St. Louis Blues Vladimir Tarasenko At Odd Crossroads Ahead Of 2018-19

The St. Louis Blues know they need Vladimir Tarasenko to be at his best for them to be successful in 2018-19. However, his injury and perceived past puts him in an odd position prior to the year.

The St. Louis Blues have to have Vladimir Tarasenko at his peak to be at their best. They have added a lot of great pieces, but Tarasenko still has to be the main guy.

When Tarasenko is at his best, the team tends to be as well. His career high in goals came in the same year the team went to the conference finals.

Tarasenko had a career low in goals in 2017-18, in terms of goals scored when playing a full season. The Blues just missed out on the playoffs.

You cannot put that solely on Tarasenko’s shoulders. However, when you are the star of the team, you have to take blame.

There is little tangible evidence, but you have to wonder how many games Tarasenko did not score in that the Blues lost by a goal. Those seven goals not scored might have made the difference in points between the team not making the playoffs.

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Tarasenko has to realize the Blues win when he scores more often than not and they need him to do it more often.

That said, he is at an odd crossroads heading into the 2018-19 season. His detractors have always focused on his weight and perceived work ethic. Going into the season with a lighter workload won’t do anything to fend them off.

The problem Tarasenko has is that he cannot push things too much. He can skate until he is blue in the face, but he can only take part in so much actual hockey-related activity.

Having had shoulder issues myself, it’s better not to force anything. Doing so can have unexpected consequences without even realizing it. Opposite side muscles take over without you knowing. Other muscles take over for the weakened portion.

You have to take rehab seriously and get things back in working order properly. A setback would be devastating at this point.

The flip side of the argument is that Tarasenko already has people pick on him about his weight and general fitness. I do not put myself in that category overall, but having carried around differing weights myself, the more you weigh, the harder it is to be quick, no matter what shape you’re in.

If overall fitness is already a perceived issue, taking things lightly will not put him at peak fitness and stamina going into the year. When you’re a step off, your game can be a step off as well.

Despite any of these worries among the fan base, Tarasenko himself, is confident he’ll be ready. He said its been the biggest grind he’s been through but hopes it will help him.

"“This last three and a half months was pretty tough, both mentally and physically, too. Lots of rehab stuff, and it was the longest break ever between seasons (for me). But you just listen to the doctors and therapist and what they tell you and just follow the plan.” – Vladimir Tarasenko via stlblues.com"

Tarasenko does have a tightrope to walk. You can’t push a shoulder too much if it is not ready. However, he cannot go into the season too far behind the rest of his teammates because it is hard to catch up.

The detractors are loud and their opinions are not entirely wrong, but Tarasenko is still the key for this team to be at its best. Perhaps he is not and may never be the individual star that can do it all on his own. The team has added enough pieces on the periphery to give him aid and, if healthy, he might be poised for a breakout year.

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The Blues need him to have one. However, health is the key and with shoulders, you just never quite know.

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