In the NHL, a player's development can often be as much of a hindrance as it is a boon.
For the St. Louis Blues, Vladimir Tarasenko's unexpected maturation and consistent display of superstar-level skill this season is something about which to be truly thankful - he has shown the potential to be the type of once-in-a-generation player that can alter the future of a franchise.
But his growth also means that he'll need to be paid commensurate with his production and ability - he's currently only making $900,000 this season. Which leaves a team like the Blues, who have about $58 million committed to 16 players for next season, facing a salary cap not expected to rise much above it's current $69 million, with some hard decisions to make.
"Hence all the trade speculation surrounding forwards T.J. Oshie ($4.175 million cap hit through 2017) and Patrik Berglund ($3.7 million cap through '17). Something will have to give by the summer," writes Jeff Gordon of STLToday.com.
"Oshie and Berglund are good guys who add value to the group, but their current value ranks down in the middle of this pack."
There are a number of other expensive options that could be moved, such as defensemen Alex Pietrangelo ($6.5 million cap hit), Jay Bouwmeester ($5.4 million) and Kevin Shattenkirk ($4.25 million), but the goal here is to move assets that aren't as clearly integral to the team's fortunes as their defensive Big 3.
Lesser names, like Magnus Paajarvi and Maxim Lapierre, could be made available ahead of the trade deadline, but they make only a combined $2.25 million between them - the deals would serve no purpose in the realm of re-signing Tarasenko.
With players like Dmitrij Jaskin, Robby Fabri and Petteri Lindbohm potentially able to fill roles on entry level deals for next season, the team is in a favorable position when it comes to dealing a piece or two.
The tricky part will be determining which pieces to make available, and then finding a suitable trade partner with which to enact such a deal.
