Head coach Craig Berube said Tarasenko (shoulder) will travel on the team's three-game road trip and will start taking contact soon, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports. "We're going to get some physicality on him next week and hopefully he feels good through that, Berube said.

EDGE Analysis

The team isn't going to rush Tarasenko back into the lineup, but it wants him to continue practicing with the team. He's been working in a no-contact capacity, and with contact coming soon, Berube relayed that the team will sit down with Tarasenko and the medical staff when it returns from the road trip March 9 to decide on a timeline for the sniper to return. It would be beneficial for Tarasenko to get five or six regular-season games under his belt before the playoffs, which the Blues have essentially locked up. The Blues have survived admirably without Tarasenko in the fold, but his return will be a major boost after five straight seasons of 30-plus goals and 33 tallies over 70 career playoff games.