Vladimir Tarasenko talked. Sort of.
The embattled Blues forward sat down for a brief — and I mean brief —Zoom interview after Thursday’s first day of training camp knowing he was about to face plenty of questions about his drama-filled offseason.
Isn't it ironic when an athlete attempts to play the victim after creating his own mess?
Some of that was going on Thursday.
Tarasenko requested a trade and didn’t get it. The two-time All-Star and Stanley Cup champion’s camp turned up the pressure when it feared it was not going to get the offseason outcome it wanted. Sources speaking on Tarasenko's behalf to various media outlets critiqued the Blues for everything from how his shoulder injuries were handled in the past, to Blues general manager Doug Armstrong’s handling of the trade request, to the Blues picking Ryan O'Reilly as the team captain instead of Tarasenko.
I compliment Tarasenko's people for not stooping low enough to insult the guy who drives the ice resurfacing machine. I really did figure that story was coming at some point. Great restraint.
Surprisingly, the spin did not convince the Blues to make trading No. 91 a must. A big part of that was team owner Tom Stillman and Blues general manager Doug Armstrong not wanting to be strong-armed into a deal. Another part was Tarasenko's market just not being what he thinks it is considering his injury history and declining performance combined with his hefty contract. Stillman and Armstrong did not want to pay Tarasenko to play elsewhere. So, here he is at an awkward training camp, preparing as if he will start the season with the team he wanted to leave. Nothing to see here, the Blues tell us. Yeah, OK.
Some obvious questions had to be answered before this uncomfortable arrangement could start down a path no one can predict. Credit to Tarasenko for realizing that and facing the music on day one of training camp to get it over with. But if you were a Blues fan hopeful to hear an apology or any sign of regret, well, you are going to be disappointed.
Tarasenko said he’s healthy. He said he’s cool with his teammates. He said he’s here to play hard and not be a distraction. He said he's thankful for fans who understand. He said time and time again that he’s not really interested in getting into the drama. Some of what he said needs a fact-check.
Tarasenko said his situation is going to stay between him, his teammates and Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. Since when? It was Tarasenko’s camp that spent the offseason breathing life into stories designed to leverage a trade. Team doctors might not have the bus tracks cleaned off their backs by game one.
Tarasenko said there have been a lot of negative articles written about him. Where? Most of the articles written about him have stemmed from his camp heaping blame on Armstrong, Berube and team doctors. If anyone should be feeling burned, it should be those folks, not Tarasenko. If Tarasenko didn't like those folks catching criticism, he had a perfect opportunity Thursday to distance himself from those offseason headlines. He didn't. He knows where they came from.
I wrote a column this offseason saying the Blues should trade Tarasenko, and that an iconic player trending toward bitter in the end was sad to see. I stand by it. I’m still not sure why the Blues are taking this risk. They're entering a big season with a big potential problem.
I get not wanting to pay Tarasenko to go away. I get that the market Tarasenko thought he should have just is not there at this time. I get the idea Tarasenko could be highly motivated this season and could even have a great season; seriously, it should surprise no one if he looks like a man on fire out there. I get the idea of letting the market for Tarasenko develop as injuries around the league begin. I get the idea of maybe, just maybe, a lightning bolt striking and a sour situation becoming a good one again all of a sudden. But it’s a pretty big risk, bringing back a player who has made it clear he wants to go. Especially when that player has a history of being aware of and even sensitive to negative attention when it comes his way. Berube is a buy-in coach. Tarasenko is, at best, playing with mixed motives moving forward. I asked him if he's playing to improve his trade value, playing to help the Blues be the best team they can be, or some combination of the two.
"I have a lot of pride in my name," Tarasenko said. "We have a sports family. First I will play for the team. And play for my name. I received a lot of support but also a lot of bad messages and bad articles. I have a big motivation to prove it wrong, and this is it."
Tarasenko said one other very important thing before his five-minute Q&A ended. He said the only things that will really prove anything moving forward are his actions and performance on the ice. That is 100 percent, undeniably true.
Finally, something the Blues and Tarasenko can agree about.
