(12-18-20) BLUES NOTEBOOK

Tarasenko training, on course for five-month reevaluation; Steen's 

departure no bearing on Dunn contract status; Feltrin, Ginnell to remain in roles

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Vladimir Tarasenko is on course.

That was Doug Armstrong's message on Thursday regarding the Blues' top goal scorer after announcing the retirement of veteran wing Alexander Steen.

Tarasenko had a third surgery on his left shoulder Sept. 17 and is on target for the five-month reevaluation timeline the Blues gave when Armstrong announced Aug. 26 that Tarasenko would need to go under the knife again after the surgery he initially had after being injured against the Los Angeles Kings Oct. 24, 2019 wasn't a success.

Tarasenko, who played in just 10 regular season games last season (three goals, seven assists) and four games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (two round-robin games and two games in the first round against the Vancouver Canucks), has been at the rink rehabbing on and off the ice with the hope of missing minimal time for the start of the 2020-21 season.

"He's doing very well,," Armstrong said of the 29-year-old. "Just celebrated the three-month anniversary of the surgery. He's on track. He's here, he's working out, he's got a smile on his face. He's a player to be around and have at the rink right now in the sense that he's excited that the surgery went well and he sees the light at the end of the tunnel. We're on track to get him back, reevaluate in five months and see where he's at. We're excited knowing when he is healthy and in the lineup, we're that much of a stronger team."

The Blues could use Tarasenko's salary cap hit of $7.5 million when he begins the season on injured reserve but would need to account for that cap space and move salary once activated, so it's unlikely they'll use it to sign a more expensive free agent.

* Dunn contract status -- Armstrong spoke of how the Blues will be able to use the cap savings they get from Steen being placed on long-term IR. They'll get $5.75 million in savings, which will put the Blues just over $4 million under the $81.5 million salary cap ceiling. 

However, gaining the cap space has nothing to do with the progression of contract talks for defenseman Vince Dunn, who remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.

"No, they're not connected," Armstrong said. "Vince, like sort of all our contracts, they're behind the scenes. We're working on getting something done and I know Vince hopes it happens soon, I know I hope it happens soon, but nature will take its course and when it does, we'll have an announcement."

* Feltrin, Ginnell to stay -- With Bill Armstrong off to Arizona as general manager of the Coyotes and leaving open his role as assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting, the Blues are staying the course.

That means amateur scouts Tony Feltrin and Dan Ginnell will lead the amateur scouting department, at least for the 2020-21 season.

Feltrin and Ginnell were thrust into those roles late in the game when Bill Armstrong took the role in Arizona and the NHL Draft, held virtually this year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, was also held Oct. 6-7.

"Tony Feltrin is going to maintain that role for us for this year," Doug Armstrong said. "It's such a strange time in society but it's more also in the number of games that aren't being played certainly outweigh the number of games being played in amateur hockey. The continuity of Tony Feltrin and Danny Ginnell leading our charge there is the way we're going to go for this season."

The Blues selected left wing Jake Neighbours with their first-round pick (No. 26) this year.

* In need of veteran leadership -- With Steen's retirement, Jay Bouwmeester's pending retirement, Jake Allen traded to Montreal and Alex Pietrangelo leaving via free agency to Vegas, the Blues head into the new season in search of a newer leadership group.

Steen, the longest-tenured Blue with nearly 12 seasons, and Bouwmeester were the elder statesmen on the roster at 36, Allen with seven seasons in St. Louis and Pietrangelo the fourth overall pick in 2008 with 12 years of service, the Blues are left with a bit of a void in experience and leadership.

"That's just the nature of pro sports," Doug Armstrong said. "There's the terminology the king is dead, long live the king. Really what we need to do now is hope that next tier of players has gained the knowledge from Bouwmeester, have gained the knowledge of Steen on what it takes to win and what it takes to lead. I'm not big in you need to verbalize. What you need to do is you have to do it and have them follow. Bouwmeester and Steen retired as Blues, obviously gave their body to the Blues and to the NHL and I think our players can learn from that. With Petro and Jake too, they were important players on our team. I'm hoping that everyone's learned from these guys on what it took to be successful and now they have to lead the charge. The Montreal Canadiens have the famous torch that's been passed and quite honestly, the torch is being passed."

Armstrong mentioned Jaden Schwartz and Tarasenko as those who will be elevated, along with Ryan O'Reilly and Brayden Schenn. 

For the record, center Tyler Bozak becomes the elder statesman on the Blues at 34. Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson is also 34 but eight months younger than Bozak.