Russian? Check. Winger? Check. Incredible offensive skills? Check. Young? Check. There's a lot of similarities between Vladimir Tarasenko and Nikita Kucherov. Tarasenko's contract extension can be a starting point for Kucherov's next contract.
Vladimir Tarasenko burst onto the scene three seasons ago for the St. Louis Blues. He was a teenage phenom in the KHL with his hometown Sibir Novosibirsk and then with powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg before making his way to the NHL after the 2012-13 lockout ended. In 225 regular-season and playoff KHL games, he posted 76 goals and 72 assists for 148 points, good for a 0.