Tarasenko Watch Thread

[stlbluz]

Kuznetsov, Tarasenko start the season scoring
by Alessandro Seren Rosso on Sep 12, 2010 02:01 AM

2010 draftees Vladimir Tarasenko and Evgeny Kuznetsov started the 2010-11 campaign doing what they do better: scoring.

After two regular season games Tarasenko has two goals under his belt, Kuznetsov one.

Tarasenko started the season very well, scoring in both games his Sibir Novosibirsk played against far-eastern team Amur Khabarovsk. In the third period of the first game he got the puck on right side of the goal line and skated toward the crease. The former New Jersey Devil Yann Danis rejected the first attempt, but Tarasenko picked up his own rebound and finished off the rush with a quick touch between Danis' pads winning the battle with defenseman Denis Shemelin, thus scoring the 5-2 goal.

Tarasenko, who's still 18 as he's a late 91 born, is having an average time on ice of more than thirteen minutes.

A rebound helped Tarasenko scoring the second goal of the season, but in another way. During a powerplay situation Vladimir had the puck on the stick and attempted a shot from the right circle. The shot hit the defenseman, but Tarasenko got the puck back and with a great wristshot beat Yann Danis on the top right corner, glove side to tie the game at one. Sibir will eventually beat Amur 3-2.

Kuznetsov didn't score in Traktor's first KHL game of the season, a 7-2 defeat against Salavat Yulaev Ufa, but he did score against another KHL powerhouse, Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

During the first period of the game Traktor got a powerplay. Center Evgeny Galkin seen Kuznetsov wide open on the opposite blue line and served him. Kuznetsov found himself all alone against the goalie, Georgi Gelashvili, and tricked him out with a deke on the right side, beating him on the left. Traktor won the game 4-3 also thanks to two goals of former St. Louis Blues draftee Viktor Alexandrov.

Probably Evgeny Kuznetsov took the right decision, opting for staying in Russia at least another year. He has now the chance to log good, quality minutes in the world's second best league.

[Winning Unlimited]

[gaijin]

You beat me to it, OPTI... I mean WU.

Now all you need is to photoshop Tarasenko's name over the CCCP.

[stlbluz]

Tarasenko's goal streak comes to an end

by Didzis Rudmanis on Sep 13, 2010 08:50 AM

Today Sibir Novosibirsk, with top Russian prospects Vladimir Tarasenko and Nikita Zaytsev on the line-up, got their third victory in a row, beating Dinamo Riga 3:2. St. Louis Blues' prospect Tarasenko ended his two-game goal streak.

Already since the first faceoff Sibir players had the edge of the game in their hands, their aggressive and fast play allowed them to play on several consecutive powerplays, however none of them was turned into a goal. The first period ended scoreless. In the beginning of the second period Finnish forward Jonas Enlund erupted through the defence of Dinamo Riga, scoring his first goal of the season. However, only minutes later veteran Sandis Ozolinsh set up a goal for Slovak Tomas Surovy, tieing the game up. Both teams exchanged another pair of goals, finishing the period 2:2. Early in the third period Yuri Petrov scored already the third goal for Sibir. For the rest of the game Dinamo had a large pressure, however Stefan Liv reamined unbeaten.

Tarasenko was undoubtadely one of the most active players on Sibir's roster, creating one goal scoring chance after another one. He was fast, with admirable stickhandling, played decent also defensively. On the contrary, Nikita Zaytsev, just like previous two games, spent only under five minutes on the ice, not being able to show much of his game today.

[cprice12]

He was fast, with admirable stickhandling, played decent also defensively.

Awesome.

[ViPeRx007]

Tarasenko's goal streak comes to an end

by Didzis Rudmanis on Sep 13, 2010 08:50 AM

Today Sibir Novosibirsk, with top Russian prospects Vladimir Tarasenko and Nikita Zaytsev on the line-up, got their third victory in a row, beating Dinamo Riga 3:2. St. Louis Blues' prospect Tarasenko ended his two-game goal streak.

Already since the first faceoff Sibir players had the edge of the game in their hands, their aggressive and fast play allowed them to play on several consecutive powerplays, however none of them was turned into a goal. The first period ended scoreless. In the beginning of the second period Finnish forward Jonas Enlund erupted through the defence of Dinamo Riga, scoring his first goal of the season. However, only minutes later veteran Sandis Ozolinsh set up a goal for Slovak Tomas Surovy, tieing the game up. Both teams exchanged another pair of goals, finishing the period 2:2. Early in the third period Yuri Petrov scored already the third goal for Sibir. For the rest of the game Dinamo had a large pressure, however Stefan Liv reamined unbeaten.

Tarasenko was undoubtadely one of the most active players on Sibir's roster, creating one goal scoring chance after another one. He was fast, with admirable stickhandling, played decent also defensively. On the contrary, Nikita Zaytsev, just like previous two games, spent only under five minutes on the ice, not being able to show much of his game today.

Oh no! He SUCKS now!

[philco_3]

We're DoOmEd!

[stlbluz]

The St. Louis Blues are planning on moving David Backes to the right wing to make way for Andy McDonald to play in the middle, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford tweets.

McDonald, a natural center, was the Blues leading scorer last season and this move is likely an effort to get Backes and McDonald both on the top line.

But, off the ice, this is more meaningful more Backes because he hits unrestricted free agency next season. If Backes remains on the wing, instead of at center, it'll be interesting to see what kind of comparable are brought up during negotiations. Generally, centers rake in more money than winger on the market, so this might be a point of contention in contract talks.

Just to see if anyone is paying attention.

[DaDitka]

The St. Louis Blues are planning on moving David Backes to the right wing to make way for Andy McDonald to play in the middle, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford tweets.

McDonald, a natural center, was the Blues leading scorer last season and this move is likely an effort to get Backes and McDonald both on the top line.

But, off the ice, this is more meaningful more Backes because he hits unrestricted free agency next season. If Backes remains on the wing, instead of at center, it'll be interesting to see what kind of comparable are brought up during negotiations. Generally, centers rake in more money than winger on the market, so this might be a point of contention in contract talks.

Just to see if anyone is paying attention.

If David has another 17 - 19 goal season, the difference may be negligible, it he threatens the 30 goal mark as he did two seasons ago (I highly doubt), then the difference could be a point of contention. Then again, if he wants to argue he should be paid as a 30 goal center, I'd point out that he's a 17 goal center, or a 25+ goal winger.

[stlbluz]

"Some thoughts on the Russian team - first, I was really impressed by Vladimir Tarasenko (taken 16th overall by St. Louis in this past summer's Draft). It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the teams that passed on him (presumably because of "the Russian factor") are going to regret that decision in a couple of years. His offensive skills were as good or better then advertised and he was lightning fast on his skates in the the transition game. He didn’t end up with the C by mistake either. Judging leadership quality merely by observing a player's on-ice performance is, of course, not enough to paint the full picture. Having said that, he did all the little things right - always the first player in when his teammates were "attacked", calling over and talking to the referees at stoppage in plays but not in a excessive/whiny way, etc. And he was going out of his way to talk to players that had done something stupid and had their heads down."

LINK

[cprice12]

"Some thoughts on the Russian team - first, I was really impressed by Vladimir Tarasenko (taken 16th overall by St. Louis in this past summer's Draft). It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the teams that passed on him (presumably because of "the Russian factor") are going to regret that decision in a couple of years. His offensive skills were as good or better then advertised and he was lightning fast on his skates in the the transition game. He didn’t end up with the C by mistake either. Judging leadership quality merely by observing a player's on-ice performance is, of course, not enough to paint the full picture. Having said that, he did all the little things right - always the first player in when his teammates were "attacked", calling over and talking to the referees at stoppage in plays but not in a excessive/whiny way, etc. And he was going out of his way to talk to players that had done something stupid and had their heads down."

LINK

I wish it was 2012 right now.

[A-Yo!]

"Some thoughts on the Russian team - first, I was really impressed by Vladimir Tarasenko (taken 16th overall by St. Louis in this past summer's Draft). It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the teams that passed on him (presumably because of "the Russian factor") are going to regret that decision in a couple of years. His offensive skills were as good or better then advertised and he was lightning fast on his skates in the the transition game. He didn’t end up with the C by mistake either. Judging leadership quality merely by observing a player's on-ice performance is, of course, not enough to paint the full picture. Having said that, he did all the little things right - always the first player in when his teammates were "attacked", calling over and talking to the referees at stoppage in plays but not in a excessive/whiny way, etc. And he was going out of his way to talk to players that had done something stupid and had their heads down."

LINK

I wish it was 2012 right now.

So the Blues just can't buy out his contract now and get him on the ice. I mean the kid can get down and play, why not? I mean get the kid here, get him used to the game and let's see what short and long-term dividends that could result.

We had to watch Kane or Crosby on the ice at 18, why not this kid...

Just sayin'

[cprice12]

"Some thoughts on the Russian team - first, I was really impressed by Vladimir Tarasenko (taken 16th overall by St. Louis in this past summer's Draft). It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the teams that passed on him (presumably because of "the Russian factor") are going to regret that decision in a couple of years. His offensive skills were as good or better then advertised and he was lightning fast on his skates in the the transition game. He didn’t end up with the C by mistake either. Judging leadership quality merely by observing a player's on-ice performance is, of course, not enough to paint the full picture. Having said that, he did all the little things right - always the first player in when his teammates were "attacked", calling over and talking to the referees at stoppage in plays but not in a excessive/whiny way, etc. And he was going out of his way to talk to players that had done something stupid and had their heads down."

LINK

I wish it was 2012 right now.

So the Blues just can't buy out his contract now and get him on the ice. I mean the kid can get down and play, why not? I mean get the kid here, get him used to the game and let's see what short and long-term dividends that could result.

We had to watch Kane or Crosby on the ice at 18, why not this kid...

Just sayin'

Getting a Russian out of his contract with his Russian team is a pain in the ass.

[stlbluz]

"Some thoughts on the Russian team - first, I was really impressed by Vladimir Tarasenko (taken 16th overall by St. Louis in this past summer's Draft). It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the teams that passed on him (presumably because of "the Russian factor") are going to regret that decision in a couple of years. His offensive skills were as good or better then advertised and he was lightning fast on his skates in the the transition game. He didn’t end up with the C by mistake either. Judging leadership quality merely by observing a player's on-ice performance is, of course, not enough to paint the full picture. Having said that, he did all the little things right - always the first player in when his teammates were "attacked", calling over and talking to the referees at stoppage in plays but not in a excessive/whiny way, etc. And he was going out of his way to talk to players that had done something stupid and had their heads down."

LINK

I wish it was 2012 right now.

So the Blues just can't buy out his contract now and get him on the ice. I mean the kid can get down and play, why not? I mean get the kid here, get him used to the game and let's see what short and long-term dividends that could result.

We had to watch Kane or Crosby on the ice at 18, why not this kid...

Just sayin'

Getting a Russian out of his contract with his Russian team is a pain in the ass.

This. Plus I'd like to see our current crew step up before we throw Tarasenko into the mix. I honestly believe we're going to have a good perspective on where we're at with our youngsters/roster at the end of this season, and with new ownership in place(+$) I'm thinking next seasons line-up will be a force to reckon with. If we can avoid frivolous contracts and actually make some signings that make sense we could very well be positioned for several years of success, maybe even a Market St party.

[stlbluz]

Stat lines don't tell the story at all of this guy. He is a leader, he is all over the ice, he draws penalties from the opposition giving his team power play opportunities, he plays good defense, he is a total team player, he makes incredible passes, and he plays at 100% all the time.

[Kyle1512]

"Some thoughts on the Russian team - first, I was really impressed by Vladimir Tarasenko (taken 16th overall by St. Louis in this past summer's Draft). It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the teams that passed on him (presumably because of "the Russian factor") are going to regret that decision in a couple of years. His offensive skills were as good or better then advertised and he was lightning fast on his skates in the the transition game. He didn’t end up with the C by mistake either. Judging leadership quality merely by observing a player's on-ice performance is, of course, not enough to paint the full picture. Having said that, he did all the little things right - always the first player in when his teammates were "attacked", calling over and talking to the referees at stoppage in plays but not in a excessive/whiny way, etc. And he was going out of his way to talk to players that had done something stupid and had their heads down."

LINK

I wish it was 2012 right now.

So the Blues just can't buy out his contract now and get him on the ice. I mean the kid can get down and play, why not? I mean get the kid here, get him used to the game and let's see what short and long-term dividends that could result.

We had to watch Kane or Crosby on the ice at 18, why not this kid...

Just sayin'

Tarasenko has to buy out his own contract, it woud be a salary cap violation if the Blues bought out his contract. Would be over the amount of a legal signing bonus. I believe he will be a full time St. Louis Blue in 2011.

[stlbluz]

* September 23, 2010
Tarasenko played 2nd line against Metallurg Mg, 0G, 0A, 17:57 TOI, 3 shots, Sibir won 3-1

* September 25, 2010
Tarasenko played second line against Traktor, no points, 4 shots, 2 PIMs, Sibir lost 3-2

* September 27, 2010
Tarasenko didn't shine, no points in 2-1 win over Avangard, 1 shot, 14:26 TOI, no ice time during OT

Guys a bust.

[stlbluz]

October 4, 2010
Tarasenko scored a PP goal in the 3-1 goal during the win over Amur. 14:21 TOI, 3 shots, even, 0 PIMs

October 7, 2010
Tarasenko scored the game-winning shoot out against Metallurg Nk.

October 8, 2010
Tarasenko had an assist during 1-3 defeat to Barys Astana. 13:39 TOI, 5 shots, 0 PIMs, good game with some scoring chances

October 12, 2010
No points for Tarasenko when Sibir loses to Ak Bars 2-3 OT. 13:24 TOI, 4 shots, a couple of scoring chances

October 16, 2010
No points for Tarasenko when Sibir defeated Neftekhimik 3-2. 13:24 TOI, 5 shots, even

Tarasenko is playing parallel to the Blues.

[ViPeRx007]

Shouldn't he have about 147 goals by now?

[stlbluz]

Tarasenko Q&A with Alessandro Seren Rosso
By Jeff Quirin on October 26, 2010

Recently I did a Q&A with Alessandro Seren Rosso, a Russian Hockey journalist writing for sites like HockeysFuture.com and RussianProspect.com regarding the St. Louis Blues top Forward prospect, Vladimir Tarasenko.

We spoke regarding Tarasenko’s current abilities, growth potential and his NHL readiness. He also included some information on other Blues prospects currently playing in the KHL.

-

Q. Through 20 games Tarasenko has 4 goals, 8points and a Minus-2 rating. How would you summarize his overall play at this point of the KHL season?

Alessandro Seren Rosso: Even if from an American point of view such stats might be disappointed, from an European point of view this is solid production, especially when we are talking about a 18 years old. He’s improved from last season, now he plays more physically, tries harder, and the opposition takes more care of him than in the past.

Q. What aspects of his game still need improvement in order to make the jump to the NHL? Can changes be made in the remainder of the KHL season?

ASR: To be honest I think he’s ready to play in the NHL. I think that Tarasenko is a better player than Alexander Burmistrov, and Burmistrov got a roster spot with the Thrashers. He needs to get used to the more demanding North American style, and this isn’t something that he can get in the KHL, but I think that he’ll be ready anyway. If you’re a skilled player you don’t need to be overly physical, and there are less physical players than him in the NHL (Semin for example).

Q. Tarasenko is a likely candidate to play a large role on Russia’s U-20 team at the WJC in Buffalo. How important is that to his development?

ASR: It’s very important because he’ll be one of the leaders of the team and this will do good for the growth of his personality. I don’t think this will change a lot on his “technical” play because he’s already an excellent player, but being a leader might be good for some players. It didn’t work out for Filatov last year, but Tarasenko most likely would be a better leader than him as he has, in my opinion, less ego.

Q. Is there much of an emphasis on playing a solid “two-way” game in the KHL as other leagues and is Tarasenko playing a two-way game?

ASR: Tarasenko has a good two-way game. He isn’t Jere Lehtinen, of course, but he commits a lot and gets down to block shots. You should still remember that he’s a Russian player, and while there are many players from Russia who plays a good defensive hockey (like Datsyuk), most of them, especially wingers, play only for scoring goals. Tarasenko isn’t like that, he’s more committed to the defense than the average Russian player and has also developed some physical play. Moreover he’s a good forechecker thanks to his very good skating and great committing.

Q. How would you describe Tarasenko’s physical and mental maturity at this point? How are they coming out in his play?

ASR: As the case with most of junior players Tarasenko is a little bit inconsistent, but this is something that he’ll fix with time, it’s not a big deal at this stage of his career. His physical play is improved, as well as his ceiling. Remember that we are talking about a player who was a candidate to play the senior World Championship with team Russia, and thus we’re talking about an elite player, at only 18 years of age. This is an indication not only of his great raw talent, but also of his physical and mental preparation.

- BNZ: In summary Alessandro believes that Tarasenko can grow in to a North American style player and his mental maturity and physical abilities can translate to the NHL game sooner than later.
-

Alessandro also discussed the other Blues prospects currently playing in Russia, Sergei Andronov, Jori Lehtera and old buddy Nikolai Lemtyugov.

ASR: Andronov is failing to produce. He plays decent ice time, about 14 minutes a night, but so far scored only three goals and zero assists [in 20 games].

ASR: Lehtera is doing well, 16 points in 18 games, 9 goals, +7. He plays on the third line, but plays also PP.

ASR: Lemtyugov is doing fairly well, plays fourth line with Ak Bars, which are the two-time KHL reigning champions. He amassed 6 points with 4 goals in 13 games, with 11 minutes a night.