Now the transfer wheel in the NHL is really starting to turn. After the New York Islanders recently got Bo Horvat in a blockbuster deal, the competitor from Manhattan made the next headline. The Rangers hooked up Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues.
Drafted 16th in the first round by the St. Louis Blues in 2010, 31-year-old Tarasenko soon emerged as a true goal-getter. In his strongest season, 2015/16, he scored no fewer than 40 goals.
After a few seasons plagued by injuries, he really got back into full swing last year. His tally last season was 34 goals and 48 assists in 75 games. Also in 2019, when St. Louis surprisingly won the Stanley Cup title, the Russian played an important role in the play-offs and scored eleven goals.
Now the New York Rangers have secured Tarasenko’s services in a deal with the Blues. Defender Niko Mikkola was also included in the package with the Russian. In return, the Rangers give Sammy Blais, Hunter Skinner, the first-round pick in 2023, and a fourth-round pick in 2024 to the Blues.
In New York, Vladimir Tarasenko will also meet his Russian compatriots and superstars Artemi Panarin, as well as goalie Igor Shesterkin. The Rangers play against the Seattle Kraken in the night to tomorrow, it is quite possible that Tarasenko will already show himself to the fans in Madison Square Garden.
www.hockey-news.info, Credits: Michael Miller (CC BY-SA 4.0)
