ST. LOUIS — The Blues are off to a good start in 2021, but they've been doing it without one of their most talented players. However, forward Vladimir Tarasenko is progressing towards a return.
"He's on the ice. He's skating now," Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong said in a news conference on Wednesday.
Tarasenko has been sidelined since re-injuring his surgically-repaired shoulder in August 2020. He only played in 10 regular season games and two playoff games for the Blues in 2020.
"He's on the ice, he's conditioning. His shoulder is certainly not 100% right now but it's at a point where the safety mechanisms are in place that we feel he can skate, receive passes, make passes shoot to a level of his comfort," Armstrong said. "He's still a ways away. We won't see him for a number of weeks, but he's certainly on the right track."
The Blues are off to a 7-2-1 start on the season, and with 15 points sit in a tie with Colorado for the most points in the West Division.