Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly comments on Tarasenko's trade request

If St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly is being 100 percent honest, it sounds as though Vladimir Tarasenko's trade request to get out of the city won't be an issue this upcoming season.

"We're saddling up to win games and he's as much a part of it as anyone," O'Reilly said

"We've had a brief talk, 'Vladi' and I. He's here and I think he wants to be here. Yeah, that happened, the trade request happened, and it is what it is. I think we're a better team with him here and we have such good depth. But there's no hard feelings."

Tarasenko asked to be traded back on May 25th. There were reports he was unhappy with his role with the team and over how his multiple shoulder surgeries were handled. A trade never materialized and Blues coach Craig Berube told "The Cam & Strick Podcast" on Sept. 7 that he expects Tarasenko to play with St. Louis this season. O'Reilly said Tarasenko has been skating in preparation for the upcoming season, and he looks great.

"He looks awesome," the center said. "I think he's going to have a great year. He's my teammate, I love him, I've been able to play with him for three years. He's won me a Cup, so we're forever teammates and I'm glad he's with us."

If anyone can relate to Tarasenko's request, it would be O'Reilly who demanded a trade out of Buffalo saying the team was stuck in the mindset of losing.

"I've been traded twice," O'Reilly said Friday. "I thought I'd be in Colorado forever, then same with Buffalo, I thought I'd be there forever. Things don't work out and things move. It's the way the game goes. That's why I feel I have no hard feelings against [Tarasenko]. Sometimes you feel like you need a change, and every player has the right to do it. So no tension there at all."

Source: NHL.com

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