NHL Rumors: Tarasenko still wants a trade; league may suspend Evander Kane; Tkachuk and Sens at critical point
Anthony Scultore
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The NHL season has begun and the Blues have yet to drop the puck on the season. One player to keep an eye on is Vladimir Tarasenko, who was told by his GM in the summer to prepare to play for the St. Louis Blues.
To his credit, Tarasenko came to camp in tip-top shape and made sure to make clear he doesn’t want to discuss his trade demands.
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NHL Rumors: Tarasenko still wants a trade
“My mindset is good. Happy to be with the guys,” Tarasenko said. “It’s been a weird summer, but it’s going to stay between us – between me and (GM)Doug. I’m here to work. As long as I play here, I will work 100%. I’m 100% healthy.”
According to Frank Seravalli, he reports that despite both parties playing nice Tarasenko still wants a trade.
The 29 year-old is one of the game’s better offensive players. He scored a career high 40 goals back in 2015-16 and has 442 points in his nine seasons. He also comes with a lot of risk due to his shoulder issues. That history is something teams will not take lightly, but goal starved teams will most certainly be giving the Blues a call.
NHL may suspend Evander Kane
Evander Kane has been swimming in hot water all summer and well into the start of the new season. Nick Kypreos is claiming that the NHL is considering suspending Kane under Section 18A which relates to Off-Ice Conduct.
The San Jose Sharks opened up the season and listed Kane as a non-roster player. By doing so, his entire $7 million cap hit does not count against them.
Kane, 30, is also under investigation for using a fake vaccination card, Front Office Sports reported.
Last season, he recorded 49 points (22 goals, 27 assists) in 56 games and an average of 20 minutes, 12 seconds of time on ice.
Crucial time for Brady Tkachuk and Sens
The standoff between the Senators and Brady Tkachuk continues. According to Elliotte Friedman they are at a crucial time in the negotiations.
“If the team and agents get it done in the next 24-48 hours, everyone smiles and moves on. If not, there’s a real problem,” Friedman wrote in his latest blog. “This can always change with one phone call, but as I woke up Tuesday morning, word was the Senators are still fixated on seven or eight years while Tkachuk wants a bridge. If I owned Ottawa, I’d bet on this group of young players.”
What needs to be understood is that the Sens are not dealing with just Brad, but also his father Keith who was an NHL star and his brother Matt. It’s a “family business.”
Listen, Brady’s own brother Matt foreshadowed this scenario during the NHL’s Media Tour before camps opened.
“He might be pulling a classic Tkachuk right now. Dad held out, Matthew held out, and Brady looks like he’s on his way right now,” he told Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. “So hopefully it can get figured out here.”
Bottom line, the Senators need the 22 year-old Tkachuk to be a competitive team. He scored 36 points in 56 games for the Sens last season.
