It took a while, but former Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko has found hockey happiness after ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
He is a Florida Panther now, preparing to play for the Stanley Cup again. Blues fans should be cheering him on, given all that he did while in the STL.
Tarasenko bounced around to reach this point. He went to the New York Rangers ahead of the 2023 NHL trade deadline, after Blues general manager Doug Armstrong finally fulfilled his trade request.
He was thrilled to join his buddy Artemi Panarin, but the Rangers flopped in the playoffs. Tarasenko became a free agent and signed with the seemingly ascending Ottawa Senators — only to see that team crash and burn.
The Senators shipped him to the Panthers for draft picks. They did Tarasenko a solid as he makes his year-round home in South Florida.
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“The moment I came here, the guys treated me as a member of the family,†Tarasenko told reporters Saturday. “It’s been an unbelievable run so far getting back to the finals. It’s why we play the sport since growing up. It’s what you dream about, and I’m looking forward to it.â€
At 32, Tarasenko is no longer the elite scorer who tallied 182 goals during a five-year span here. He isn’t the top-line winger who scored nine times during the Blues’ final four run in 2016, 11 times during their epic 2019 Cup quest and six times in 12 playoff games in 2022.
He is not No. 91 anymore. He wears No. 10 (9+1) for the Panthers while deferring to teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson on his sweater number.
He plays on the third line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen at even strength. On the power play, he toils on the second unit.
He is a depth scorer, but teams need that to succeed in postseason play. And it was Tarasenko who scored the decisive goal Saturday as the Panthers defeated the Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 to win the Eastern Conference title.
“You know, when you have chances and it doesn’t go in, you’re just going to have to keep working,†Tarasenko said. “Our team did great, so there’s no time to be frustrated, you just have to try hard to help the team and it paid back in the end.â€
As most Blues fans know, Tarasenko does not handle scoring slumps well. He fell into funks in ºüÀêÊÓƵ when the puck didn’t go in for him.
He scored just twice in his first 16 playoff games this season, so he was beating himself up before scoring his clinching goal.
“I’m hard on myself, honestly,†Tarasenko said. “I don’t think everything is OK, but like I said, when (the) team (does) well, you just keep working hard and by the small plays you get rewarded like I did.â€
Tarasenko has been making those small plays throughout the postseason.
“He put his ego aside, and he is continuing to get better for us,†Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “And I’m happy for him because he wore it for a while, not scoring, but he brought a lot more in this series than that so I’m happy for him.â€
Tarasenko needed a prod from time to time from teammates and coaches while in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. Like he said, he’s hard on himself. Sometimes his frustration got the best of him.
But he persevered through a serious shoulder injury and an exasperating reinjury. He put in the months and months of rehab work — twice — that was needed to get back on the ice.
That long physical and mental grind left a mark on Tarasenko. So did concerns about his medical treatment. That rift led him wanting out.
While waiting for his trade request to be met, Tarasenko went about his business without public complaint. He performed well for Craig Berube and clicked with his teammates.
He was not the first Blues star to depart ºüÀêÊÓƵ (willingly or unwillingly), and he won’t be the last. So it goes in sports. Fans must accept that.
Tarasenko delivered everything the Blues hoped for when the team drafted him in 2010. He gave the franchise a needed jolt. He scored goals year after year. He helped the franchise finally win the Cup.
After facing his old team in ºüÀêÊÓƵ for the first time, Tarasenko expressed his appreciation for Blues fans and the community that made his family feel welcome.
“This city will be in our hearts forever,†Tarasenko said.
Now he has found a place with the Panthers, who are preparing to play the Edmonton Oilers for the Cup. His new team leans on him for his leadership and Cup experience.
“He’s a real hockey professor, in my opinion,†Lundell told reporters. “He has a lot of details he likes to talk about, and he’s very smart. We talk a lot. We talk about a lot of situations and what we can do to be better and how we can be more effective.â€
Edmonton megastar Connor McDavid will be the headliner in the Stanley Cup Final while trying to win his first title. Our Town’s Matthew Tkachuk figures to grab some spotlight while doing Matthew Tkachuk things.
But Blues fans should tune in to see if Tarasenko can grab another ring.
“It’s not done yet,†Tarasenko said. “We have been through three rounds, and we have one more round. It’s the hardest round left. It’s been a good journey so far, and we will be ready to compete.â€