Very few players have scored as many goals as Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko over the last three years.
The 25-year-old has found the back of the net 37, 40 and 39 times over the last three seasons, but he’s still not happy with the way things have gone for him.
“No, I’m not happy with my last three years,” Tarasenko said, per NHL.com. “Yes, they’re good stats, but not enough for me. Because if you don’t want to be the best, there’s no reason to play. So that’s what I will try to do. That’s why I worked different [this offseason]. There’s still one goal for us.”
The “goal for us” Tarasenko is referring to is the Stanley Cup title that the Blues haven’t won yet. They’ve had some decent runs (they went to the Western Conference Final in 2015-16), but he still hasn’t been able to lead the team to a championship.
Unlike a lot of other quality snipers in the league, Tarasenko is also focused on improving his defensive game.
“It’s just getting more responsibilities with your own end,” Tarasenko said of his objectives for the season. “It’s not only being a good player or scoring a lot a goals. You need to be a leader on the ice and off the ice, too. So the goals are the same. I haven’t reached it yet, so I will try now.”
It’s scary to think that he’s not satisfied with his game right now.
