle that will activate Tarasenko's brand through age-demographic dynamics.
What about Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall? Not to mention Ryan Johansen.
Again, it's the same problem.
"Red-hot Tarasenko is the best young player in the NHL (unless you count Seguin, Hall and Johansen)."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQVnIKUd-6k
Therein lie some of the reasons for why so few people were aware of Tarasenko before he scored the leader in the clubhouse for goal of the year Monday night against the New York Rangers. It was the only game on the NHL schedule and with so many eyes desperate for hockey action on the game, they had those eyes opened to the player Tarasenko is becoming.
One night later, in New Jersey, Tarasenko scored the only goal in a 1-0 Blues' win, the team's sixth in a row. He would have had two or three more if not for Cory Schneider making brilliant stops in one-on-one situations with the budding sniper.
After Tarasenko's goal in New York, Blues captain David Backes had this to say of his teammate: "He’s a guy, and I’ve said it many times, he’s as dynamic of a goal scorer as anyone I’ve ever played with.”
Backes is not one for hyperbole or exaggeration and is one of the more straight-forward speakers when it comes to interactions with the media, so that's not lip service pumping the tires of a younger teammate. But it's also weirdly not overly complimentary, as the top goal scorers with which Backes has played since breaking into the league in 2006 include Brad Boyes, Bill Guerin and Lee Stempniak.
NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 04: (l-r) Alex Pietrangelo #27, Jake Allen #34 and Vladimir Tarasenko #91 of the St. Louis Blues celebrate a 1-0 shutout victory over the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on November 4, 2014 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo b
The NHL was a weird place when it came back from the lockout in 2005.
That's another reason Tarasenko isn't a household name: If a goal is scored in a place where goals are rarely scored, does it make a sound?
The St. Louis Blues brand is one of defense and poor scoring, of 2-1 games won on the strength of guys like Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester. St. Louis is where goals come to die, and coach Ken Hitchcock is the grim reaper of offense on either side of the puck.
That's probably why so many missed Tarasenko becoming a new player when he returned from the Sochi Olympics last season. He had three goals in eight games after the break and finished the regular season with 21 goals in 64 games, but he missed the Blues' final 15 games because of hand surgery.
Tarasenko returned in time for the playoffs and scored four goals in six games, as the Blues were bounced by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.
Consider everything working against Tarasenko last season: It was only his second season, he plays for a team with a reputation for defense and while he was a hurricane-force storm in the postseason, few take notice when that storm peters out after six games and there are seven other playoff series happening at the same time.
But since the Olympic break, playoffs included, Tarasenko has 15 goals in 26 games, which is a 48-goal pace over 82 games.
Hitchcock, in a story by Louie Korac of NHL.com, said something changed in Tarasenko after the Olympics, where he was used sparingly as a member of Team Russia:
He wasn't really happy when he came back from the [2014 Sochi] Olympics. He was really unhappy with how much he played [for Russia], what role he played, and he really put a strong focus into really becoming a real good player. I think quite frankly, if he doesn't get hurt post-Olympics, I think he's got 35 (goals) in him last year alone. … He just had a whole different focus. He was very determined in his game. He came back and did that in the [Stanley Cup Playoffs].
With such a small sample size in a budding career, it's quite possible that a 15-in-26 run is just that—a run that will eventually normalize.
But to watch Tarasenko today is to watch a player who stands out in every way and very likely isn't going anywhere, and the numbers back that up.
He's 6'0", 220 pounds and possesses excellent skating ability. He can snap a puck from anywhere just outside the face-off circles and be a legitimate threat to beat any goaltender, as he did to Schneider on Tuesday night. He can carry the puck and control it along the walls, shielding it from smaller (and bigger) defenders much the way Malkin does in Pittsburgh.
Frankly, if that Sochi chip is still on his shoulder, anything fewer than 40 goals this season would be an upset.
Tarasenko has shown chemistry with Jori Lehtera, who was a teammate of Tarasenko's in the KHL in 2011-12. Playing with Jaden Schwartz quite a bit recently, the three seem to be unstoppable once they gain possession in the offensive zone, which is frequently.
Via stats.hockeyanalysis.com, Tarasenko has a Fenwick of 57.3 percent and a Fenwick close of 56.2 percent. That's right in line with his numbers of a season ago (57.6/56.5), but with one big difference—zone starts.
Last season, Tarasenko started 38.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most on the team, and 24.9 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone, second fewest on the team.
This season, it appears Hitchcock is showing more trust in Tarasenko, who has a 33.5/27.1 percent split between offensive/defensive shift starts.
Another difference in Tarasenko's game, and a big reason why his current pace of eight goals in 12 games may be more sustainable than you think, is his shot totals. Last season, he had just 136 shots in 64 games, an average of 2.125 per game; this season, he has 52 shots in 12 games, an average of 4.33 per game.
What hasn't changed is his shooting percentage: Last year and this year, it's 15.4 percent.
Tarasenko is shooting more, becoming a better two-way player and proving to be dangerous any time the puck is on his stick, no matter where he is on the ice.
If he continues at this rate, age and nationality won't be the major points of the Tarasenko brand. It will probably be something along the lines of: "Hart Trophy-winning Vladimir Tarasenko leads Blues to Stanley Cup Final."
