Blues Could Soon Shop Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko

St. Louis Blues forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko surface again in the NHL rumor mill and trade speculation. What's their status?

Speculation over the futures of St. Louis Blues stars Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko began back in November. They've surfaced again in the rumor mill as their club struggles to remain in the Western Conference playoff chase.

Both players are due to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. O'Reilly is sidelined until mid-February with a broken foot, while Tarasenko returned to action on Tuesday after missing 10 games with an injured hand.

TSN's Darren Dreger reports O'Reilly is “officially in play.” Despite the 31-year-old center's current status, the Blues are gauging his value in the trade market. Dreger speculated their asking price could be draft picks and a prospect.

O'Reilly told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford he prefers to remain with the Blues and remains hopeful of re-signing with them. However, he acknowledged the decision could be out of his hands. He lacks a no-trade clause giving management a wide-open field of potential suitors.

Before Tarasenko's return, Rutherford felt the 31-year-old winger would be showcased to prove he's healthy and still productive. He wondered if the Carolina Hurricanes might be interested as a replacement for sidelined winger Max Pacioretty. Their cap hits are nearly identical, with Pacioretty at $7 million and Tarasenko at $7.5 million.

Unlike O'Reilly, Tarasenko carries a full no-trade clause. Rutherford suggested he could decide to finish out the season in St. Louis and try his luck on the open market in July.

Both players are proven playoff performers who led the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup, with O'Reilly winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. However, their health and performance leading up to deadline day will determine their value in the trade market.