Dmitrij Jaskin

Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou Make St. Louis Opening Night Roster

October 2, 2018 at 3:28 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The St. Louis Blues have been one of the most interesting teams to follow this offseason, given the huge overhaul they performed on their forward group. Out are names like Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson, while the team has brought in veteran names like Tyler Bozak, David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly. Outside of those veteran additions though, fans were watching closely the development of several young players and hoping they’d get a chance to play in the NHL this season. Thanks to some injuries to start the year—including ones to Oskar Sundqvist, Robby Fabbri and Nikita Soshnikov, who will all start the season on injured reserve of one form or another—Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Samuel Blais and Ivan Barbashev have all earned spots on the opening night roster.

The early performance of each of these young forwards was enough to make the Blues place Dmitrij Jaskin on waivers, risking and eventually losing him to a claim by the Washington Capitals. While losing Jaskin for nothing isn’t an optimal scenario, opening up opportunities for talented youngsters is an important step towards contending for the Stanley Cup, something the Blues truly believe they can do in the near future.

They are real opportunities too, as the Blues will open the season with just 12 forwards on the roster meaning all the kids will be in the lineup Thursday night (provided nothing else happens over the next couple of days). Thomas and Kyrou especially will be under the microscope as they make their NHL debuts, both star prospects that could make an impact right away.

Thomas, an impressive two-way center that showed last season with the London Knights and Hamilton Bulldogs that he could play nearly any role needed (including defense during penalty kills on occasion), is a prized prospect for the Blues whose development could make or break the team’s fortunes over the next few seasons. Though he may not be able to step into an top offensive role immediately, the fact that St. Louis believes he’s ready to contribute should excite fans to no end.

Kyrou, the dynamic forward who put up 109 points in 56 games for the Sarnia Sting last season, can disrupt games using his incredible skating ability and nose for the net. There’s little reason to doubt that he can put up points at the NHL level too, but there is still work to be done with his physicality and overall game. Blais and Barbashev shouldn’t be overlooked, given their contributions to the club last season and strong preseasons to date.

There’s obviously changes to be made when the team starts to get healthier, but the Blues will have an intriguing forward group all season as they try to bounce back and make the playoffs in 2018-19. Though the goaltending situation with Jake Allen and Chad Johnson may be the biggest factor, all the pieces are there for contention this season in St. Louis.

Four Players Claimed Off Waivers

October 2, 2018 at 11:21 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs came into today with some enviable goaltending depth, but will leave it with question marks at the minor league level. The team has lost both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers, claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers respectively. The Washington Capitals have also claimed Dmitrij Jaskin from the St. Louis Blues, while the Buffalo Sabres, with the first waiver selection and a need for healthy forwards, snatched Remi Elie from the Dallas Stars.

Gustav Olofsson, who was rumored to be available in trade recently, was placed on waivers today by the Minnesota Wild. The rest of the players from yesterday have cleared, and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

You can bet the Maple Leafs were expecting at least one goaltender to be claimed, given that they chose to protect the younger Garret Sparks over the proven McElhinney when it came to deciding who would backup Frederik Andersen to start the season, but losing both on the same day does weaken their depth at the position quite a bit. That leaves Kasimir Kaskisuo and Eamon McAdam as the only two other goaltenders under contract, though former top pick Justin Peters was in minor league camp with their AHL club recently.

Both Carolina and Philadelphia are dealing with injury to their NHL netminders, with the Hurricanes in particular facing a stretch of “weeks” without Scott Darling. McElhinney will pair with Petr Mrazek for the Hurricanes for the time being, but after Darling is deemed healthy the team will have to deal with a similar situation to the one Toronto had this week. If the Hurricanes or Flyers try to waive McElhinney or Pickard at any point this season, the Maple Leafs could potentially reclaim them and send them directly to the minor leagues—provided they’re the only team making a claim at that time.

Jaskin and Elie may end up being even more important claims, as both provide some excellent depth for their new clubs for a reasonable price. Jaskin was an effective bottom-six checker for the Blues but didn’t have a chair when the music stopped this time around, given the glut of newcomers finding roles in St. Louis. His 17 points in 76 games last season don’t look like a lot, but given the role that he played and the one he’ll be asked to fill in Washington there’s no reason to believe he can’t still be successful.

Elie on the other hand is just 23 years old still and scraping the surface on his potential. The Sabres will hope they can coax out a legitimate third-line winger out of him down the road, but have once again improved their depth at forward without sacrificing much. Elie is signed for just $735K this season and will still be a restricted free agent next summer, and was picked 40th overall just five years ago. With Scott Wilson facing a long rehab after recent surgery, Elie will likely find himself in the lineup before long and given a chance to contribute on the remade Sabres.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: St. Louis Blues

September 16, 2018 at 5:59 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

St. Louis Blues

Current Cap Hit: $79,915,155 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Robert Thomas (three years, $894K)
F Zachary Sanford (one year, $875K)
G Ville Husso (one year, $848K)
F Jordan Kyrou (three years, $758K)
F Ivan Barbashev (one year, $742K)
D Vince Dunn (one year, $723K)
F Samuel Blais (one year, $673K)

Potential Bonuses:

Kyrou: $183K
Dunn: $183K
Sanford: $50K
Blais: $3K

Total: $419K

Considering the amount of veterans this team has, its surprising to see so many young players on the team as the Blues have done a nice job over the years of drafting quality players and developing them. Perhaps the most interesting of the lot will be Thomas, the team’s first-round pick in the 2017 draft. The 19-year-old dominated his junior league last season and many people believe he has a great shot at winning a roster spot this season as the team feels that there is no reason to return him back to his junior team. The team also has Kyrou, another top-rated prospect, but the team is more likely to send him to their AHL affiliate as he no longer needs to be returned to juniors. Regardless, however, if he fares well, he could see time with the Blues throughout the season.

Dunn has been a major revelation after surprising a few when he made the Blues out of training camp last season. He had a remarkable season, playing solid defense, producing five goals and 21 points and eventually quarterbacked the team’s top power play line. The team may also start seeing more of Husso, who is their goalie of the future, but needs more seasoning in the AHL. The 23-year-old had a .922 save percentage in 38 games in the AHL last year.

Other interesting prospects include Sanford, Barbashev and Blais who will have to fight for playing time, but all have the skill to work their way in at some point this season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Jay Bouwmeester ($5.4MM, UFA)
D Joel Edmundson ($3MM, RFA)
D Carl Gunnarsson ($2.9MM, UFA)
F Patrick Maroon ($1.75MM, UFA)
G Chad Johnson ($1.75MM, UFA)
D Robert Bortuzzo ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Dmitrij Jaskin ($1.1MM, RFA)
F Robby Fabbri ($925K, RFA)
F Chris Thorburn ($900K, UFA)
F Nikita Soshnikov ($800K, RFA)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($700K, RFA)
F Jordan Nolan ($650K, UFA)

The team should find themselves with extra money next season as the contracts of several defenseman expire, including Bouwmeester’s $5.4MM deal and Gunnarsson’s $2.9MM. Both have been excellent players in the past, but the with emergence of younger defensemen, the team is likely to move on from them or look for them to return at a significantly reduced rate. Some of that available money could end up in the hands of Edmundson who has done an excellent job of replacing Bouwmeester on the top defensive line.

The team also will be keeping a close eye on Fabbri, who has spent much of last year training and conditioning his knee for the upcoming season after undergoing two procedures on his knee. If the scoring winger can stay healthy, he could provide the Blues with an extra dose of offense they weren’t counting on. The team also has high hopes for Maroon, who opted to take less to return home to St. Louis this year. There are rumors that the team will reward him next season for being willing to accept much less than he was worth.

Johnson has been working on one-year deals for a little while, but the veteran backup could be needed if Allen falters in goal this year. While his numbers in Buffalo were horrible, many believe that he could easily bounce back considering the quality defense he’ll have in front of him in St. Louis.

Two Years Remaining

D Alex Pietrangelo ($6.5MM, UFA)
F Brayden Schenn ($5.13MM, UFA)
D Jordan Schmaltz ($700K, RFA)

The team has been thrilled with the play of Pietrangelo, who continues to improve offensively as the team’s No. 1 defender. He is used that way too as he averaged 25:44 of ice time last year, ranking him sixth in the NHL. The 28-year-old has now posted double-digit goals for the second straight years and posted a career-high 54 points this season. He’s finally receiving that respect around the league as he was voted to the all-star game as well as got some consideration for the Norris Trophy this past season.

Schenn is another key player that the team got a tremendous amount of production from this year after acquiring him from Philadelphia in the offseason. Schenn, who likely will move to the second line this year, posted career-highs in goals (28) and points (70) and was a big hit in St. Louis. Read more

Three Years Remaining

F Alex Steen ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Jaden Schwartz ($5.35MM, UFA)
G Jake Allen ($4.35MM, UFA)
F Tyler Bozak ($5MM, UFA)

Allen has been under a microscope after struggling during stretches of the past two seasons. The 28-year-old especially struggled last year, posting career-lows in goals against (2.75) and save percentage (.906). The team needs him to find himself and return to the form that he once had. If he fails, the chances of the Blues reaching the playoffs would definitely be in jeopardy. However, if he can prove to be both healthy mentally and physically, he could help vault the Blues much deeper in the playoffs. The team has a potential replacement in Husso down the road, so Allen is starting to run out of chances to prove his worth.

Schwartz was producing at an impressive rate before going down with a broken ankle last season which forced him to miss 20 games. However, he paired well with Schenn and will likely move to the second line along with him. However, despite missing 20 games, it’s obvious he would have had career highs in goals and points. He finished the season with 24 goals and 59 points, which are just shy of his career-highs. If the 26-year-old can keep that type of play up, the team should have a high-end second line. Steen, however, is heading in the other direction. With still three years left on his deal, the 34-year-old continues to see his offense fade as he finished last season with 15 goals and 31 points and could see himself heading for a bottom-six role.

The addition of Bozak will be an interesting one. The 32-year-old should provide the team’s third line with a high-impact center. While his numbers aren’t that impressive, he does set up his wingers fantastically well and should be a welcome veteran presence for the next few years.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Vladimir Tarasenko ($7.5MM through 2022-23)
F Ryan O’Reilly ($7.5MM through 2022-23)
D Colton Parayko ($5.5MM through 2021-22)
F David Perron ($4MM through 2021-22)

The team went out and paid a significant price to trade for the disgruntled O’Reilly, which now gives the team the No. 1 center that they need. His addition should hopefully help Tarasenko develop into that superstar that everyone believes that he can be. The hope the two (along with Maroon) should form one of the best first lines in the NHL. O’Reilly produced 24 goals and 61 points, but could also see his game elevated in the pairing with Tarasenko, who had a slight down season as he scored just 33 goals, which is below his usual averages. Both are still in their prime and should be anchoring that top line for years to come.

Parayko has really developed into an impressive defenseman. The 25-year-old continues to improve his offense, while providing impressive defense throughout. He still has a lot of room to grow into his 6-foot-6 frame, but the team has high hopes his development will continue. Perron also adds a key element to the team. The former Vegas Golden Knight posted a career-season with the expansion team and showed incredible passing skills there and could find himself working with Schenn and Schwartz on the team’s second line.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Schenn
Worst Value: Steen

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

Considering all the team’s depth and veterans, the Blues aren’t that bad off when it comes to long-term contracts as they have few and those that have them are phenomenal players in their prime. The team should be in good depth both offensively and defensively as they have quite a bit of fire power, but also depth as the team is loaded with lots of young talent, many of which will be forced to play in the minors until the team needs them. If the team can continue to develop that youth along with the veterans, they should be an impressive team in a talented Central Division. The only worry is whether they can get Allen to play the way they need in goal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Petteri Lindbohm Signs In Switzerland

July 27, 2018 at 5:46 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

The St. Louis Blues have done a miraculous job of both adding talent – bringing in Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, Tyler Bozak, and Patrick Maroon to name a few – and retaining their own restricted free agent assets this off-season. The team has already signed Joel Edmundson, Dmitrij Jaskin, Robby Fabbri, and Oskar Sundqvist to reasonable extensions and had just two RFA’s left to sign. However, one of those players has decided to go elsewhere to continue his hockey career. Defenseman Petteri Lindbohm will not re-up in St. Louis, but instead sign with Lausanne of the Swiss NLA. The team announced the transaction today, making the one-year contract official. The Blues will retain Lindbohm’s NHL rights.

Lindbohm, 24, will likely be missed by some in the Blues organization but not by others. Although the 2012 sixth-round pick out of Helsinki, Finland showed promise, he never could quite put it all together. Both injuries and inconsistency impacted the development of a player some saw as a future top-four defenseman. When healthy, Lindbohm showed a well-rounded two-way game at the AHL level, but never stayed at the minor league level long enough to impress for a whole season. In the NHL, Lindbohm simply struggled to produce when given an opportunity and too often found himself on the wrong side of goals. This past season, Lindbohm did not make an appearance with the Blues for the first time since coming over to North America in 2014, yet he also suited up for only 23 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and posted only three points. He was ruled out for the remainder of the season in early January with a shoulder injury.

The Blues may have been willing to offer Lindbohm a minimum salary two-way deal, or maybe just an AHL contract with the San Antonio Rampage, just to see if Lindbohm could ever string together a whole season of healthy, high-end play, but it seems unlikely that they would have matched the salary and certainly not the type of role that Lindbohm will get with Lausanne. The Swiss club struggled in 2017-18, having to fight off relegation, and will likely throw Lindbohm into a top pair position right away in hopes that his talent can help to jump start the new campaign, especially with the risk that he could be struck by injury at any time. Playing alongside other NHL transplants like Dustin Jeffrey and Joel Vermin, Lindbohm will look not only to improve his own stock, but also prove that he can lead a team to the postseason.

With Lindbohm departing, St. Louis has just defenseman Jordan Schmaltz to sign before they their restricted free agents are all tied up. The Blues are bankrupt for cap space, looking at just a $285K margin right now per CapFriendly, but the team won’t carry 15 forwards as projected and the demotion of a Jordan Nolan or Chris Thorburn should be enough to fit Schmaltz in under the cap for the coming season.

Remaining 2018 Arbitration Dates

July 17, 2018 at 4:45 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

As usual, arbitration hearings scheduled for later this month have been getting cancelled every day as teams lock up their restricted free agents. Hearings are scheduled each year between July 20th and August 4th, but we’ve already seen 18 players that filed for player-elected salary arbitration reach a settlement with their respective teams. Those players are listed below, with their contract details:

Elias Lindholm (CGY) – 6 years, $4.85MM AAV
Trevor van Riemsdyk (CAR) – 2 years, $2.3MM AAV
Matthew Nieto (COL) – 2 years, $1.98MM AAV
Devin Shore (DAL) – 2 years, $2.3MM AAV
Joel Armia (MTL) – 1 year, $1.85MM AAV
Phillip Danault (MTL) – 3 years, $3.08MM AAV
Blake Coleman (NJD) – 3 years, $1.8MM AAV
Stefan Noesen (NJD) – 1 year, $1.73MM AAV
Jimmy Vesey (NYR) – 2 years, $2.28MM AAV
Taylor Leier (PHI) – 1 year, $720K AAV
Alex Lyon (PHI) – 2 years, $750K AAV
Jamie Oleksiak (PIT) – 3 years, $2.14MM AAV
Dmitrij Jaskin (STL) – 1 year, $1.1MM AAV
Oskar Sundqvist (STL) – 1 year, $700K AAV
Colin Miller (VGK) – 4 years, $3.88MM AAV
Liam O’Brien (WSH) – 1 year, $650K AAV
Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) – 6 years, $6.17MM AAV
Tomas Nosek (VGK) – 1 year, $962.5K AAV

The remaining arbitration schedule looks like this:

July 20

Chris Tierney (SJS)
Jacob Trouba (WPG)

July 22

Adam Lowry (WPG)

July 23

Brett Kulak (CGY)
Mathew Dumba (MIN)

July 24

Brandon Montour (ANA)

July 25

Joel Edmundson (STL)
Brandon Tanev (WPG)

July 27

Mark Jankowski (CGY)

July 28

David Rittich (CGY)
Jason Zucker (MIN)

July 29

Troy Stecher (VAN)

July 30

Garnet Hathaway (CGY)
MacKenzie Weegar (FLA)
Marko Dano (WPG)

July 31

Brady Skjei (NYR)

August 1

Cody Ceci (OTT)
Gemel Smith (DAL)

August 2

Miikka Salomaki (NSH)
Kevin Hayes (NYR)

August 3

Mattias Janmark (DAL)
Mark Stone (OTT)
Brock Nelson (NYI)

August 4

Ryan Spooner (NYR)
Patrik Nemeth (DAL)
William Karlsson (VGK)

St. Louis Blues Sign Dmitrij Jaskin To One-Year Deal

July 7, 2018 at 2:04 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

The St. Louis Blues have announced they have signed restricted free agent Dmitrij Jaskin to a one year deal worth $1.1MM. The team has been working hard locking up their restricted free agents. The team signed Oskar Sundqvist to a one-year, $700K Friday as well as inking Robby Fabbri and Mackenzie McEachern Tuesday, which now leaves the Blues with just three restricted free agents remaining, including defensemen Joel Edmundson, Jordan Schmaltz and Petteri Lindbohm.

Jaskin played in a career high in games last season for the Blues. The 6-foot-2 bruising winger played in 76 games last season as he’s had trouble earning a full-time role with the team. However, the bottom-six forward seemed to have gotten a foothold into St. Louis’ lineup this past season and has even seen some extra time this past season on the power play. The bottom-six forward has some skill and a touch of speed, but it hasn’t translated into offense, however, as he tallied six goals and 11 assists for 17 points, while averaging 12:27 of ATOI.

The new deal is a slight raise for the 25-year-old as he will make $100K more than last season when he finished up a two-year, $2MM deal that he signed in 2016. With the signing, the Blues have just a bit more than $5MM in remaining cap room after the team added Ryan O’Reilly via trade ($7.5MM AAV over next five years) and also signed veterans Tyler Bozak ($5MM AAV over three years) and David Perron ($4MM AAV over four years) to long-term deals. Edmundson’s deal could also take up a significant amount of the remaining cap room, suggesting the team could be close to done unless it can move out some salary.

Blues Re-Sign Robby Fabbri And Mackenzie MacEachern

July 3, 2018 at 6:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues remain a busy team this off-season, today inking two restricted free agents to new contract extensions. The team announced a one-year, two-way deal with forward Mackenzie MacEachern and soon after announced a second contract, a one-year, one-way deal for forward Robby Fabbri. The financial terms for neither deal have been disclosed.

Fabbri is the more well-known of these two players, even though he has not played a game since February 2017. The small, speedy winger has been sidelined with multiple ACL injuries in his right knee and missed the entirety of the 2017-18 season. However, Fabbri impressed as a rookie in 2015-16 and was scoring at an even higher rate the following season prior to his initial injury. The Blues have high hopes that the 2014 first-round pick can return to form, but for now it is no surprise that they will play it safe with a one-year deal. Fabbri needs to re-establish his value in St. Louis and that starts with being able to fully participate in training camp this fall and earning his top-nine role back.

MacEachern will also be looking to make an impression on the Blues front office at camp in September, as the 2012 third-rounder still has yet to make his NHL debut through two pro seasons. However, MacEachern faces an uphill battle, as the big forward recorded only ten points with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last season. MacEachern showed more offensive upside while playing at the University of Michigan, but has yet to find his game at the minors.

After signing two of their restricted free agents today, the Blues now have five qualified RFA’s remaining to sign this off-season, including regulars from last season like winger Dmitrij Jaskin and defenseman Joel Edmundson.

Free Agent Focus: St. Louis Blues

June 9, 2018 at 4:45 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of St. Louis’ free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Robby Fabbri – Things haven’t gone smoothly for Fabbri over the past few years, as he’s faced multiple injuries that have robbed him of all but 51 games since the end of the 2015-16 season. After scoring 18 goals and 37 points as a rookie, and starting his sophomore season on an even better pace, the Blues had big plans for their 2014 first-round pick.

Now, after two straight major knee surgeries and more than a year away from NHL action, it’s not clear where he sits in their future. It was obvious that if he was healthy he could help the team offensively, but negotiations this summer are not leaning in his favor. A short-term deal seems likely for a player that is both an injury risk and hopes to prove himself again in 2018-19.

D Joel Edmundson – The 2011 second-round pick has turned into quite the player for the Blues, and found himself logging more than 20 minutes a night this season while they dealt with injuries to Jay Bouwmeester and inconsistent play from Carl Gunnarsson and Robert Bortuzzo. The Blues have young Vince Dunn expected to make an even bigger contribution next season, but Edmundson could take another step forward as he enters his mid-twenties.

The 24-year old defenseman is coming off a two-year $2.1MM contract, and should earn more than that in just a single year on his next deal. If St. Louis believes he can be a core piece of their blue line for the coming years, there could be a long-term deal in order. He’ll turn 25 before July 1st, meaning a two-year contract takes him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020.

Other RFAs: F Dmitrij Jaskin, F Oskar Sundqvist, F Nikita Soshnikov, D Jordan Schmaltz, F Justin Selman, F Beau Bennett, F Mackenzie MacEachern, D Thomas Vannelli, G Jordan Binnington, D Petteri Lindbohm

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: G Carter Hutton – The Blues moved out their most intriguing free agent at the deadline when they traded Paul Stastny to Winnipeg, but Hutton could prove to have an even bigger market. The 32-year old goaltender led the league with a .931 save percentage this season among netminders with at least 20 starts, and could be looking for an opportunity to play an even bigger role with a team.

Jake Allen didn’t do much this season to prove that he can handle a full-time starter workload, meaning the Blues will likely make every effort to re-sign Hutton this summer. For a player who has never earned more than $1.13MM in a single season though, you can bet he’s intrigued by the opportunity free agency presents.

Other UFAs: F Scottie Upshall, F Kyle Brodziak, F Wade Megan

Projected Cap Space: The Blues, like many teams this summer have plenty of room to work with under the cap. With Stastny and others coming off the books they’ll have somewhere around $18MM in cap space depending on where the upper limit lands and could be big players in the market.

The team has recently admitted that they’re on the lookout for an upgrade at center, and many have speculated that they could enter the John Tavares sweepstakes should the superstar center reach unrestricted free agency. With plenty of young talent coming through the system on cheap contracts, landing a big fish like Tavares is a reasonable target for GM Doug Armstrong to aim at—whether he’ll get there is a different story.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jaden Schwartz Out Six Weeks

December 10, 2017 at 10:20 am CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

The context behind the St. Louis Blues’ call-up of Ivan Barbashev is now clear. The Blues have announced that Jaden Schwartz suffered a right ankle injury in yesterday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. He will be re-evaluated in six weeks, during which time the team will have to lean on Barbashev or another AHL forward as his replacement.

This is a devastating blow for the red-hot Blues. Schwartz has struggled with injuries in the past but has always produced at a high level when healthy. Schwartz has 35 points in 30 games and an incredible +23 rating. Schwartz is currently second on the team in points, goals, and plus/minus behind only linemate Brayden Schenn and tied with Schenn for assists. His impact on special teams can also not be understated.

Schwartz’s absence will be quite the test for St. Louis. While they were fortunate to get Patrik Berglund back from injury before Schwartz went down and have also seen surprising production from the likes of Vladimir Sobotka, Scottie Upshall, and Dmitrij Jaskin, it will still be very difficult to make up for the loss of Schwartz for the next month and a half. Barbashev, the presumptive replacement for Schwartz as a top nine forward, had been held scoreless so far in the NHL this season and Wade Megan and Tage Thompson had the same luck in their short stints. One of those three young forwards needs to step up or else the Blues could see their lead in the Central slip away in no time, with the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets right on their tail.

Tom Wilson Suspended For Two Preseason Games

September 23, 2017 at 2:44 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

2:44 PM: Wilson has been suspended for two preseason games, the Department of Player Safety announced.

11:17 AM: To the surprise of many, including head coach Barry Trotz, Washington Capital’s grinder Tom Wilson will have a hearing regarding an interference call in last night’s preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. In a quick turnaround, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced their appointment with Wilson this morning for a hearing later today. It is a fast response, with the potential to be forceful as well, when it comes to Wilson, who is starting to get a reputation as one of the league’s biggest thugs.

The hit in question, as you can see, was a hard check on St. Louis 2017 first-round pick Robert Thomas. Thomas was chasing the puck, which drew the interference call, when Wilson swung in an hit him with a shoulder to the upper body. Wilson leaves his feet to make contact, which Player Safety will surely call attention to. Thomas was not injured on the play and Wilson quickly fought Dmitrij Jaskin and then served his penalty and with the pace of the game, no one gave much of a second thought to the ordeal. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan even reports that Trotz had planned to use Wilson in tonight’s game. However, the league, and new Head of Player Safety and former enforcer himself George Parros, would like to take a closer look at Wilson’s most recent incident.

Amazingly, if Wilson is suspended for the hit, it will be the first suspension of his NHL career. Wilson has had his fair share of hearing, two ending in substantial fines, but has never missed any time. However, the timing of this hearing could mean that his lucky streak is about to end. With the main focus of the NHL this season clearly being a desire to clean up play and reduce injuries, a statement suspension for a guy too often on the wrong side of dirty plays would seem to fit the narrative.

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