As a prospect, Tarasenko was regarded as one of the most talented youngsters in the world and his NHL arrival was highly anticipated. When he debuted as a member of the St. Louis Blues during the 2012-13 season, Tarasenko got off to a hot start before getting injured and he had trouble replicating his hot start afterwards. In his sophomore season, he put up a solid 43 points in 64 games but most knew he had more to offer. And so far this season, he has delivered.
Tarasenko already has 17 points in 14 games and has been using his size and skill to his advantage. Many of the Blues forwards have struggled offensively so far such as David Backes and TJ Oshie while perennial point producer Paul Stastny has been injured. The Blues haven’t been their usual excellent selves but so far it has been The Tarasenko Show as he demonstrated in the game against the New York Rangers where he walked around four players before scoring on a Peter Forsberg-esque deke.
The Blues are a team that is dangerously close to being put in the category along with the San Jose Sharks as an excellent regular season team that can’t get it done in the playoffs. The Blues have been kicked aside in recent by years by eventual Stanley Cup winners in Los Angeles and Chicago. One of the Blues’ biggest critiques has been their lack of a game breaking sniper like a Patrick Kane or a Jeff Carter. But Tarasenko is quickly shaping up to be that guy. He is a solid 6′ 0″ and 219 lbs (according to NHL.com) and built like a tank which is key to helping him protect the puck. He’s got the flashy offensive skills as he can deke out guys one-on-one or use his lethal shot.
When looking back at the 2010 NHL draft, it’s almost unfathomable that Tarasenko went 16th overall. But some old prejudices die hard when it comes to drafting Russians and the Blues look like geniuses for trading David Rundblad to Ottawa for the 16th pick that became Tarasenko. Certainly if you redid the 2010 draft again, there is a pretty solid argument he would go top five. Teams are loathe to admit when they have made a drafting mistake but I can imagine a few teams kicking themselves for passing on Tarasenko.
On a team rife with two-way players that takes its defense seriously, Tarasenko is a unique talent on the Blues. He isn’t known for his defensive play but no doubt being coached by Ken Hitchcock has helped him in that department. He has the rare ability to be able to score at will and his speed and puck protection is a huge asset for him. In an era where there are less Russians in the NHL and some have struggled such as Nail Yakupov, Tarasenko has been a bright spot for Russian hockey. He made the 2014 Russian Olympic team and Tarasenko’s confidence appears to be at an all time high. His importance on the Blues is increasing dramatically and as playoff time rolls around, no doubt Blues fans will eager to find out whether Tarasenko can be the difference between an early exit or a Stanley Cup.
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