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Jacob de la Rose

Sweden Announces 2022 Olympic Roster

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Jan 31: Djuse and Gustafsson have been ruled out because of positive COVID results, meaning Theodor Lennstrom and Philip Holm will replace them on the roster.

Jan 21: With just three weeks until the 2022 Winter Olympic men’s hockey tournament gets underway, rosters are being finalized by all the participating countries. Sweden is the latest to reveal who will represent their country in Beijing next month, announcing a roster filled with names that are familiar to NHL fans. While the best league in the world won’t be going to the international event, there’s still plenty of NHL experience that will hit the ice.

The full roster:

G Magnus Hellberg
G Lars Johansson
G Adam Reideborn

D Lukas Bengtsson
D Erik Gustafsson
D Emil Djuse
D Oscar Fantenberg
D Christian Folin
D Linus Hultstrom
D Jonathan Pudas
D Henri Tommernes

F Daniel Brodin
F Mathias Brome
F Jacob de La Rose
F Dennis Everberg
F Max Friberg
F Pontus Holmberg
F Linus Johansson
F Carl Klingberg
F Marcus Kruger
F Anton Lander
F Joakim Nordstrom
F Fredrik Olofsson
F Gustav Rydahl
F Lucas Wallmark

Like the Finns, Sweden has gone with a veteran lineup filled with NHL and international experience, passing on many of the country’s top young prospects. One interesting name though is Holmberg, a 22-year-old forward that actually signed his entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer. He’s playing in Sweden this season on loan and has 28 points in 33 games. He is the youngest player on the roster by several years and basically represents the only prospect included. Selected in the sixth round in 2018, it would be quite a find for the Maple Leafs if he can continue his high level of play in North America next season.

Jacob De La Rose Returning To Sweden

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It certainly hasn’t been the NHL career that many envisioned for Jacob de La Rose when the Montreal Canadiens selected him 34th overall in 2013. A big, physical center that had already played at a high level in Sweden as a teenager, de La Rose’s offensive game was supposed to mature and develop in North America. It never did, with his best offensive year coming in the AHL when he scored 31 points in 62 games for the St. John’s IceCaps. In his 242 NHL games, split between the Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and St. Louis Blues, the 6’3″ forward registered just 38 points. Now, as restricted free agency approaches for the final time, de La Rose is going back home.

The 26-year-old has signed a three-year contract with Farjestad BK in the SHL, meaning that even if the Blues qualify him this summer, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent by the time this deal expires. It’s hard to even envision him returning to the NHL at this point, given how rarely he was given more than fourth-line minutes throughout his career. Through those 242 games he has averaged fewer than 12 minutes a night, and that is skewed heavily by his usage early on. Unless an offensive explosion happens in Sweden, this may be the last you hear of de La Rose on this side of the pond.

If that’s the case, it is just another poor outcome for a player selected high by the Canadiens in the mid-2010s. de La Rose followed first-round pick Michael McCarron in 2013, with Zach Fucale coming two picks later. In 2014 it was Nikita Scherbak and Brett Lernout with the first two picks, and in 2015 Noah Juulsen and Lukas Vejdemo were the team’s top two selections. Amazingly, it’s perhaps 2014 seventh-round pick Jake Evans that will make the biggest impact from those three classes (honorable mention to Artturi Lehkonen), after his strong performance as a two-way player this season.

Jacob De La Rose Drawing Interest In Sweden

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It’s getting difficult to ignore the noise coming out of Sweden as it pertains to St. Louis Blues forward Jacob De La Rose. When rumor first came out that his former SHL club Leksands IF was hoping to bring their homegrown product back overseas, it was largely dismissed. Now, the latest report indicates that a bidding war could be coming for De La Rose’s services, one that could convince him to leave the NHL behind.

Swedish news source Expressen reports that De La Rose has officially received a three-year contract offer from Farjestad BK, a perennial power house in Sweden. While Leksands finished higher that Farjestad in the regular season standings this year, both clubs exited in the quarterfinals. Farjestad has already gotten off to a hot start this off-season too, inking De La Rose’s fellow NHL forward Joakim Nygard to a long-term deal. If De La Rose believes that he can contend for an SHL title year in and year out, he may not be able to resist joining Farjestad. However, Leksands is not ready to lie down. Expressen adds that the club is prepared to offer a “significantly larger” contract in financial terms.

Is De La Rose ready to accept a deal from either Leksands or Farjestad though? Doing so could mean the end of his NHL career; at 26, if the bidding war results in both clubs offering increased term, De La Rose would have to be content with leaving North America behind. His usage in 2020-21 – just 13 games for the Blues – is certainly not what the veteran forward is looking for. However, De La Rose had played in at least 50 NHL games in each of the three prior seasons and has established himself as a useful bottom-six forward who occasionally flashes top-six talent. A restricted free agent this summer, De La Rose may be more inclined to leave for Sweden if the Blues retain his rights with a qualifying offer. Otherwise, he may give the NHL’s open market a long look before making a decision. Of course, if the bidding war in Sweden gets to a financial point where it doesn’t make sense to stay in North America, De La Rose could make his commitment sooner rather than later.

Luke Johnson, Jacob de La Rose Clear Waivers

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April 5: Both players have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

April 4: A pair of depth forwards hit the waiver wire today, added by a couple of competing West Division contenders no less. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Minnesota Wild’s Luke Johnson and the St. Louis Blues’ Jacob de La Rose have been waived. Edmonton’s Joakim Nygard, the only player on waivers on Saturday, has cleared.

Johnson, 26, cleared waivers early this season, but his most recent outing with Minnesota marked the ten-game limit that necessitated another go-round. The former Chicago Blackhawks prospect, now in his second season with the Wild, is unlikely to be claimed. Johnson has one point in 28 career NHL games and has yet to record a point with Minnesota in two years. While his minor league production has previously been impressive, he has only played in two games with AHL Iowa this season, spending most of his time on the Minnesota taxi squad. And that is where Johnson is likely to remain for much of the remainder of this season.

De La Rose, 25, could be more of a risk, albeit is still unlikely to be claimed. The 2013 second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens was claimed the very first time he was waived, snagged by the Detroit Red Wings back in 2018. Detroit then traded de La Rose to the Blues early last season in a one-for-one deal to land Robby Fabbri, a swap that has worked out nicely for the Red Wings. In St. Louis, de La Rose has failed to make much of an impact and has been slowed by injuries as well. While his offensive game has never reached his draft expectations, de La Rose’s physical contributions have also slipped this year, leading to a career-low in ice time. For the Blues, it likely no longer made sense to reserve an active roster spot for the Swedish forward. Whether another team sees enough ice time to make a claim remains to be seen, but it would not be a major loss for St. Louis if it does happen.

Injury Notes: Bozak, Trocheck, Bruins, Kings

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After a month-and-a-half on the sidelines, St. Louis Blues forward Tyler Bozak is finally making some progress toward a return. Speaking to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, head coach Craig Berube displayed optimism when discussing the health of his veteran center, who was back at practice on Friday. “He’s gonna get some work here in the next few days and he could be available soon,” Berube said. “It’s good to see him out there and working… making some real good progress.” Bozak has not played since January 26th, when he was forced out of game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an apparent concussion. With the Blue about to embark on a six-game road trip, they will have to decide if bringing Bozak is the right move or if he requires additional time before his return. While St. Louis also just got Vladimir Tarasenko back and Oskar Sundqvist returned from a short-term injury, they could still use all the help they can get. Colton Parayko, Jaden Schwartz, Ivan Barbashev, Robert Thomas, Jacob De La Rose, and more are still among the Blues’ injured.

  • The news on Carolina Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck does not sound as optimistic. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour tells The Athletic’s Sara Civian that Trocheck’s recent upper-body injury will keep him sidelined for “longer than hoped”. The coach held back on providing any definitive timeline, but any long-term absence for Trocheck will be a major loss for the team. In his first full season with the Hurricanes, Trocheck has been a point-per-game player and is tied with Sebastian Aho for the team’s scoring lead. If there is one silver lining for Carolina, it is that the injury occurred before the trade deadline; with a considerable amount of cap space, the ’Canes still have time to bring in help to make up for an extended period without Trocheck.
  • Back on the positive side, the Boston Bruins have been dealing with an onslaught of injuries for some time, but there could be some help on the way. Head coach Bruce Cassidy announced today that veteran defenseman Kevan Miller has resumed skating and is likely to travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. Miller has been resting his surgically-repaired knee, but seems like he is ready to get back on the ice. Cassidy also said that defenseman Brandon Carlo is “coming around” and, while he is unsure if it will happen, there is at least some consideration that he could travel as well. This is the first concrete update on Carlo since he was hospitalized by a high hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson, but its seems that Carlo will not be out for a lengthy period as many feared.
  • It’s a scary time for any unknown illness given the shadow of the Coronavirus, so the Los Angeles Kings played it safe and cancelled practice this morning, citing an “illness” spreading around the group. Head coach Todd McLellan and the Kings do not believe that this is COVID, but a seasonal virus. However, the team will wait to see what their latest batch of test results say. Defenseman Olli Maatta is currently on the league’s COVID Protocal Related Absences list, though Alex Iafallo missed the team’s last game with similar symptoms and did not test positive for COVID. Obviously, the hope of all involved is that this is what McLellan believe it to be: some unrelated bug going around the locker room.

Snapshots: Trade Board, Joshua, Three Stars

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It’s March now and the NHL trade deadline is just over a month away. Names like Mattias Ekholm have already been thrown around as potential difference-making acquisitions, but making deals won’t be easy. Still, that won’t stop people from speculating on who will switch teams later this season.

Today, The Athletic released its “Big Board” curated by Craig Custance and Eric Duhatschek, including 26 players that could be dealt by the deadline. The list includes Ekholm, but also Jack Eichel, despite the piece still suggesting that a deal for the Buffalo Sabres captain would be much more likely in the offseason if it happens at all. The rest of the list is good reading and includes some names that may surprise.

  • The St. Louis Blues are expected to have Dakota Joshua in the lineup tonight centering the fourth line between Kyle Clifford and Mackenzie MacEachern. Joshua was acquired for future considerations from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019 following four years at Ohio State University, and quickly signed his entry-level deal. Now, less than two years later and after a stint in the ECHL, the 24-year-old is about to make it to the NHL. Jacob de La Rose, who previously skated in that fourth line spot, is out with a lower-body injury that head coach Craig Berube says will keep him out for a “significant time.”
  • Andrei Vasilevskiy is the NHL’s First Star for last week after stopping 79 of 81 shots he faced. The 2019 Vezina Trophy winner is looking like he might take home another one as he currently leads the league in wins with 12 and is second in save percentage at .938 (Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury leads the way at .941). Patrick Kane and Mats Zuccarello are last week’s second and third stars. Kane scored the 400th goal of his career yesterday, becoming the 100th player in league history to hit that milestone.

Injury Updates: Ryan, De La Rose, Stecher, Beecher

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Calgary center Derek Ryan has resumed skating as he works his way back from a thumb injury, reports Postmedia’s Daniel Austin.  The veteran has missed the last dozen games due to the issue and was placed on LTIR.  Since he has missed the required 10 games and 24 days, he’s eligible to be activated as soon as he’s cleared to return, as long as the Flames can get back into cap compliance.  Ryan cleared waivers at the beginning of the season and was likely headed back for the waiver wire again had he not been injured in his tenth game; he had been getting shuffled to and from the taxi squad, being demoted on non-game days to bank cap space.  Another placement there will likely be what ultimately signifies his readiness to return.

More injury news from around the league:

  • The Blues have placed center Jacob de la Rose on injured reserve, notes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He suffered a lower-body injury early in yesterday’s wild game against San Jose.  While de la Rose cleared waivers to start the season, he had been a regular on the fourth line for the past three weeks, averaging just under 10 minutes per name, a total that’s slightly skewed by his early exit on Saturday.  He’s the sixth Blue on either regular IR or LTIR with Vladimir Tarasenko being the closest to returning.
  • The Red Wings have placed defenseman Troy Stecher on injured reserve, CapFriendly reports. The 26-year-old has missed the last five games due to a lower-body injury and his placement is retroactive to February 19th.  Accordingly, he’s eligible to be activated at any time.  Detroit used the roster spot to recall winger Mathias Brome from the taxi squad in advance of their game tonight against Chicago.
  • Bruins prospect John Beecher has undergone shoulder surgery which puts his college season to an end, relays Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now. It was a bit of a tough year for the 2019 first-rounder as a bout with COVID-19 put an end to his World Junior hopes and between that and this, the center was limited to just 16 games with the Wolverines this season, notching four goals and four assists.  Boston will now have to decide if he’s better off returning for his junior year or turning pro.

Blues Activate Robert Bortuzzo Off Injured Reserve

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The Blues now have their full complement of defensemen available to them as the team announced that they have activated Robert Bortuzzo off injured reserve.  He had missed the last ten games due to an upper-body injury.

The 31-year-old has played just twice this season before sustaining the injury.  He has been in a depth role with St. Louis for the past several years and will likely battle Carl Gunnarsson and Niko Mikkola for playing time.  They’re currently carrying eight blueliners on the roster although Mikkola is waiver-exempt but their AHL affiliate in Springfield opted out of playing this season which presents some challenges if they want to send him down.

The team also made several other roster moves.  Robert Thomas was played on IR after it was revealed earlier today that he’ll miss four-to-six weeks with a broken thumb.  With Bortuzzo returning, Jake Walman was sent to the taxi squad.  Lastly, St. Louis recalled center Jacob de la Rose from their taxi squad, sending winger Mackenzie MacEachern down to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.  Both Walman and MacEachern have played once with the Blues this season while de la Rose has yet to suit up.

St. Louis Blues Re-Sign Jacob De La Rose

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The St. Louis Blues will be bringing back a depth forward, announcing today that they have re-signed Jacob de La Rose for one season. The deal will pay him $700K for 2020-21.

Now 25 years old, it’s clear that de La Rose is never going to score much at the NHL level. In 229 NHL games, the big center has recorded just 13 goals and 37 points, including just nine last season in a year split between St. Louis and the Detroit Red Wings. He came to the Blues as the return for Robby Fabbri, but was never expected to fill the same kind of middle-six role in St. Louis.

Instead, he’ll serve as some fourth-line depth and a big body that can contribute to head coach Craig Berube’s physical grind-it-out style. de La Rose does require waivers to go to the minor leagues, but it seems unlikely that he’d be claimed at this point in his career given there isn’t much upside left.

St. Louis Blues Extend Sammy Blais

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The St. Louis Blues have seemingly made the most of some down time during the league pause. The team has announced a new two-year contract with forward Sammy Blais. Blais has earned a raise from his current $850K deal to a $1.5MM AAV on his extension.

Blais, 23, has recorded six goals and 13 points in 40 games so far this season. Blais’ struggles with injuries have persisted this season, as he has missed 28 games due to surgery on his right wrist. Yet, when healthy he has been nearly three times as productive than he was last season. A big winger who isn’t afraid to play physically but also has some finesse to his game, Blais very well could continue to grow into much more dangerous scorer for the Blues over the course of his new contract, especially if he can stay healthy.

With Blais signed, the defending champs have gotten one of two priority RFA’s under contract. Blais would have had arbitration rights this summer, but instead will hold off on that process for at least another couple of years. Now, the Blues will turn their attention to defenseman Vince Dunn. Dunn, who lacks arbitration rights, nevertheless will need a new deal when his entry-level contract expires this off-season. Mackenzie MacEachern, Jacob de La Rose, and Derrick Pouliot are other RFA’s of note for the Blues this summer.

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