Should Bruins Pursue Vladimir Tarasenko Trade Amid Fallout With Blues?
But it becomes way more palatable if a team believes he wasnt allowed to do what was medically necessary because of disagreements with the Blues, and that is what torpedoed his ability. Perhaps with the right medical care, he can return to the 70-plus point player he has been. In such a case, a $7.5 million cap hit doesnt sound all that bad. Its still a risk, but a justifiable one. Theres reason to believe a trade to the Bruins could have the Taylor Hall Effect, if you will, on Tarasenko  provided hes healthy. Hall seemed to appreciate that he didnt have to be the main guy when he came to Boston, and that the stardom was spread out. The Blues work Tarasenko quite a bit, especially in Craig Berubes system. If the Bruins acquired the 29-year-old, he would likely go on the second line behind first-unit right winger David Pastrnak. That also would allow the Bruins some flexibility with Craig Smith, who could become a high-end third line right winger. Its also worth mentioning that Tarasenkos contract is up after the 2022-23 season. According to Bs president Cam Neely, both Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand have told Bruins brass they want to take another shot at the Cup with this core group of players. Acquiring Tarasenko would probably have a long-term impact, but if the Bruins want to chase a championship now, then having two years of the Russian would be a move that shows they are all-in for a little longer. If the Blues are looking to move Tarasenko quickly, then it might not work out for the Bruins, who have to be mindful of how they use their cap space with David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly, among others, all hitting unrestricted free agency. But if the expansion draft passes, free agency opens and the initial flurry of moves get taken care of, then it seems like something the Bruins could revisit if they have the cap space. That might not be agreeable for the Blues, who undoubtedly would want to get that cap hit off the books prior to the start of free agency. Point being, there are a lot of moving pieces here that need to fall perfectly into place for a Bruins-Tarasenko thing to actually come to pass. If nothing else though, at his best he represents a good fit for Boston and would be worth the potential risk.