Blues lock up Tarasenko - STLtoday.com
Six days after saying “I do,” and just hours after putting his autograph on the richest contract in Blues history, Vladimir Tarasenko was on the phone with general manager Doug Armstrong on Tuesday. Tarasenko had every excuse to be on his honeymoon, speaking from a remote island, or thinking of ways the newlyweds could celebrate his new eight-year, $60 million contract. There are many risks in signing a young player — Tarasenko is still just 23 — to a long-term, life-changing contract in today’s salary-capped NHL. But the Blues decided that it was well worth the potential danger with a player who finished in the top 10 in goals and points in just his third year in the league and has proved to most that he prioritizes championships over cash. “We saw, I think, just the tip of the iceberg of what Vladi can do in this league last year — highlight-reel goals in New York and against Minnesota in the playoffs,” Armstrong said. Tarasenko’s contract will make him the Blues’ highest-paid player beginning in 2015-16. The breakdown of the deal is: $8 million in 2015-16, $8 million in ’16-17, $7 million in ’17-18, $7 million in ’18-19, $9. 5 million in ’19-20, $5. 5 million... The Blues knew from the onset of negotiations that they would be paying Monopoly money to Tarasenko, who during his three-year,. Source: www.stltoday.com
