A month ago, a moderate portion of hockey lovers in St. Louis had given up on Vladimir Tarasenko. Or at least, the idea of him being elite ever again.
After a disappointing season that saw him rehab and return from a third shoulder surgery, Tarasenko embroiled the entire situation by requesting a trade in the offseason. Things grew more tense when Doug “I really can’t miss” Armstrong couldn’t find a match. In other words, the GM wasn’t giving up his formerly elite winger for scraps.
Flash forward a few months later-as the harsh summer humidity turns to harsh fall winds-and Tarasenko is touching elite status once again.