Blues plan to keep O'Reilly, Tarasenko, core together next season

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues are focused on keeping their core together next season and are not worrying about what will happen after that.

That includes not trading forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, who each have one year left on their contracts.
"I've already read some articles, local and national, 'Well what about '23-'24 and these guys are all free (agents)?'" Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Tuesday. "I'm going to worry about '23-'24, a year from now. Hopefully I'm not answering questions, 'Are you going to trade Ryan O'Reilly if you don't get him signed? Are you going to trade Tarasenko if you don't get him signed? Are you going to trade (Ivan) Barbashev if you don't get him signed?' I'm not sure the concern of everybody worrying about two years from now, let's just dissect this year, give us your information on how you think we did as a whole, get ready for next year."
Tarasenko, who requested a trade from the Blues at the start of last season after being limited to 34 games the previous two seasons due to a left shoulder injury, led the Blues in goals (34) and an NHL career-high in points (82) this season. He has one year remaining on an eight-year contract he signed with St. Louis on July 7, 2015.
Tarasenko had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games. The Blues were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in six games in the second round.
"I'm not concerned about 'Vladi' for next year at all," Armstrong said.

O'Reilly, the St. Louis captain the past two seasons, said he wants to remain a part of the core group. He has one year left on the seven-year contract he signed with the Buffalo Sabres on July 3, 2015.
"It's a place I want to be," O'Reilly said. "Yeah, it's crazy going into a contract year. It feels like time kind of flew by. Yeah, I'm sure things, over the summer and going into next year, I'm sure we'll try to figure something out. Again, the season just ended, so we haven't really had time to discuss it. But yeah, if it happens, it happens."
Barbashev, who had NHL career-highs in goals (26), assists (34) and points (60) this season, has one year remaining on a two-year contract and can become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
Armstrong was also asked about forward David Perron, defenseman Nick Leddy and goalie Ville Husso, who can each become an unrestricted free agent July 13.
Perron tied for third on the Blues in goals (27) and finished with 57 points in 67 regular-season games. The 34-year-old led the Blues in goals (nine) and points (13) in 12 playoff games.
"I'd love to be back," Perron said. "The desire has been there for me last year, during the year and right now. So, it's what it is.
"Just for our kids, they're in school right now and they love the city and just like we do, just like I do and obviously playing with [O'Reilly], beside me the whole group I'd love to keep going. I feel like I've built myself as a player over the years and I want to keep this going for sure."

Armstrong indicated the Blues would like to keep the veteran.
"I sure would," Armstrong said. "... He's a true pro and been a very good St. Louis Blue and if we can make it work out, I'd love to."
Leddy had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 20 regular-season games after he was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on March 21. He had six points (one goal, five assists) in nine postseason games.
"I thought he played very well for us," Armstrong said. "We understand what the salary cap's going to be. It's locked in stone now ($82.5 million), so it's just massaging it to get a number of good players back, but I thought Nick came in here and you look at our winning percentage since the trade deadline, he was a big part of that."
Husso played well for St. Louis when starter Jordan Binnington struggled, going 25-7-6 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .919 save percentage during the regular season. But he struggled in the playoffs, going 2-5 with a 3.67 GAA and .890 save percentage.
Husso was the Blues' starter at the beginning of the postseason but was replaced by Binnington in Game 4 of the first round against the Minnesota Wild before going back in when Binnington injured his left knee in Game 3 against the Avalanche. He allowed 16 goals in four games against Colorado.
"Ville and I had a conversation this morning," Armstrong said. "He's put himself in a very good spot; he had a great regular season. Obviously the playoffs were up and down for all of us. He was put into a really difficult situation coming into the Colorado series. I'm a Ville Husso fan. I told him I'd love him to come back, but also it's a business for him also and he's put himself in a spot now where if he wants to test the market, I would understand it."
Armstrong said several players will require surgery this summer, but those determinations wouldn't be made until after medical evaluations. Binnington, who was injured in a collision with Colorado forward Nazem Kadri and teammate Calle Rosen, will not need surgery.
Forward Brayden Schenn said that he played through three sets of broken ribs throughout the season, including in the playoffs and had an oblique injury that limited him in the postseason. Schenn did not have a goal and had eight assists in 12 playoff games.
Still, there are some roster decisions to be made the offseason and some that can wait, Armstrong said.
"I don't want to spend all summer saying, 'Well, what about two years from now?' I just want to worry about next year when it's over," Armstrong said. "I'll then worry about the year after."