That has been question # 1 since the Blues put Vladimir Tarasenko on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) in January and then exceeded the NHL’s $ 81.5 million salary cap: when he is ready to return , how will they adjust their $ 7.5 million AAV back on?
Well, Tarasenko is approaching, to the point of skating in line with Brayden Schenn and David Perron in Friday practice, before leaving for the team game on Saturday night in San Jose.
“I put him at risk because he is getting close,” said Blues coach Craig Berube. “I wanted to go with the line and see how it looks and get some repetitions there. He’s itchy and ready to go too. It’s been a while for him and a long way. He did a great job of conditioning and rehabilitation, so the credit goes to him and the training team on our hockey team.