Report: Daniil Tarasov Refused A Conditioning Assignment To The AHL

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic has cited a team source who says that goalie Daniil Tarasov refused a conditioning assignment to the Cleveland Monsters. The assignment was going to be used for Tarasov to get some confidence back in his game.

Per Portzline, "Tarasov refused the assignment, which is well within his rights per the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association."

Portzline also says that Tarasov was sent home from the two-game road trip against Carolina and Tampa Bay so he could practice.

Tarasov is 3-6-1 with a GAA of 4.23 and a save % of .857. He has also lost his last six starts while allowing a total of 29 goals for a GAA of 4.83. He hasn't been afforded many starts, but when he has, he's been bad.

The Jackets are in a tough spot with Tarasov. He requires waivers to get to Cleveland and Don Waddell has said a few times that he doesn't want to lose him to waivers for nothing.

Tarasov made a bold move by refusing to go down to Cleveland. He has to now back that up with good play, which he didn't. The Blue Jackets were shut out Saturday night in Boston, with Tarasov allowing four goals.

It sounds like the Blue Jackets are about to pull the plug on Daniil Tarasov. If they want to play meaningful games in March and April, they need to have a suitable backup for Elvis Merzļikins for the rest of the year. People will immediately point to Jet Greaves as that guy, but can Zach Sawchenko be the starter for Cleveland? He's been good, so maybe.

Dont Waddell has tough decisions to make regarding the goaltending. The question is, does he wait it out? Or make a move soon?

What's Next - The Blue Jackets return home on Tuesday to face the Carolina Hurricanes.

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