Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko: Making strides in recovery

Tarasenko is progressing well in recovery from shoulder surgery in April, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Blues hunted for top talent to surround Tarasenko with this offseason, making runs at John Tavares, Ilya Kovalchuk and Artemi Panarin. However, these attempts have fallen short, so the good news about Tarasenko's recovery can serve as a silver lining -- for now -- since it's still not clear if he'll be healthy for the season opener Oct. 4. The Russian sniper will look to bounce back from a "down year" by his standards, as he scored 33 goals and 33 assists to mark his lowest point total since 2013-14. That regression could be contributed to coach Mike Yeo consistently shaking up the lines in the name of balance and not allowing Tarasenko to find a groove with his linemates. All that could change if the Blues can poach a top-six forward when free agency opens Sunday, but keep an eye on whether prospect Robert Thomas can fill that mold as well.