NHL Rumors: Most Likely Team To Land Tarasenko At Deadline

The St. Louis Blues have nearly fallen completely out of the playoff race this season. They aren't headed for a rebuild, not with the talent they still have signed. But they are in need of a retooling. That entails trading Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O'Reilly, and a couple of others at the trade deadline to help get that started.

The topic of conversation here is Tarasenko and what team he is most likely to be playing on after the trade deadline. There are a number of teams that make sense, but he also holds the cards with a full no-trade clause. Seeing as though he most likely wants to compete for a Stanley Cup again this season and doesn't see a future in St. Louis, there would be more than a few teams he'd accept a trade to. Topping that list has to be the New York Rangers.

The Rangers have been heavily tied to Patrick Kane for a while, but there's no guarantee that he is going to accept any trade this season at this point. Tarasenko is the next best rental option on the wing this season for New York. He is a scoring presence that can slot into the top-six, allowing the kid line to stay together as well as make their forward group deeper. There is some stiff competition the Rangers must get through to lift the Stanley Cup.

Which Russian wouldn't want to go to a city like New York? Tarasenko would also likely be lining up beside Artemi Panarin if that's the case. The six-time 33-goal scorer may not be scoring at the same rate he has in his career, but he is still an impact player and a sniper. With a cheaper cost to acquire, the Rangers may already have Tarasenko higher on their list of wants than Kane.