Over the last two months, the NHL has been filled with speculation about St. Louis Blues’ winger Vladimir Tarasenko. In July 2021, the star forward demanded a trade and since then, there has been a barrage of rumors as to where he might end up. Below is a detailed timeline ofthe relationship between Tarasenko and the Blues over the past few years.

June 25, 2010 – The Blues select winger Vladimir Tarasenko with the sixteenth overall pick in the NHL entry draft.

January 19, 2013 – Tarasenko plays in his first NHL game, scoring two goals in a 6-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

July 7, 2015 – The Blues sign Tarasenko to an eight-year, $60 million contract. The contract is the richest in Blues history, with an average annual value of seven and a half million per year until 2023.

April 7, 2018 – St. Louis loses 5-2 to the Colorado Avalanche, preventing the Blues from making the playoffs. Tarasenko leaves the game with a dislocated left shoulder.

April 11, 2018 – Tarasenko has surgery on his left shoulder and both parties claim it’s a success.

October 4, 2018 – Tarasenko is healthy and plays in the Blues first game of the season. He registers six shots on goal in the 5-1 loss.

June 12, 2019 – The Blues and Tarasenko lift the Stanley Cup in a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Tarasenko played in each of the Blues’s 26 playoff games and scored 17 points.

October 24, 2019 – In only the tenth game of the season, Tarasenko leaves a game against the Los Angeles Kings with a shoulder injury.

October 29, 2019 – Tarasenko undergoes surgery on his left shoulder and the Blues state that they will re-evaluate him in five months.

August 2, 2020 – Tarasenko plays in a pre-playoffs exhibition matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. It’s his first game in 276 days.

August 14, 2020 – After a game two loss to the Vancouver Canucks, Tarasenko returns home and is scheduled for a third shoulder surgery.

October 12, 2020 – Blues team captain Alex Pietrangelo signs a seven-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. This means the Blues need a new team captain.

December 28, 2020 – Tarasenko is interviewed by Russia’s Sport 24 where he said that his recovery was going well and that he hoped to play soon. In that same interview, Tarasenko expressed disappointment that he was not named the Blues new team captain. Instead the Blues had given that honor to forward Ryan O’Reilly.

January 13, 2021 – The Blues play their first game of the 2021 season. Tarasenko is still sidelined with an injury to his left shoulder.

March 6, 2021 – After missing the first 24 games of the season, Tarasenko returns to the Blues lineup against the Los Angeles Kings.

May 23, 2021 – The Colorado Avalanche eliminates the Blues from the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs in four games. Tarasenko scored two goals in the loss.

July 7, 2021 – Tarasenko formally requests a trade from the St. Louis Blues. His issues with the team were reportedly due to their handling of his three shoulder surgeries performed by St. Louis Blues team physicians.

The Blues played their first game of the new season on Oct. 16, but General Manager of the Blues Doug Armstrong is yet to execute a trade. Tarasenko is a three-time All-Star, Stanley Cup champion and is the Blues fifth-all time leading goal scorer. Tarasenko has had 3 surgeries on his left shoulder, has scored seven goals in the last two seasons while playing in just 34 regular-season games. He is due $7.5 million per year until the end of the 2022-23 season.