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Jordan Schmaltz

St. Louis Blues’ Gunnarsson Out For Season With ACL Tear

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The St. Louis Blues momentum towards grabbing a playoff spot hit another bump in the road when the team announced that defenseman Carl Gunnarsson will miss the rest of the season after he suffered an ACL tear in his left knee during Friday night’s victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

Gunnarsson, who suffered the injury in the first period of Friday’s game, is expected to undergo surgery as soon as the swelling subsides. He is expected to be re-evaluated in six months, so he could conceivably be ready for next season. Gunnarsson still has one more year on his current deal at $2.9MM AAV.

The 31-year-old veteran defenseman has played 63 games for the Blues, scoring five goals and nine points on the season. Gunnarsson was providing key depth as the team had already lost top defenseman Jay Bouwmeester for the season almost three weeks ago. The Blues are currently one point behind for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference and now will be forced to use inexperienced defensemen to fill in for the team. Jordan Schmaltz, who has played just 10 games this season, will likely be thrust into a bigger role from now on. No word on who the team plans to recall to replace Gunnarsson.

Minor Transactions: 2/24/18

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Though the expectation is to see less “minor” transactions and more fireworks over the next 48 hours, the day-to-day operations of NHL teams don’t stop just because of the trade deadline. With a busy slate of 12 games coming up today, teams continue to tweak their rosters in preparation, though some moves could also signal an impending trade. Follow along to find out.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have reversed the decision they made yesterday, announcing an identical swap of Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen for Jeff Zatkoff. Zatkoff heads back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after just one day, while Korpisalo and Hannikainen re-join the Jackets. The veteran goalie Zatkoff has yet to make an NHL appearance this season, but Korpisalo hasn’t had much better luck, struggling through 12 games, including just two dismal performances in February.
  • Blake Pietila is on his way back to the minors, as the New Jersey Devils have also changed their mind on a recent call-up, sending the young forward back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Pietila played in his first two NHL games of the 2017-18 campaign on this call-up, but failed to record a point in under 20 minutes of total ice time.
  • St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac notes that the AHL lists defenseman Jordan Schmaltz and forward Tage Thompson headed to St. Louis and defenseman Chris Butler and forward Sammy Blais reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage. More likely than not, the Blues are swapping out some in-between players for others to shake up a lineup that has been ineffective of late, but there’s also a good chance that they would like to showcase all of their young pro talent ahead of the deadline. St. Louis has just three wins in their past ten games and risk missing the playoffs if their play doesn’t improve one way or another.
  • According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have placed Peter Holland on waivers today. Holland is no stranger to having an uncertain future; the 27-year-old has been with four different NHL organizations in the past two years and wouldn’t be surprised to join a fifth on this go-round through the waiver wire. However, the 2009 first-rounder is on pace for the fewest NHL games and points of his career this season and may not hold much value for other teams.
  • After clearing waivers himself, newly-acquired L.A. goaltender Scott Wedgewood is heading to the AHL, per Kings beat writer Josh Cooper. Joining Wedgewood on the trip to the AHL’s Ontario Reign is forward Jonny Brodzinski, while defenseman Paul LaDue has been recalled. LaDue has played in only seven games with the Kings this season after 22 in his 2016-17 rookie campaign and again looks to be just a depth option for Los Angeles on this call-up.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled prospect Laurent Dauphin from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 22-year-old center was re-acquired by Arizona on Jan. 10 after he had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason. Dauphin was originally traded in June with Connor Murphy for defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The prospect was then reacquired when Arizona traded forward Anthony Duclair to Chicago with Richard Panik. Dauphin had 17 goals last year for the Roadrunners and was expected to take that next step. However, he struggled with the Rockford IceHogs early on, scoring just four goals to go with 10 assists in 33 games. He seems to have found his game since then as he has five goals and 10 assists in just 16 games and might be ready to take on a role with Arizona now that the team moved Tobias Rieder recently to Los Angeles.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they recalled winger Ty Rattie and activated Andrej Sekera from injured reserve today. The 25-year-old Rattie has 20 goals and 19 assists with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, but has struggled to break into the NHL over the years. He signed with Edmonton in the offseason. Sekera, who was struck in the face with a puck back on Feb. 9, has struggled this year after tearing his ACL last season. He has no goals and one assist in 18 games for Edmonton with a minus-10 rating. The team did need some defensive depth after they traded away Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders earlier today.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned forwards Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL today, according to the Chicago Wolves. Hyka scored his first NHL goal Friday and had played well, but the team is likely making space for recently acquired Ryan Reaves and the impending return of James Neal to the lineup. Both were likely expected to be returned to Chicago by Monday anyway, as if the Golden Knights want them to play in the AHL playoffs, they must not be with the NHL club at the trade deadline.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kalle Kossila from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old averages more than a point a game as he has 13 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Gulls. For the Ducks, he has one goal and one assist in 10 games.

Snapshots: Tavares, Schmaltz, Hall

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As we close out January, we’re still waiting for the rush of trade deadline moves to start. It’s been awfully quite on the market for some time, and as Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) writes, that might be because of John Tavares. It’s not so much that Tavares is available in trade, but that if he is really going to hit the open market in July, teams want to make sure they have enough cap space to take a run at him.

Custance mentions the San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens as potential players in free agency for Tavares, though those are all speculative at this point. All three could turn into big factors at the trade deadline—in different ways—and could be delaying their decisions as long as possible. For now, we’ll just have to hold tight and wait for the first real foot to drop in the rental market.

  • Speaking of the St. Louis Blues, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet included a note about Jordan Schmaltz in his latest 31 Thoughts column, writing that the AHL All-Star is basically blocked from making an impact at the NHL level. That’s because of the Blues’ impressive depth on the right side, and it could lead to him being a trade chip in the next few weeks. Again, that’s just speculation, but Schmaltz certainly would hold substantial value. A first-round pick of the Blues in 2012, Schmaltz has found nothing but success in the collegiate and minor pro ranks, but has received just 13 games of NHL experience to this point. He’s also heading into restricted free agency this summer as he finishes his entry-level contract, and holds arbitration rights.
  • Taylor Hall has been fined $5,000 for his hit on Kyle Okposo last night, avoiding suspension. Hall hit Okposo into the boards from behind, resulting in a minor penalty and will have this incident added to his record with the Department of Player Safety. While Okposo suffered no apparent injury on the play and was back at Sabres’ practice today, it easily could have resulted in more serious damage. Now, only Hall’s wallet will feel that pain.

Minor Transactions: 12/30/17

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While much of the hockey world’s focus has been on the World Juniors in Buffalo this week, the NHL is still rolling along with the 2017 segment of the season about to end. With six games tonight and another nine tomorrow on New Year’s Eve, teams are still making moves even with a day off for all but the Rangers and Sabres coming on Monday:

  • The Winnipeg Jets announced today that young forward Brandon Tanev has been placed on injured reserve. Coach Paul Maurice told the media that it is a lower-body injury and that Tanev is expected to be out two to three weeks. While Tanev has only ten points thus far, he is enjoying his best NHL season to date, now in his third year with the Jets. His absence only compiles the loss of Mark Scheifele, as another possible depth player who could step up is now out of the picture.
  • However, Winnipeg has responded by calling up highly-touted prospect Jack Roslovic from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Last season, Roslovic led the Moose in scoring as a rookie and in 2017-18 is the third-leading scorer in the entire AHL with 35 points. With Scheifele out, now is the time for Roslovic to jump in and show that he can be an offensive force in the NHL as well and is deserving of a roster spot for the remainder of the season.
  • The St. Louis Blues have activated Jay Bouwmeester from his second stint on the injured reserve this season and expect him to suit up tonight for their game against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. In turn, the Blues have demoted rookie blue liner Jordan Schmaltz to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Schmaltz, 24, has been held scoreless in four games so far this season, but has 19 points to his credit in 24 AHL games.
  • Andy Welinski has been returned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks announced. The move comes after a call-up in which Welinski made his NHL debut and recorded his first NHL point and ended a four-game stint with two assists and a +1 rating. The long-time Minnesota-Duluth star may have to wait awhile for another chance in Anaheim, but he made a good first impression.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have brought Michael Chaput back up, according to a team release. Chaput was a  frequent contributor in Vancouver last season, playing in 68 games, but has only three to date in 2017-18. While Chaput is having a good year down in the AHL with the Utica Comets, he would undoubtedly rather stick with the ’Nucks on this recall.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Nashville Predators have recalled forward Frederick Gaudreau from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, but also notes that this move would put the NHL roster at 24. With the placement of Filip Forsberg on IR, the roster returned to 23.
  • In an on-paper move, the Washington Capitals recalled both forward Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Even though neither player moved anywhere, both were sent down Friday to help ease the team’s tight salary cap situation.
  • The Boston Bruins activated center David Krejci off injured reserve today after having missed the past six games, according to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. The 31-year-old Krejci has only played in 18 games this year, having put up five goals and nine assists this year. He scored 23 goals a year ago.

Minor Transactions: 12/12/17

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The NHL has another full slate today with nine matchups around the league, including a prime tilt between the Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues. Both teams are among the very best in the NHL, and should put on an impressive show.

In the meantime, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves teams make to get ready for tonight right here. Refresh the page throughout the day to stay up to date.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/17

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We’re now just a week away from the start of the regular season, and teams are starting to get down close to their opening night rosters. Over 100 players were cut yesterday, and there will be many more today. Keep it right here for all the cuts as they happen.

Arizona Coyotes

F Emerson Etem – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Boston Bruins

G Dan Vladar – Providence (AHL)

Calgary Flames

F Joseph Cramarossa – Released from PTO

Colorado Avalanche

D Jared Cowen – Released from PTO

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Vitali Abramov – Gatineau (QMJHL)
F Nick Moutrey – Cleveland (AHL)
F Justin Scott – Cleveland (AHL)
F Calvin Thurkauf – Cleveland (AHL)
F Alexander Broadhurst – Cleveland (AHL)
D Andre Benoit – Cleveland (AHL)
D Cameron Gaunce – Cleveland (AHL)
D Dean Kukan – Cleveland (AHL)
F John Mitchell – Released from PTO
D Brady Austin – Released from PTO

Dallas Stars

F Brian Flynn – Texas (AHL)
D Brent Regner – Texas (AHL)
F R.J. Umberger – Released from PTO

Edmonton Oilers

F Ty Rattie – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Dillon Simpson – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Florida Panthers

F Jayce Hawryluk – Springfield (AHL)
F Maxim Mamin – Springfield (AHL)
F Sebastian Repo – Springfield (AHL)

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Blues Youth Movement Is Already Here

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When you think about the St. Louis Blues team, youth isn’t necessarily the first word that comes up. While the team is hardly old, the Blues roster is full of veteran players like Paul Statstny, Alexander Steen, Jay Bouwmeester and Patrik Berglund. They also have a group of players entering their prime now, names such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo and the recently acquired Brayden Schenn, who they traded their first-round pick for.

The point is that no one thinks of the Blues as a young team, yet Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that surprisingly, St. Louis may have as many as nine or even 10 players who are 24 years old or younger on next year’s roster next. Somehow, it seems that the Blues are developing a lot of young players despite their veteran success in the NHL. Rutherford suggests that Robby Fabbri, Oskar Sundqvist, Ivan Barbashev, Zachary Sanford and Dmitrij Jaskin all could find themselves in the Blues forward rotation plans in various ways, while youngsters Joel Edmundson, Colton Parayko, Jordan Schmaltz and Petteri Lindbohm all have a chance to crack the lineup on defense. And that doesn’t include 2017 first-round pick Klim Kostin, who just recently signed his entry-level contract.

Fabbri, a 2014 first-round pick, has already established himself as a quality prospect. He opened his rookie year two years ago with an 18-goal season. While the 21-year-old is coming off a torn ACL injury he sustained in February, he still put up 11 goals in 51 games last year and could be a top candidate to take over at center next year while Bergeron sits out due to shoulder surgery until December. Jaskin has been with the Blues for a while now. The 2011 second-rounder has been in and out of the lineup for four seasons now. The 24-year-old wing played in 51 games last year and finished with 11 points. He must make the next step if he wants to hold off other youngsters coming up. Barbashev could be one of those players. He was drafted in the second round after Fabbri, got into 30 games for the Blues a year ago and showed promise, producing five goals and 12 points and at 21, may be ready for an increased role.

The team has also been very prudent, trading the occasional veteran for prospects.Several of their young players came over via trade. Sundqvist, traded to St. Louis from Pittsburgh a few weeks ago in the Ryan Reaves trade, hopes to carve out a regular role with the Blues. He’s only played in 28 NHL games, but had a hard time breaking into the lineup. He did score 20 goals with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL last year. Sanford, a second-rounder from 2013, was acquired from Washington at the trade deadline in the Kevin Shattenkirk deal, and could work his way onto the roster. Sanford played 39 games in his rookie season after coming to the NHL from Boston College. He put up just eight points, but did get into four playoff games for the Blues.

On defense, the 24-year-old Edmundson has already established himself as a solid defensive presence after two solid seasons in a row. The former 2011 second-rounder played 67 games in 2015-16 and put up three goals and 12 assists in 69 games this past season. Parayko, 24, also has put together two solid seasons on defense as the third-rounder of 2012 put up four goals and 31 assists last year. Both have worked their way through the system and have paid off. Schmaltz, 23, is right on their heels. The former 2012 first-rounder got into nine games this year and could surprise some people and make the team. Lindbohm, 23, has made appearances in three straight seasons as a depth defenseman.

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