Vladimir Tarasenko Traded to Rangers from Blues Ahead of NHL Deadline

The St. Louis Blues have decided to move on from star winger Vladimir Tarasenko, sending him to the New York Rangers ahead of next month's trade deadline.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff first reported the deal.

Tarasenko has often been the subject of trade rumors in recent years, but the Blues kept holding on to him while they were in Stanley Cup contention.

The Blues aren't out of playoff contention, as they trail the final playoff spot in the Western Conference by nine games, but they have been disappointing this season with a 23-25-3 record.

Since Tarasenko is a free agent at the end of the season and the Blues don't have the makings of a Stanley Cup threat, it made sense to move him rather than losing him for nothing during the offseason.

Injuries have hindered Tarasenko over the past few seasons. The Russian star was limited to 10 games in 2019-20 because of a shoulder injury that required surgery. He only played in 24 games in 2020-21, finishing with 14 points and a career-worst minus-seven rating.

Tarasenko did return to prominence last season, however, recording 34 goals and 48 assists for 82 points in 75 games. Injuries have cropped up again this season, limiting him to 38 games, but he has been productive when healthy.

With 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points, Tarasenko was named to the All-Star Game, but he does have a minus-18 rating, which would be the worst of his career.

The 31-year-old was one of the Blues' best offensive weapons. He led the team in goals and points and was a second-team All-Star for successive seasons in 2015 and 2016.

Tarasenko finished second on the Blues in points scored (68) in 2018-19 and led the team in both goals and points last season.

With Tarasenko heading to the Big Apple, the Blues will be forced to lean more heavily on the likes of Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich and Brayden Schenn for offensive production.

Meanwhile, on the heels of reaching the Eastern Conference Final last season, the Rangers are adding a talented offensive player to go along with Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Co.