ST. LOUIS — Thanks to his bounce back season with the Blues, forward Vladimir Tarasenko is up for one of the NHL's most coveted awards in 2022.
On Monday, Tarasenko was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the St. Louis chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
The award is given out yearly to the NHL player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."
Tarasenko's 2021-22 has been quite the comeback story.
The forward has undergone three shoulder surgeries over the span of 28 months, and only played in 34 games in the 2019-20 and 2020-2021 seasons combined.
This season, Tarasenko leads the Blues in goals with 34 and points with 82.
According to the Blues, Tarasenko is the first player to reach the 80-point mark in a single season for the franchise since Pavol Demitra did it in 2002-03. Tarasenko is also the fifth player in franchise history to register six seasons with 30 goals or more.
Jamie McLennan (1998) and Blake Dunlop (1981) are the only two players in Blues history to win the Masterton Trophy.
The winner of this year's Masterton Trophy will be announced at the 2022 NHL Awards show.