Major development in the Vladimir Tarasenko case

Recall that Tarasenko had requested a trade to the Blues a few months earlier. However, Doug Armstrong failed to trade his salary of $7.5 million per season.

I expect Vladi to play for us," he said, as reported by NHL.com. I'm going to treat him like every other hockey player. And, yes, he has asked to be traded. Things happen, but you know, we want Vladi to play good hockey for us. [He's going to have a role in this lineup as he always does. We'll deal with that internally and then we'll see."

"There are so many things you can control and there are other things you're not capable of sometimes," he continued. You just focus on what you can do and that's what we'll do."

The 29-year-old winger went unclaimed in the expansion draft by the Seattle Kraken, while St. Louis did not protect him. Tarasenko has an injury history that could scare off other NHL organizations, so perhaps that's why the trade process is being delayed. If he has good moments this season, while staying healthy, he may attract interest from various general managers.

The Blues' first pick in 2010 has an average salary of $7.5 million through 2023. He scored 14 points, including 4 goals, in 24 games in 2020-2021.