Tarasenko to undergo more shoulder surgery, out at least five months

St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko will undergo another shoulder operation next week after his previous surgery “didn’t take” and will need at least five months to recover, GM Doug Armstrong told reporters Wednesday.

The All-Star forward had shoulder surgery last October and spent the next several months rehabbing. Tarasenko appeared to be on the verge of returning to the team when the season was paused in March, but the hiatus allowed him to continue getting stronger. He joined the team in the Edmonton bubble for the team’s playoff run.

Tarasenko played in two of the team’s round-robin seeding games and Games 1 and 2 of the first-round playoff series against Vancouver. But something with the shoulder wasn’t right and he returned to St. Louis before the Blues were knocked out of the postseason by the Canucks in six games.

Armstrong explained on a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday that the initial surgery “didn’t take the way that we had hoped; it wasn’t successful.” More surgery is planned for next week. Tarasenko will be re-evaluated five months following the operation, Armstrong said.

Turns out Tarasenko’s shoulder surgery last October “didn’t take” — and he’ll have more surgery next week. Armstrong: “It’s serious in the sense that he won’t be with us and he won’t be re-evaluated for five months.” #stlblues pic.twitter.com/PjoL4WZXkq

— FOX Sports Midwest (@FSMidwest) August 26, 2020