Vladimir Tarasenko is entering the seventh year of an eight-year, $60 million deal he signed in July 2015. Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire

Blues leave Vladimir Tarasenko unprotected in the expansion draft?

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 7/17/21

The St. Louis Blues have made a questionable decision regarding Vladimir Tarasenko.

According to TSN's Frank Seravalli, the Blues have decided to leave Tarasenko unprotected in next week's expansion draft, meaning the Seattle Kraken can pick him up if they wish.

Hearing #stlblues have exposed Vladimir Tarasenko in the Expansion Draft and are protecting Ivan Barbashev.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 17, 2021

The news comes after it was reported earlier this month that Tarasenko had requested a trade from St. Louis. By leaving the veteran winger unprotected, the Blues risk losing him for nothing in the draft.

If St. Louis had traded Tarasenko, it likely could have received a nice return for him. The franchise will now be able to move him only if Seattle doesn't select him.

Tarasenko is entering the seventh year of an eight-year, $60 million deal he signed in July 2015. He has a cap hit of $7.5 million for the next two seasons, according to CapFriendly.

The 29-year-old has scored 30-plus goals in five of his nine NHL seasons and has 442 points (218 goals, 224 assists) in 531 games. He also had 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in 26 playoff games during St. Louis' Stanley Cup-winning 2018-19 season.

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