Vladimir Tarasenko reportedly would waive no-trade clause for Flyers

Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko wants out of St. Louis and the Philadelphia Flyers are among the teams he would accept a trade to. With a no-trade clause, Tarasenko has control over his destination. The Flyers are on his list.

Here is what Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic had to say about Tarasenko:

“Tarasenko has given the Blues a list of at least 10 clubs to which he can be traded, and we think we know a majority of those: the Rangers, Islanders, Golden Knights, Bruins and Flyers we reported previously, and you can add the Lightning, Capitals and Panthers to that list.”

Vladimir Tarasenko on the decline?

Tarasenko was one of the best wingers in the league in the mid-to-late 2010s. From 2014 to 2019, Tarasenko recorded 356 points (182 goals, 174 assists) in 395 games for the St. Louis Blues. That’s an 82-game pace of nearly 38 goals and 36 assists for 74 points.

However, that’s where his success ends. A shoulder injury has wreaked havoc on Tarasenko over the past few years. In August of 2020, Tarasenko underwent a third shoulder surgery that caused him to miss five months. He rejoined the Blues at the beginning of March 2021.

Tarasenko played just 34 games over the last two seasons combined –– 10 in 2019-20, 24 in 2021 ––, putting up seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points –– a 42-point pace for a full 82-game season.

The price for Tarasenko

Rutherford hypothesized a trade package of Morgan Frost and Philippe Myers for Tarasenko in a previous article. If that is the price, the Flyers should stay far away from the Russian winger.

However, there are trades involving Tarasenko that could work for the Flyers. Chuck Fletcher discussed the flat cap situation on Tuesday morning and dollar-for-dollar trades may be easier this offseason.

“There’s not a lot of teams that are able to take on a lot of money so there’s a lot of communication about dollar-for-dollar type moves, or can you take some money back, or can you do this, so it makes it a little bit more complicated,” Fletcher said. “Over the next two weeks, my guess is when the majority of player movement that happens this summer will take place.”

A 1-for-1 swap?

Tarasenko has a $7.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons. If James van Riemsdyk or Jakub Voracek get taken by Seattle in the Expansion Draft, the Flyers could look into a trade based around Tarasenko for the other one. Voracek has a slightly higher cap hit ($8.25 million) for three years opposed to Tarasenko’s two, JVR is at $7 million for the next two years.

A hypothetical Tarasenko for Voracek swap (or trade with another piece or two on both or either side) could work for both sides. Tarasenko wants to leave St. Louis and the Flyers are attempting to move Voracek this offseason. Voracek is a more known quantity as a top-six winger. Tarasenko could return to his mid-2010s form as a top-line winger or bottom out as a third-line guy (or worse).

If Tarasenko lands somewhere in the middle it would be a good hockey trade and financial trade for the Flyers. It’d save the Flyers nearly $1 million in cap space and Tarasenko’s contract comes off the books a year before Voracek’s. On top of that, Voracek turns 32 in August. Tarasenko turns 30 in December. If the Russian winger can bounce back from his shoulder surgeries, he can be an effective top-six winger for the Flyers (or any other team) for the next two-plus years.

Photo: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons