St Louis Blues

With Vladimir Tarasenko reportedly looking to leave the St. Louis Blues, the three-time All-Star could end up as a member of the Seattle Kraken. 

Per Frank Seravelli of DailyFaceoff.com, the Blues did not protect Tarasenko from the expansion draft that will take place July 21.  

Word is at least four teams were interested in Tarasenko at full cap hit. Others involved with retained transactions.

Not sure why a deal didn’t get done, but the relationship is irretrievably broken. We’ll see if #SeaKraken take him - or where this goes next. https://t.co/kNw3oYyc7z

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 17, 2021

Tarasenko's future with the Blues has been one of the most-discussed topics of the NHL offseason. 

The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reported earlier this month that Tarasenko formally requested a trade because of his unhappiness with how the team handled two separate shoulder surgeries he had in 2018 and 2019. 

In a follow-up report this week, Rutherford noted that Tarasenko gave the Blues a list of 10 teams he wants to play for. 

That group includes the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers. 

Rutherford added Tarasenko trade talks are "complicated" right now because interested teams will want to see his medical records and because of his contract situation. 

The 29-year-old is owed $15 million with cap hits of $7.5 million in each of the next two seasons. 

According to Rutherford, the Lightning appear to be Tarasenko's preferred landing spot. Cap Friendly estimates the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are $3.66 million over the cap right now. 

Leaving Tarasenko open to the expansion draft could solve St. Louis' problem of finding a landing spot for him, though the Blues wouldn't receive any compensation in return.

The Kraken would then have to determine if they want to keep Tarasenko—assuming he would even want to play for an expansion franchise—or try to flip him and acquire more assets that would benefit them long-term. 

Tarasenko has to prove he can still be a valuable contributor in the NHL. The former first-round pick has only appeared in 34 games over the past two seasons combined. He has scored 24 points and is minus-9 during that span.     

St. Louis Blues' superstar winger Vladimir Tarasenko has requested a trade after losing trust in the organization, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford. 

Issues with the team reportedly arose from two shoulder surgeries performed by team physicians that still left the 29-year-old Russian ailing. A third surgery in 2020 performed by a doctor not affiliated with the Blues discovered ligament damage from Tarasenko's initial injury in 2018 wasn't corrected in either of the previous two operations. 

Rutherford noted Tarasenko notified the team of discomfort in his shoulder before rejoining the club in Edmonton during the playoffs only for the team to delay further testing. He would play just four games before returning to St. Louis for another evaluation. 

The 2019 Stanley Cup champion has played just 110 games since the end of the 2017-18 season. 

According to Rutherford, this mistrust hasn't gone unnoticed and general manager Doug Armstrong has been "quietly shopping" his star for "a while": 

There was a lot of criticism of Tarasenko’s performance last season—even within the organization—and sources say the lack of trust became a bigger issue at that point because the Blues weren’t taking ownership for the mishandling of the first two surgeries.

Meanwhile, there was lingering disappointment from Tarasenko after the Blues named Ryan O’Reilly as the 23rd captain in team history the previous summer. That story, which originated in Russian media, died because Tarasenko was unavailable for comment to local media until he returned to the lineup three months later, when it became a moot topic.

After eight seasons in St. Louis, it was all enough to convince Tarasenko he needed to leave town. The three-time All-Star has two years remaining on an eight-year, $60 million contract and will carry a cap hit of $7.5 million in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 before becoming an unrestricted free agent. 

Between his salary and a desire to play for a contender, Rutherford believes likely destinations for Tarasenko include the New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers.

There's no timeline for a potential deal, however the upcoming Seattle Kraken expansion draft, NHL entry draft and start of free agency could help move things along rather quickly. 

 

The St. Louis Blues were among the playoff teams retested for COVID-19 on Wednesday after the league received potential false positive tests on Tuesday, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong released the following statement on the situation:

We have discovered discrepancies in Covid test results relating to multiple players. We have been in touch with and are working with the league to address these discrepancies with additional testing and expect to have further information later this afternoon. The league will provide a further update when we have more information.

The Blues were one of two playoff teams impacted by the potential false positives, alongside the Vegas Golden Knights. The NHL released a statement of its own later on Wednesday:

The @NHL today released the following statement on COVID-19 test results for the @StLouisBlues and @GoldenKnights. https://t.co/YpTBl0x4ZS pic.twitter.com/uC0vgU6JnH

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 19, 2021

Per the ESPN report, the Blues had three players on the COVID-related absences list Tuesday: Forwards David Perron and Nathan Walker and defenseman Jake Walman.

As Wyshynski noted, "Walman was a notable absence because the Blues said he was the rare 'breakthrough case' of COVID after vaccination. He was placed on the list May 12 after the team asked for additional testing."

The team did not make head coach Craig Berube or any players available for Zoom interviews after the team's morning skate on Wednesday, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

And goalie Jordan Binnington, defenseman Marco Scandella and forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz did not participate in Tuesday's practice or Wednesday's morning skate. 

The Blues trail the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 in their first-round playoff matchup after losing 4-1 on Monday. That series will resume Wednesday night at 10:30 p.m. ET on CNBC. 

The St. Louis Blues will be in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the ninth time in 10 seasons.

The 2018-19 champions booked a place in the postseason Friday by virtue of an overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche's 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. They are the 14th team to claim one of the 16 bids.

WE'RE IN!!!!!!! https://t.co/0Oa89T6dmU #stlblues pic.twitter.com/4pWpRZ9UyZ

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 8, 2021

          

Qualified Playoff Teams

Central

• Carolina Hurricanes (77 points)
• Florida Panthers (75 points)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (73 points)

East

• Washington Capitals (71 points)
• Pittsburgh Penguins (71 points)
• Boston Bruins (68 points)
• New York Islanders (67 points)

North

• Toronto Maple Leafs (72 points)
• Edmonton Oilers (64 points)
• Winnipeg Jets (59 points)

West

• Vegas Golden Knights (74 points)
• Colorado Avalanche (72 points)
• Minnesota Wild (70 points)
• St. Louis Blues (55 points)

         

The Blues' title triumph two years ago wasn't a fluke, but the stars aligned for the franchise after it went from firing Mike Yeo midseason to lifting the Stanley Cup. St. Louis' luck came back around in 2020 as it failed to advance past the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.

Based on where they sit in the standings, the Blues would appear destined for another early exit.

St. Louis' point total is deceptive though, since the team had to play 10 games against the Avalanche and nine against the Golden Knights, two of the NHL's strongest squads. The Minnesota Wild have been no pushovers, either.

To the extent regular-season momentum matters in the playoffs, the Blues might be peaking at the right time. On April 5, they suffered their 12th defeat in 14 games. Since then, they have reeled off eight victories in 14 games.

In order to buck the odds and make a deep run, St. Louis will need David Perron (50 points) and Ryan O'Reilly (50 points) to continue shouldering the bulk of the offensive burden.

Longtime NHL defenseman Bobby Plager died after a car crash in St. Louis at the age of 78 on Wednesday.

Plager spent 14 years in the NHL—11 of them with the St. Louis Blues and another three with the New York Rangers.

In a statement remembering Plager, the Blues once again shared the love for the man whose No. 5 was retired in 2017:

"It is unimaginable to imagine the St. Louis Blues without Bobby Plager.

"He was an original 1967 member of the St. Louis Blues, but also an original in every sense of the word. Bobby's influence at all levels of the Blues organization was profound and everlasting, and his loss to our city will be deep.

"Bobby liked to say he was No. 5 in our program, but No. 1 in our hearts. Today, our hearts are broken, but one day they will be warmed again by memories of his character, humor and strong love for his family, our community, the St. Louis Blues and generations of fans who will miss him dearly.

"The St. Louis Blues send all of our love and support to his family, and we hope everyone will find strength knowing that Bobby got his parade."

Tributes to Plager began flooding social media as news of his death became public.

Doug Armstrong shared a statement on the passing of Bobby Plager. https://t.co/eFVcQygsQS #stlblues pic.twitter.com/VAB4Uggipc

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 24, 2021

❤️5️⃣😭

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 24, 2021

A sad day for St. Louis as we mourn the passing of a true hockey legend. I join thousands of fans in sending my condolences to the family and friends of the great Bobby Plager and the entire @StLouisBlues organization.

Thank you Bobby for years of memories on and off the ice. #5

— Lyda Krewson (@LydaKrewson) March 24, 2021

Bobby Plager.
Rest In Peace.

He was the toughest, nastiest Blue and the nicest, sweetest man.

He was a part of the St. Louis Blues’ culture from the very first year. He’ll be part of the Blues’ culture forever. https://t.co/T9ysRp5Lrh

— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) March 24, 2021

Awful news out of St. Louis today that Blues legend Bobby Plager has died in a car accident.

Obviously touched a lot of lives in hockey and beyond. There are many connections between #CBJ and @StLouisBlues.

Deep sympathy and condolences to all who were lucky to call him friend. https://t.co/xAbJ238hx2

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) March 24, 2021

Heartbroken to hear the passing of the great Bobby Plager. So lucky to have met this genuine, kind-hearted legend. #RIPBobby pic.twitter.com/NrNr88LNaJ

— Michelle Bogowith (@MBogowith) March 24, 2021

Triste nouvelle..RIP Bob Plager! 🙏 https://t.co/jChI6NYzvP

— Chantal Machabee (@ChantalMachabee) March 24, 2021

The Missouri House just took a moment of silence in memory of Blues legend Bobby Plager who died in a car accident earlier today in STL. #moleg #mogov #stlblues pic.twitter.com/qoTmP0eFvp

— Emily Manley (@EmilyManleyTV) March 24, 2021

After retiring in 1978, Plager became a member of the Blues' front office, where he helped advance the scouting department before making a short transition to coaching—first with the St. Louis affiliate Peoria Rivermen and later 11 games with the Blues—but he chose to resign and returned to the role of vice president of player development.

Plager was one of the original Blues players on the inaugural team and had a chance to skate in St. Louis alongside his brothers Bill and Barclay. For his NHL playing career, he recorded 20 goals, 121 assists and 141 points over 616 games while earning 760 penalty minutes.

An investigation into the crash remains ongoing.

Goaltender Jordan Binnington led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup title in 2019, and now the team is rewarding him with a new contract. 

On Thursday, the Blues announced they inked the goaltender to a six-year contract extension worth $36 million. He was previously playing on the final season of his contract.

The 27-year-old has made 19 starts this season with a 2.69 goals against average, .908 save percentage and 9-6-3 record. The Blues' announcement noted Binnington is second in the league in wins, fourth in shutouts and eighth in goals against average since he made his first career start on Jan. 7, 2019.

Yet it was his playoff run in 2019 that stood out the most.

He finished with a 16-10-4 record as the first rookie goaltender in NHL history to notch 16 postseason wins in a single season. He posted a 2.46 goals against average and .914 save percentage during that run and helped lead the Blues to a victory over the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final.

Another chance at a Stanley Cup could be in Binnington's future.

St. Louis has 32 points at 14-8-4 this season, which is good enough for second place in the West Division. It is just one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights and appears primed to challenge in the playoffs.

Binnington is still in the early stages of his career, but he already has plenty of postseason experience and figures to add more in the coming years following this contract.

The St. Louis Blues have reportedly canceled practices because of positive coronavirus tests involving members of the organization.

Per The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford and Scott Burnside, the Blues shut down their facilities before Friday's scheduled workout stemming from "multiple" positive tests, but they are "expected" to reopen for practice Monday. 

On Monday, the NHL announced 26 out of more than 250 players tested have come back positive for COVID-19 since voluntary workouts began June 8.

Rutherford and Burnside noted the Blues used a multipurpose facility in Maryland Heights, Missouri, for a workout Thursday, and it was open for public use the following day.

The NHL is in the second phase of its "Return to Play" plan. Teams are allowed to open training facilities in their home cities so players can take part in voluntary individual activities with a maximum of six players and limited staff allowed in the building at the same time.

Per Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the NHL is advising teams the third phase (training camps) won't begin until at least July 13 pending ratification of the return-to-play agreement between the owners and players.

TSN's Bob McKenzie has reported Aug. 1 is the target date to begin the 24-team postseason, but the league has yet to make a formal announcement.

The NHL Player Gaming Challenge picked up again Saturday, with the St. Louis Blues duo of Robert Thomas and Colton Parayko easily rolling over the Montreal Canadiens team of Nick Suzuki and Victor Mete.

Parayko and Thomas won the two five-on-five games to seal the win before falling in the three-on-three mini-game that followed.

Here are the results: 

Game 1 (5-on-5): 3-1, St. Louis

Game 2 (5-on-5): 4-3, St. Louis

Game 3 (3-on-3): 10-6, Montreal

The full replay is available on YouTube and features plenty of fun stories from the Blues' summer with the Stanley Cup in 2019.

While Parayko was dishing on what it was like to take the Cup to his hometown of St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, to enjoy it with his family, Thomas had a different experience—not because of what he did with the chalice, but what his teammates before him did.

Thomas said the Cup was in rough shape by the time it made its way to his home in Aurora, Ontario. Apparently, his teammates dented the trophy in some areas and left salt residue on the rim after drinking margaritas from it. That came after a few players had the Cup with them in the shower.

Beginning in 1995, the NHL has allowed each member of the Stanley Cup-winning team—including coaches, support staff and some front office members—to host the iconic prize at a place of their choosing.

Most players bring the Cup to their hometowns and celebrate with close friends and family. Apparently, some of the Blues really enjoyed themselves when it was their turn.

St. Louis fans can take solace in knowing their team's time with the Cup likely won't crack the NHL's 10 most infamous celebration moments.

On Saturday, the Blues celebrated a much smaller, if not more meaningful, victory.

In joining the NHL Player Gaming Challenge, the team participated in a charity event, helping raise money for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as front-line workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a league release, the National Hockey League Foundation and Electronic Arts have already donated a combined $100,000 to get the funding started.

With the NHL season still suspended because of the coronavirus, the St. Louis Blues have began furloughing employees starting Monday, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic.

"Staff identified for this program will be part of a temporary layoff with healthcare benefits in full effect," CEO Chris Zimmerman said in a letter.

Other staffers and contractors who will keep working have taken a 20 percent reduction in salary, per Rutherford.

The Blues had previously announced they would pay game-day workers at Enterprise Center during the suspension, while owner Tom Stillman, Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo and others worked together to create a fund for those in need, via KMOV.

The NHL season has remained paused through April without an official return date yet announced.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the league is considering using four cities as centralized locations to resume play. St. Louis was not on that list.

Teams were also asked about availability in their stadiums through August.

St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo provided a positive update on teammate Jay Bouwmeester, who experienced a cardiac episode during the team's Feb. 11 game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Pietrangelo told reporters Tuesday that Bouwmeester is "good," per the Associated Press' John Wawrow. The 36-year-old had attended team games and practices before the NHL suspended its season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Blues announced Feb. 14 that Bouwmeester underwent surgery to place a implantable cardioverter defibrillator in his chest.

The 36-year-old made his first public comments on Feb. 26, confirming to reporters he would miss the remainder of this season and was unsure about his future beyond that.

The defenseman also praised the medical personnel at Honda Center for treating him so quickly.

"It happened in the absolute best place that it could happen because of all the protocols they have in place and how people responded so quickly," he said, per CNN's Madeline Holcombe. "No. 1, they saved my life, and No. 2, the fact that they could get on it so fast was very helpful."

Pietrangelo told reporters that Bouwmeester remains in St. Louis for the time being and may return home to Edmonton, Alberta, once his children finish the current school year.