St. Louis Blues forward Scott Gomez had some high praise for teammate Vladimir Tarasenko, comparing him to Hall-of-Famer Pavel Bure.
I think it’s safe to say I’ve been around a long time and I’ve seen some unbelievable guys,” Gomez told the Winnipeg Free Press. “I got to play with (Alexander) Mogilny… but this guy might be at a different level. I don’t think we even know the potential. It’s almost scary. The closest thing I can think of is when Pavel Bure first broke into the league.
Tarasenko is off to a blazing start, tied for the league’s scoring lead with five goals and nine points in six games, continuing to be one of the most dynamic and exciting scorers in the league.
His numbers still don’t touch Bure’s. In his first three seasons, 224 regular season games, Bure scored a remarkable 154 goals. In Tarasenko’s first three years in the NHL (185 games), he has scored 71 times, which is less than half of Bure. Bure’s numbers are lower when adjusted by era, but he still holds a considerable lead.
Tarasenko is a fabulously talented player, and at 23-years-old, is already an elite scorer in the NHL.
Gomez thinks Tarasenko is a great person as well.
“When this guy gets the puck in almost any area, you’ve got to think almost goal every time. He’s a great kid, he’s got a smile on his face all the time and the guys just love him. You can tell he just wants to get better. It’s pretty neat. You don’t want to take him for granted. He’s great for our league. This is what you pay to go see a kid like this because it’s awesome to see and awesome to have him as a teammate. He’s a special one right there.”
Even if he’s not Bure yet, as Gomez mentions, he’s still a special player who’s only going to get better. Will he hit the heights of Bure, and score 60 goals one year? It’s unlikely, but with Tarasenko’s skill it’s not completely out of the question.
