St. Louis Blues: NHL Network Sadly Spot On With Vladimir Tarasenko Rank
By Todd Panula
St. Louis Blues fans might be harsh with plenty of their players, but we can also overvalue them at times too. With that in mind, we really have no right to be upset with NHL Network’s placement of our top star on their best winger list.
The St. Louis Blues have plenty of quality players, including one Vladimir Tarasenko. However, as much as we love him and know how good he could be, the truth is he is not as good as he could be and national media picked up on that.
The NHL Network has been running down lists of the top 20 players at each general position. Many were upset about Ryan O’Reilly being left out of the top-10. That discussion had merit. O’Reilly proved he was one of the best in the league the way he single-handedly kept the Blues alive to start 2018-19 and then propelled them in the playoffs.
Compare that to Tarasenko and there is not as much of an argument. Tarasenko has the skills to be a top-five winger in the league, but has yet to show the consistency or will to put himself in there.
What we do as fans is see a number attached to one of our players and get upset. You have to include me in that category, because in the recent list I saw Tarasenko ranked at 14th and it immediately set off alarms in my head.
Like any fan who is attached to a player and values their services, it made me feel he was undervalued. Of course being from St. Louis, you get somewhat of a complex anyway, so that makes fans feel disrespected right from the word go.
The problem is, when you dig deeper into it, it becomes really difficult to argue that Tarasenko should be any higher than he is. Here is the list.
1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
3. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
4. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
5. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
6. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
7. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
8. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
9. Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
10. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
11. Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets
12. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
13. Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
14.Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues
15. Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils
16. Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
17. Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames
18. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
19. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets
20. Phil Kessel, Arizona Coyotes
The list is not perfect, by any means. There is a strong argument to be made that Marchand should not be that high.
Perhaps you could even make the case that Tarasenko is better. The bottom line is that Marchand has had over 80 points three straight years and had 100 points in 2018-19. Tarasenko has yet to break past 75 points.
As Blues fans, it is hard not to sit there and say Kane is overrated. He has 100-plus points in two of the last four seasons and still bested Tarasenko’s career best during two of Chicago’s worst seasons in almost a decade.
Marner is listed as a center on hockey-reference, so I’m not 100% sure why he’s on here. Regardless, he is coming off a 94 point season. I would not put him in my own top five since he has not scored consistently yet, but when you get into the 90’s, it is understandable.
On the eyeball test, I thought for sure Tarasenko would be undervalued compared to him. Clearly, I do not see enough Philadelphia Flyers games. He just had an 85 point season and 102 points before that.
The case against Giroux would be inconsistency. In 10 full seasons, he has ranged anywhere from 47 points to that career high of 102. His goal totals have been sporadic as well. At least Tarasenko has had 30-plus goals in five straight seasons, even if we know there is more in the tank – no pun intended.
Personally, I would move Tarasenko above Stone. Stone’s career best came in 2018-19, with 73 points. His career best in goals is 33.
You could argue his numbers might be better if he played anywhere but Ottawa, but that’s weak. Ottawa might have been even worse without him, but Tarasenko has been more consistent and is a better goal scorer.
There are arguments to be made here or there, but the bottom line is Tarasenko is right around where he needs to be. Maybe you could move him up a spot or two, but is 12 really that different from 14?
The main problem with the list, itself, is lack of direction. Marner is rewarded for one great season, but Hall is 15th after only playing in 33 games in 2018-19 and being wildly inconsistent before that? If it’s based more on longevity, Marner should be much lower – maybe out of the top 10.
The larger issue is that Tarasenko could be top five, but is not of his own doing. Some of that boils down to assists and Tarasenko has lacked in that area. Some of it comes down to goals expected vs. produced.
Tarasenko has the ability to score 40 goals every season. If he stayed on a roll, he could be a 50 goal scorer. Unfortunately, he hits too many periods where he goes ice cold and they last for too long.
Tarasenko tends to be a very streaky player. He will go without a point in four games and goalless for seven games and then score goals in seven out of 10 games with some of those games having two goals.
Spread that out more evenly and get more consistent and Tarasenko can easily vault up the list. The worrying thing is we have been saying that for several seasons now.
Next. Blues and new MLS team should parnter early and often. dark
Tarasenko is out of excuses at this point. Brayden Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly are quality players, even if the league does not consider them elite centers. He needs to become the full player he can be.
It might not be an absolute must, since the Blues proved they could win without a truly elite scorer. Still, just to get a player playing at his best without any nights off would be something to behold with someone that can shoot like Tarasenko can.