Highly-rated Russian forward Vladimir Tarasenko has rejected a big-money offer from KHL team SKA St. Petersburg in favor of an entry-level deal with the St. Louis Blues, the NHL team’s general manager Doug Armstrong has told the league website.
Tarasenko, 20, racked up 63 points in 69 games for SKA and Sibir Novosibirsk in the KHL last season and helped the St. Petersburg team to reach the Western Conference final.
SKA offered him a deal that easily outstripped the NHL’s restricted three-year entry level deal, the Russian media reported.
“We think he's a player that has done all the things he could do outside of the NHL and we feel he's ready for the next step. We're excited to have that behind us,” Armstrong said Saturday.
Despite his outstanding KHL record, the pressure is on Tarasenko to live up to the hype when he joins the Blues, Armstrong said.
“The NHL doesn't give jobs away. He's got to come in and maintain it. We really believe he has the skill set to do that though or we wouldn't be saying that."
Since making his KHL debut for Sibir as a 16-year-old in 2008, Tarasenko has worn the No. 91 jersey, which is vacant at the Blues.
In four seasons in the KHL, Tarasenko has scored 62 goals and 54 assists in 194 games, and played in two playoff campaigns.
