Report: New York Rangers trade for Vladimir Tarasenko from Blues
The New York Rangers have acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues on Thursday pending a trade call. Updates to follow, but the Blues are expected to have retained up to 50% of Tarasenko’s cap hit to make this deal work.
OFFICIAL: New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the team has acquired forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Sammy Blais, and Hunter Skinner.
New York Rangers
Updates:
Per Elliotte Friedman, Libor Hajek on waivers
Per Darren Dreger, Rangers also sending a 1st and 4th round pick to Blues
Blues retain 50% of Tarasenko’s cap hit per CapFriendly
This is a big move for the Blueshirts well in advance of the NHL Trade Deadline set for March 3.
Tarasenko, 31, has scored 10 goals and 29 points through 38 games to date. He’s projected to play on the right wing with Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad to start.
Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff broke the trade.
New York Ranger trade for Vladimir Tarsenko
As rumors dating back to last season swirled around the possibility of bringing in Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks, concerns over his nagging lower-body injury grew.
On Monday, I noted that GM Chris Drury should monitor the situation closely but also be ready to move on another confirmed target. That was Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko. Per a trusted source, the Rangers explored a deal for him last season and was considered a better fit than Kane.
Last month, NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp told Forever Blueshirts why he felt the Rangers would be better off with Tarasenko.
“I wonder, how a potential land of Vlad Tarasenko would be on the wing (for the Rangers). If you had a second line of Panarin, Trocheck, and Tarasenko– sign me up for that,” he said. “He’s 235 pounds and I walked by him at an All Star Game in Nashville a few years ago. He’s walking down the hallway and he’s so big… He’s so powerful out there and he plays in traffic…that’s the type of guy the Rangers need.”
Tarasenko is in the final year of his deal with an AAV of $7.5 million. He publicly requested a trade publicly tow seasons ago. It’s also been speculated that he’s going to test the free agent market in July.
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