Quoting: GladeBang16
I said "worse injury history" not "bad injury history", which is objectively true. He turns 31 this season and (as most players do) has a chance to decline. You're also completely downplaying his one injury. The Blues literally left him UNPROTECTED at the draft and the Kraken still didn't select him. Who's to say the injury won't be a concern later on. The Blues would be dumb not to take this and to add to that, it wasn't even too long ago that Tank publicly said he didn't want to play in St. Louis anymore. I get maybe the relationship has been restored, but that still has to mean something.
Wow, lots here.
- Tarasenko never actually stated the request publicly, for one. Secondly, you're about a year behind on the times. The request is no longer an issue.
- Who's to say the shoulder is fine now? His surgeon, the team doctor, an independent doctor and a season full of typical Tarasenko play, which I'm sure you know is not gentle on shoulders. So while things can always happen in the future, I'm not downplaying the injury at all.
- He was left on protected because the blues were going to use his cap space and salary to go steal Landeskog, which would have almost been like two signings worth of value because it would have hurt the Avs so much to lose him. As for Seattle not taking him, I don't see how that's relevant.
- A "chance to decline" and "on the decline" are not the same thing. Of course everyone past 30 has a chance to decline, but that's not what you originally said.