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“Flames and Tarasenko Rekindle Trade Rumors”
It may be hard to remember now, but less than two years ago, many believed Vladimir Tarasenko would join the Calgary Flames. During the 2021 off-season, rumors circulated that Matthew Tkachuk was looking to leave town, with speculation that general manager Brad Treliving was considering sending him to the St. Louis Blues for the Russian sniper.
Ultimately, the deal never went through, and Tkachuk played one more season with the Flames before joining the Florida Panthers last summer. Even after the move of the annoying winger, the rumors about Tarasenko to the Flames have flared up again in the past week.
Tarasenko seems destined to be postponed early
Whether it’s the Flames or not, it seems increasingly likely that Tarasenko will be postponed before the trade deadline. Not only is he in the final year of his contract, the Blues continue to fall from a playoff spot, suggesting they will be sellers rather than buyers. The 31-year-old knows it and alluded to while speaking with Jeremy Rutherford at Thursday’s All-Star Game celebrations.
Related: 4 flame prospects that can be used as trade bait at the deadline
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“Yes, obviously yes,” Tarasenko said when asked if he thought about this being the last time he will represent the Blues at the All-Star Game. “Because even Vladi doesn’t know the future of Vladi. There’s only one who knows more than me, and his name is Doug Armstrong. I think this is the guy you should talk to about my future (with) the blues.
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
Tarasenko further said he had not held any talks about a possible extension lately. While that may change, it seems unlikely that the deadline is just a month away. Barring one major upset, the 262-career goalscorer is set to sport a new shirt in the near future.
Treliving, meanwhile, has been open about wanting to add an attacking winger to his line-up and apart from Patrick Kane and Timo Meier there might be no one better than Tarasenko. In what is considered a bad year, he still has 10 goals and 29 points in 38 games. Last season he scored 34 goals and 82 points in 75 games, proving just how talented he still is.
Blues will be looking for big returns
The question Treliving must ask is how much he is willing to pay. Tarasenko has long been a blues star. Many teams have already expressed interest and more will appear as the date approaches.
For this reason, the asking price will not be small. The Flames should undoubtedly be prepared to part ways with their first-round pick and one of their better prospects in the upcoming draft. Additionally, the money is also involved as Tarasenko carries a $7.5 million cap hit. Assuming the money pays off, it’s a question of whether the Flames are willing to give up what it would take to land a player of this caliber.
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Heading into the 2022-23 season, Flames fans probably expected their team to be buyers by deadline. With newcomers like Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, it was believed they would be as good if not better than they were a season ago. Many thought they had the potential to be the best team in the Western Conference, and almost everyone agreed they had a Stanley Cup roster.
Unfortunately, things haven’t gone as planned yet and they’re a point away from a playoff position. If Tarasenko is willing to waive his no-trade clause to get to Calgary, is Treliving ready to make such a bold move considering his team can last 50 games? He has to find that out in no time.
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Colton Pankiw is a former Jr. A hockey player who now shares his knowledge of the game in writing. He has been a very active and trusted source at The Hockey Writers for almost two years. He is a recognized writer for the Calgary Flames but also plays on other teams in the league. Other author contributions include: Yahoo Sports, Las Vegas Chronicle, Oil On Whyte and Markerzone.com. Colton is also the co-host of the podcasts Oilers Overtime and Flames Faceoff. Any interview requests or content information can be made through him Twitter. Check out his work here.
Source: thehockeywriters.com
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