Vladimir Tarasenko is about to get paid.
The dynamic St. Louis Blues forward, who's set to become a restricted free agent at season's end, is in line for a multi-year deal worth between $6-7 million per season, Bob McKenzie of TSN reported on TSN 1260 in Edmonton on Monday.
I think (the Blues have) seen enough this season to believe Tarasenko is the real deal. That this guy is a legitimate, front-line scoring winger in the National Hockey League and that he’s always going to put up big numbers and big points. And you don’t mind paying for that. The same as any team with a young player coming out of entry level. We’ve seen it before, whether it’s John Tavares on the Island. Whether it was Taylor Hall in Edmonton.
As previously reported, the two sides aren't expected to discuss a new deal until the offseason.
In agreeing to a long-term deal at this point in his career, the Blues would be banking on the expectation that Tarasenko's 53 goals and 107 points over the past 129 games are what they'll get moving forward.
McKenzie pointed to the likes of Carolina's Jeff Skinner and Edmonton's Jordan Eberle as cautionary tales for committing too much too soon, but Tarasenko - six points off the league lead in points - has emerged as a force this season, and the consensus seems to be that he's the real deal.
As such, the Blues appear set to be singing his praises for years to come.
- With H/T to Nichols On Hockey
