Tarasenko 'ready for the season' after shoulder surgery

One of the NHL's most prolific snipers, Vladimir Tarasenko, skated with some of his St. Louis Blues teammates Monday for the first time since undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left shoulder this offseason.

Tarasenko suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Blues' must-win season finale against the Avalanche and was given a four-to-six-month recovery timetable on April 10. Though it's still early, he appears to be on track to play in the Blues' season opener on Oct. 4 against the Jets.

"I need to talk about it with the doctors more, but I'm cleared to skate with the group, but only with some contact right now," Tarasenko told StLouisBlues.com's Chris Pinkert on Monday. "But I can shoot. I feel great and I feel stronger. I'm ready for the season."

Tarasenko wasn't expected to be re-evaluated by the Blues' team doctors until training camp in September, but his shoulder appears to be healing faster than expected.

"I just follow the instructions, just what the doctors say," he said. "This last three and a half months was pretty tough, both mentally and physically, too. Lots of rehab stuff, and it was the longest break ever between seasons (for me)."

Last season was a down year by Tarasenko's standards, but he still led the team with 33 goals and finished second with 66 points. It was his lowest goal total since the 2013-14 season, despite setting a career high with 306 shots.

The Blues were one of the busiest teams this offseason, acquiring forwards Ryan O'Reilly, David Perron, Tyler Bozak, and Patrick Maroon. They'll also be aided by the return of forward Robby Fabbri, who missed all of 2017-18 with a knee injury.

"The new guys are nice, too, and I've heard a lot of good stuff about them," he said. "I think they will fit perfectly in our team, especially after last year's disappointment. We have to play better to reach our goal, finally."

Returning to the postseason won't be easy in the competitive Central Division, but with plenty of key additions, the Blues have a chance to be one of the league's most improved teams - as long as Tarasenko is at full health.