The New Jersey Devils have been tied to St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko for most of the offseason. It’s possible he’s been on his no-trade clause, but after the signing of Dougie Hamilton, the Devils might look a little different in the Russian’s eyes. It’s clear the Devils are looking to shed years of failure as Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes get closer to their primes.
Tarasenko isn’t exactly the guarantee he was two seasons ago. After the 2018-19 season, he was coming off five straight 30-goal seasons with a minimum of 60 points each campaign. He was one of the best scoring wingers in the league.
That just isn’t where his value is anymore. After two seasons dealing with major shoulder issues, Tarasenko’s value is that of a flier. He might be cooked. It’s more likely that he can bounce back, but there is at least a chance he is never the same. Teams are taking that into account when making offers to the Blues. They can’t ask for a top prospect and a 1st-round pick. Blues GM Doug Armstrong would have moved him already if he got even a decent offer.
The reports are the ask is high, and if that’s true, the Devils should bow out completely. We’ve covered this part of it before. However, there is a deal that would make everyone excited for Tarasenko’s arrival. The Devils can’t give away a top prospect or 1st-round pick in a Tarasenko deal. That’s a deal breaker. They can make a move that’s a lot less risk. The Devils have a deep prospect pool, and they can use it here. It does have less depth after trading away Mikhail Maltsev and losing Nathan Bastian in the expansion draft. There are still a dozen young players who are NHL ready and about a dozen more who could make the NHL one day. The Devils could use this leverage to make a trade with the Blues work.