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The Edmonton Oilers Understand the Risks of Tarasenko’s Injury

By Sean Mallon |
Apr 28, 2021; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) looks on against the Minnesota Wild in the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2021; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) looks on against the Minnesota Wild in the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

The latest buzz in the hockey world for the Edmonton Oilers, now that the Tampa Bay Lightning have won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, is the word out of St. Louis that 29-year-old sniper, Vladimir Tarasenko, is looking to find a new home.

Normally teams like the Edmonton Oilers would be lined up from here to Florida to make an offer on the sort of player who rarely comes available before their skills begin to fade but the complicating factor is the right winger’s injury status.

A thrice injured, and operated upon, shoulder would be cause for concern for any of us, and the intense contact and rigorous nature of an NHL season can only add to those worries. A healthy Tarasenko could be a perfect addition to a team like the Edmonton Oilers, who have two of the league’s best passers in their lineup, but if the Russian’s body can’t hold up if his post-recovery shot doesn’t have the same accuracy and power it once did, then surrendering assets to attain his services could be a major mistake.

The Edmonton Oilers Have a Long History with Shoulder Troubles

Today, another important piece of the Edmonton roster is recovering from his own shoulder surgery. Oscar Klefbom, a two-way defender, capable of handling big minutes and all situations on the ice, might be calling it a career.

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The injury, and following operation, kept him out of the entirety of the 2020-21 season and there is a decent chance he won’t be ready for training camp in 2021-22 either. If the recovery goes off course, with a good chunk of career behind him, and the important consideration of life after hockey, Klefbom might decide to hang up his skates.

Besides Klefbom, many of the Oilers of the past decade have had shoulder troubles. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and, perhaps most memorably, team captain Connor McDavid, all dealt with shoulder (or collarbone) issues at some point in their Oiler careers.

For a while, it was so common that some folks were recommending a seance as a potential preventative cure. While things never went that far, the players involved all healed up eventually, with no long-term effects on their careers.

Does that insight mean Edmonton’s management and ownership would be more willing to gamble on a deal for Tarasenko at what should be a discounted price? This summer is vitally important for the championship aspirations of a roster with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their primes. General manager Ken Holland is going to have to make some bets between now and September and this is one that could pay off in a big way.

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