Vladimir Tarasenko is expected to be an important part of St. Louis' future and he received that message before leaving the team after their playoff elimination.
"I was very impressed with his season," GM Doug Armstrong said. "Now he has to go home and he has to come back in and be a player that we can count on. He left with a mandate that, 'Your name is on the board in an important spot now.'" Tarasenko played in just one playoff game in the Blues' first-round exit against Los Angeles after producing eight goals and 19 points in 38 games during his rookie season.

Vladimir Tarasenko is likely to be a healthy scratch on Wednesday.
Tarasenko was limited to just 5:51 minutes in Game 4 on Monday. He's a promising player who had a solid rookie season, but it looks like Blues coach Ken Hitchcock isn't ready to trust him with big minutes in the playoffs, given his other options.

Vladimir Tarasenko played just 5:52 in his NHL playoff debut Monday night.
Tarasenko was a healthy scratch in Games 1-3, but coach Ken Hitchcock decided to change things up Monday night. Unfortunately for the rookie, Hitchcock didn't change his preference to use veteran players in key situations, which severely limited Tarasenko's minutes and impact. Tarasenko has a ton of offensive potential but likely won't make a postseason impact until next season at the earliest.

Vladimir Tarasenko will make his NHL playoff debut Monday night in Game 4.
Adam Cracknell will come out of the lineup to make room for him on the fourth line alongside Chris Porter and Ryan Reaves. "Until the (concussion), he was a good player. He came back a little tentative from the injury," coach Ken Hitchcock said. I think when you have a player who contributes like he does and is strong on the puck, determined as he is, and as big as he is, he is an asset that we can use." The rookie forward had eight goals and 19 points in 38 games during the regular season.

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock reportedly advised rookie Vladimir Tarasenko to "get ready to play" after Saturday's loss to the Kings.
Hitchcock would not commit to playing Tarasenko, who has been healthy scratch in the first three games of the series, in Monday's Game Four, however that appears a definite possibility. "I haven't gotten that far yet," Hitchcock said. "That's tomorrow's decision. I'll have to sleep on a lot of that stuff just to see what we need. I think he looks hungry and ready to play and I'm sure he's going to play well when he gets in. But you're not really sure if you want to screw around with the lineup right now when we're playing so well, so I've got to balance that out right now."

Vladimir Tarasenko is likely to stay in the press box on Saturday.
Tarasenko hasn't played for St. Louis in the playoffs yet. "I'm OK," Tarasenko said after Saturday's morning skate. "It's a good experience for me. The guys win, and I can't be sad when guys win. I'm so happy we lead 2-0. If the team wins, that's the main (thing)." He had eight goals and 19 points in 38 games this season.

St. Louis Blues rookies Vladimir Tarasenko and Dmitrij Jaskin will not play in Game 1 on Tuesday but will probably play in the playoffs, according to coach Ken Hitchcock.
Hitchcock said he's always believed the first game of a playoff series is better suited for veterans. When they'll get in, however, is a question, with Hitchcock only promising the two rookies will "probably get time in playoffs." Hopefully you didn't draft either promising youngster in your playoff pools.

Vladimir Tarasenko has scored only twice since returning from a concussion 14 games ago.
Tarasenko was a rookie sensation at the beginning of the season but a concussion slowed him down and he has been less than his best of late. He has eight goals and 17 points in 31 games but started the season with five goals and 10 points in his first eight games so he has only three goals and seven points in 23 games since then.

Vladimir Tarasenko notched a pair of goals for St. Louis in a 4-2 loss to the Kings on Thursday night.
The goals were the first two registered by Tarasenko is six games since returning from a concussion earlier in the season. The rookie phenom now has eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in 23 games.

Vladimir Tarasenko (concussion) skated with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday but GM Doug Armstrong was quick to dash any "false hope."
"Whether he plays on this home stand, the next two weeks, three weeks, the next month ... you're only creating false hope to your fans by putting a timetable on something that there isn't a timetable," Armstrong said. Tarasenko hasn't played since suffering a concussion on Feb. 20 against the Avs.

Vladimir Tarasenko (concussion) was able to take to the ice Saturday.
However, St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong was quick to temper expectations. "I don't talk too much about concussions, but it's not about skating - there's a lot of things," he said. "Whether he plays on this home stand, the next two weeks, three weeks, the next month ... you're only creating false hope to your fans by putting a timetable on something that there isn't a timetable." Tarasenko has missed eight games already after he suffered a concussion on Feb. 20 against Colorado.

Vladimir Tarasenko (concussion) has been working out on an exercise bike but is still not skating.
It's good news that Tarasenko is able to work out on a bike and it should not be too long before he returns to the ice barring any setbacks. He has been out almost two weeks and there is no current timetable for his return. He has six goals and 12 points in 17 games and was one of the top rookies in the NHL before his injury.

Vladimir Tarasenko (concussion) hasn't started to practice yet.
Tarasenko hasn't played since Feb. 20 and shouldn't be expected to return in the near future. There's only two months left in the condensed schedule.

Vladimir Tarasenko (concussion) is improving, but isn't ready to practice yet, according to coach Ken Hitchcock.
Tarasenko suffered the injury on Wednesday when he was hit in the head by Colorado's Mark Olver. Given the nature of concussions, it's hard to gauge how long Tarasenko will be sidelined for.

The severity of Vladimir Tarasenko's concussion isn't known yet.
Tarasenko was injured when he was hit in the head by Colorado's Mark Olver Wednesday night. "He didn't have a headache (Thursday), but he did have a headache (Friday)," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We'll see in the next 48 hours how much better he gets." Concussions are hard to put a timetable on, so don't expect any clarity beyond this being a day-to-day injury that could drag on for weeks or even months.

Vladimir Tarasenko has been placed on the injured reserve list.
Tarasenko has a concussion, according to Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. He won't play on Saturday, but then St. Louis will have four days in a row off. Although he has slowed down recently, Tarasenko has a great six goals and 12 points in 17 games as a rookie.

There's no update on Vladimir Tarasenko's status yet after he was hit in the head on a check by Colorado's Mark Olver Wednesday night.
He was slated to be re-evaluated on Thursday and right now should be considered day-to-day with what the team is calling "an upper-body injury."

Vladimir Tarasenko (head) re-joined his teammates for the flight home Wednesday after being released from the hospital.
Tarasenko was hit in the head by the Avs Mark Olver in the third period and did not return. Consider him day-to-day for now and remember that he suffered a concussion in the KHL earlier this season.

Vladimir Tarasenko left Wednesday's game and did not return after a Mark Olver hit in the St. Louis Blues' eventual 1-0 OT loss to the St. Louis Blues.
It's too early to know how severe the injury was, but onlookers described him as "glassy eyed" after the check. He had a concussion in the KHL early this season, too, so this is a troubling situation. Stay tuned.

Vladimir Tarasenko netted a power-play goal on Wednesday.
Tarasenko ended his four-game pointless streak. Unfortunately, he still finished with a minus rating for the fifth straight contest. He ranks second among rookies with 11 points in 13 games.

Vladimir Tarasenko has cooled off recently following his hot start to his rookie season.
He hasn't recorded a point in his last four games and has posted a minus-7 rating during that time. Tarasenko is still second among first-year players with 10 points in 12 games. He will be reunited with Andy McDonald and Alex Steen in Wednesday night's game versus Detroit.

Vladimir Tarasenko has been selected as the NHL's rookie of the month.
Tarasenko had five goals and nine points in seven games this season. He's an incredible talent and was already a star in the KHL before coming over to St. Louis. He's a great guy to own in keeper leagues and should be one of the serious contenders for the Calder Trophy this season.

Coach Ken Hitchcock is comparing Vladimir Tarasenko to a former player of his in Dallas, Jere Lehtinen.
Not a bad player to be compared to as Lehtinen was an underrated player during his NHL career. "In a similar way, I thought Lehtinen was like (Tarasenko)," Hitchcock said. "He just kind of wowed you with his tenacity on the puck, his ability to make plays in small spaces, Jere was like that. They're different players, but in some ways they're similar players because they're so strong on the puck. Vladie is still learning the game, like Jere was. (Lehtinen) came over and they sent him down right away. He wasn't good enough, in their eyes, to be a regular player and he was going to (go down) and get some games. Then they had a couple of injuries, and he came back and never left the league. Vladie has similar traits. He's a much better checker than people think. He's a powerful man, at 220 pounds, and he's got that quick release like Lehtinen had. He makes plays every game." Look for Tarasenko to be a better scorer than Lehtinen.

Vladimir Tarasenko is riding a four-game point streak.
Tarasenko has five goals and nine points in seven games this season. That puts him in a tie for first place in the rookie scoring race. He should slow down a bit as the season progresses, but he'll still be worth owning for the entire season.

Vladimir Tarasenko has impressed his coach and teammates.
"He's a good kid, I keep saying that," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He's going to have his ups and downs here. Getting on a charter (flight) is a new thing for him, staying in hotels, knowing where to go ... all those things are new. But he's a good kid. He asks questions. He wants to learn. He has real healthy respect for the veteran guys in the league, which to me is so important." Teammate T.J. Oshie has also been impressed with the youngster. "Everyone has different roles," Oshie said. "Some guys are happy with making solid defensive plays and making the right cycle. He wants to score and you can tell. The guys that have that talent and that drive in the league, they find the net." Tarasenko will be a special player, if he is not so already, but could struggle at times with the compressed schedule and heavy travel.

Vladimir Tarasenko potted a goal and also registered two assists in the Blues' 4-3 shootout win over the Predators Monday night.
Tarasenko, a first-round draft pick in 2010, is in a prime spot to excel this season, even as a rookie. He tallied 14 goals and 31 points in 30 contests this season in the KHL and should be owned in 12-team leagues. Pick him up immediately if he's still available in your free-agent pool.

Vladimir Tarasenko's nose for the net impressed his teammates in his debut.
The rookie, who said it was "like dreaming" to score, potted two in the Blues' 6-0 win. "One thing you don't see in practice is how bad a guy wants to score goals," said T.J. Oshie. "And you see the way he plays, the way he moves without the puck, and he wants to put the puck in the back of the net every shift. He wants to score, you can tell. It's going to be exciting to watch him." On a great team with a great coach. Tarasenko is in a prime spot to excel this season, even as a rookie.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice in the St. Louis Blues' 6-0 victory on Saturday.
Not a bad way to start an NHL career. Tarasenko is a highly regarded rookie, so you shouldn't feel bad if you're tempted to take him after Saturday's performance. Chris Stewart also netted two goals for St. Louis. T.J. Oshie had a shorthanded goal and two assists. Patrik Berglund accounted for St. Louis' other goal.

New St. Louis hotshot Vladimir Tarasenko quickly was put in place by his teammates after his first Blues practice of this new season.
Tarasenko was the last player among his group to score a shootout goal so after practice, he was forced to fetch drinks for teammates in the locker room. "I'm going to remember this when Vladi is making $10 million a year and I'm out of the league ... when I'm old and he's an All-Star," Blues defenseman Ian Cole said. "I'm going to remember when Vladi went and got me a Gatorade."

The St. Louis Blues think they have a big advantage over opponents for the shortened 2013 season because they are so familiar with each other.
Vladimir Tarasenko, a first-round draft pick in 2010 who is making the transition from Russia, will be the team's lone new face. "There's no breaking in new guys, learning new systems," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "When we use the terminology, within two or three days it should be up and running, so I think that's going to be our big advantage." "It's an important plus because we can cut through the `get to know you' stage quickly. We can cut through the good and the bad pretty quickly because we've got a great group of guys, really sound fundamental group of leaders and then everybody knows each other."

Vladimir Tarasenko produced a goal and an assist on Friday in SKA St. Petersburg's 4-0 blanking of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
He has tallied 14 goals and 31 points in 30 contests this season. His helper set up Ilya Kovalchuk's 18th KHL marker of the year.