The reigning Stanley Cup champions just got one of their biggest stars back, activating forward Vladimir Tarasenko from injured reserve just in time for opening day of Phase 3.
Tarasenko hasn’t played since Oct. 24 — just 10 games into the 2019-20 campaign — when he suffered a shoulder injury against the Los Angeles Kings. Surgery five days later brought an estimated recovery timeline of about five months.
That he’s back isn’t a big surprise. The Russian winger was nearing a return to the lineup when the NHL hit pause back in March, and participated in the Blues’ Phase 2 small-group workouts over the past month. He, like other players rehabilitating injuries over the past few months, benefitted from the extra time during the league hiatus.
“I got some extra time for recovery and practice to make (the shoulder) more strong,” Tarasenko said, via NHL.com, during Phase 2. “Everything is good. You start slow, you start with the basics, do some exercises where you remember the feeling.”
All signs now point to him being back in the lineup for their first game back in action in Phase 4 when they take on the Colorado Avalanche on Aug. 2.
