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Blues Recall Corey Schueneman, Reassign Leo Lööf

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Blues defense prospect Leo Lööf will have to wait until his next recall to make his NHL debut. He’s been sent back to AHL Springfield while veteran Corey Schueneman comes up, the team announced Friday.

Schueneman, 29, is in his first season with the St. Louis organization after signing a two-way deal in free agency on July 1. The Michigan native has 31 games of NHL experience to his name, all coming with the Canadiens in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns. He recorded two goals and five assists for seven points with a -4 rating, 8 PIMs and 38 shots while averaging 16:10 per game and controlling 45.1% of shot attempts at even strength.

Once a captain for Western Michigan University, Schueneman has had a solid minor-league career since turning pro in 2019. In addition to his time with the Canadiens and Blues, he’s spent time in the Flames and Avalanche organizations on AHL and NHL contracts, respectively. His lone season in Colorado was last year, where he recorded 22 points and a +2 rating in 64 appearances for their AHL affiliate.

So far in 2024-25, Schueneman has a goal and four assists for five points in 13 AHL games with a +1 rating. He could make his Blues debut Saturday against the Bruins after Pierre-Olivier Joseph left Thursday’s overtime loss to the Sabres with a lower-body injury and did not return.

Schueneman cleared waivers on his way down to Springfield at the beginning of October. He can remain on the Blues’ roster for up to 30 non-consecutive days or play 10 NHL games before he needs them again to return to the minors.

With a new face likely needed to replace Joseph tomorrow, it’s possible the Blues wanted a more offensively-inclined option to replace Joseph on the back end. The hard-hitting shutdown Lööf was likely going to get his chance in a third-pairing role, not in top-four usage alongside Justin Faulk like the puck-moving Schueneman may receive. The 22-year-old had been recalled from Springfield on Wednesday after posting an assist, 21 PIMs, and a +1 rating in 11 games.

Blues Recall Leo Lööf With Nick Leddy To Miss Three Games

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4:00 PM: Defenseman Nick Leddy won’t be joining St. Louis on their upcoming three-game road trip, per Lou Korac of The Hockey News. Leddy will continue to sit out after shifting to injured reserve on October 22nd with a lower-body injury. He hasn’t played since October 15th, and went without any scoring or hits through the first four games of the Blues’ season. St. Louis deployed Leddy as a top-pair defender prior to his injury – leaving big shoes to fill in the lineup, and making St. Louis eager for his return.

9:00 AM: The Blues announced Wednesday that they’d recalled defense prospect Leo Lööf from AHL Springfield. If he plays during his recall, it will be his NHL debut.

Lööf, now 22, was a third-round pick of the Blues in 2020. The 6’1″, 201-lb left-shot defenseman spent his first three post-draft years in Europe, skating for top-level clubs in Sweden (Färjestad BK) and Finland (Ilves) before signing his entry-level contract in April 2023 and coming to North America the following season.

Lööf has appeared solely for Springfield during his entry-level contract, though that may change in the coming days. The physical, two-way defender has yet to see his point totals pop in the minors, failing to score a goal and recording only eight assists in 69 games dating back to last season. It’s a sharp downtick from his numbers in the European pros, where he most recently had four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 55 Liiga games for Ilves in 2022-23.

Only one of those points has come this season while making 11 appearances for Springfield. However, he’s tied for second on the team with 21 PIMs and is tied for the team lead among defensemen with a +1 rating. While the point totals haven’t come, and his ability to read plays offensively is still translating to North American ice, he’s primarily played an intelligent game and has been a factor physically.

That being said, it’s no guarantee that Lööf gets into a game. The Blues already have six healthy defenders on the roster and likely just wanted an extra body on hand for their three-game East Coast road swing over the next few days. Lööf was one of the top waiver-exempt options they had available, so they don’t have to worry about managing their roster or shaving time off the temporary exemptions for Corey Schueneman, Hunter Skinner or Tyler Tucker after the trio cleared waivers during training camp.

Lööf still has one season left on his entry-level contract after this. Even if he doesn’t play, the recall is financially significant for him—temporarily bumping his salary from just $80K in the minors to a pro-rated $775K while he’s on the NHL roster. He’ll be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2026.

St. Louis Blues Sign Leo Loof To Entry-Level Contract

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The St. Louis Blues have announced the signing of 21-year-old Swedish defenseman Leo Loof to a three-year entry-level contract. The team did not disclose the financial specifics of Loof’s deal, which will expire in the summer of 2026.

Loof was selected by the Blues in the third round, 88th overall of the 2020 NHL Draft. He most recently played for Ilves in the Finnish Liiga, where he tallied four goals and 12 assists in 55 games last season, along with a strong +22 rating. Loof is known for his physicality, not shying away from a heavy hit, but needs more development before he’s ready for the NHL. While standing at 6-foot-1, Loof weighs in at just 179 pounds.

Loof’s style of play should fit in well with the Blues, who are known for their physicality and defensive-minded approach. However, as with any prospect, there are challenges he will have to overcome in order to succeed in the NHL.

He did, however, have a strong season of all-around development in Finland, and Loof is likely ready for a bottom-pairing role in the AHL. Loof’s entry-level contract may contain a European Assignment Clause, however, and he could be loaned back to Europe for 2023-24.

Born in Karlstad, Sweden, Loof played in six games for Sweden at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, though he was held off the scoresheet.

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