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Nikita Soshnikov

Nikita Soshnikov Signs In KHL

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We have probably seen the last of Nikita Soshnikov. After his contract was terminated by the New York Islanders, the minor league forward officially signed with HC Traktor in the KHL. The new deal will continue through the 2023-24 season, meaning he would be 31 by the time a return to North America was possible.

Like so many other undrafted Russian forwards, Soshnikov showed NHL-level talent but found it difficult to carve out a regular role in the league. After putting up a 32-point season for Moscow Oblast Atlant in 2014-15, he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs and quickly rose the depth chart.

That year, he scored 18 goals for the Toronto Marlies but also had five points in 11 games with the rebuilding Maple Leafs. The next season, as the club turned to an extremely young lineup, he played in 56 NHL games but was only able to record nine points.

It still seemed like he would stick, but that season ended up being more than half of his career appearances. A few more games for Toronto, an unsuccessful stint in St. Louis, and Soshnikov was back to the KHL, where he once again showed he could score at a high level.

This season he tried the NHL again, convinced by Lou Lamoriello for a second time, and ended up in just three games with the Islanders. For his career, Soshnikov scored 16 points in 90 games.

Five Players Clear Waivers

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Dec 19: All five players have cleared waivers. Soshnikov and Zhuravlyov will have their contracts terminated.

Dec 18: Considering the amount of roster moves taking place today in advance of tomorrow’s roster freeze, it’s no surprise to see a crowded waiver wire this afternoon. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes, Craig Smith (BOS), Austin Czarnik (DET), Jason Demers (EDM), Nikita Soshnikov (NYI), and Danil Zhuravlyov (COL) have all been placed on waivers.

Soshnikov and Zhuravlyov have both been placed on waivers for the purposes of contract termination, meaning that if they clear, they will be released by their organizations. As reported earlier, Demers is on waivers after signing an NHL contract with the Edmonton Oilers today, though little will change if he’s not claimed as he’s been playing with their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, this season. Lukas Sedlak, who was placed on unconditional waivers yesterday, has cleared.

Zhuravlyov, 22, was a fifth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche back in 2018 but only came to North America this year, joining the Colorado Eagles. In that time, the defenseman has played in 14 games and while it hasn’t exactly been a resounding success, recording just an assist in that time, it was far from a poor performance for the developing blueliner. It’s unclear what the next step would be should he clear, but perhaps an opportunity closer to home could be available. Zhuravlyov spent the previous three seasons with AK Bars in the KHL.

Soshnikov, who had just returned to North America after a three year stint in the KHL, had made the New York Islanders roster out of training camp, however he had seen rather limited playing time before being placed on waivers and sent down in mid-November, getting into just three games on the Island. Like Sedlak and Zhuravlyov, perhaps an opportunity closer to home is on the table for Soshnikov, though nothing’s confirmed for the latter two.

Czarnik is no stranger to the waiver wire himself, claimed twice last season, once by the Seattle Kraken from the Islanders, then again by the Islanders from the Kraken. The forward signed with the Detroit Red Wings this season, placed on waivers just prior to the start of the regular season, and now finds himself on the wire for the fourth time in roughly 10 months. Known as a solid depth option wherever he goes, the 30-year-old Czarnik has three points in 11 NHL games this season to go with an impressive 14 points in 12 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate.

Perhaps the most intriguing name on this list is Smith. A veteran of 12 NHL seasons, the forward is in the final year of a three-year, $3.1MM AAV contract he signed with the Boston Bruins prior to the 2020-21 season. The 33-year-old has struggled to start this season with just four points in 17 games, playing just 9:51 per night, far less than his career 14:44 average. By placing him on waivers, it’s likely the Bruins, who are operating right along the edge of the salary cap ceiling will be hoping Smith is claimed, relieving them from his cap hit.

Given the Bruins impeccable start to this season and the possibility of their competitive window closing shortly, considering Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s age and David Pastrnak’s uncertain contract status, one would think the team will be looking to make a splash at or before the trade deadline. Having Smith claimed isn’t the be-all-end-all of making a big acquisition, but would get the ball rolling in Boston, or at the very least, allow them to hand off his cap hit without having to give up an asset to do so.

Nikita Soshnikov Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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Nov 16, 5:15 PM: The Islanders have announced that Soshnikov has been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders.

Nov 16, 1:05 PM: Soshnikov has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Nov 15: The New York Islanders have placed Nikita Soshnikov on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Should he clear, the team could assign him to the minor leagues, completely burying his $750K cap hit.

Soshnikov, 29, came back to North America after spending the last three seasons in the KHL, and it seemed as though he might find some new life on this side of the ocean. After all, the undrafted forward had been great in his time back home, scoring 98 points in 137 regular season games. Things haven’t gone so well though, with the Islanders only icing him three times this season.

If he does clear, one has to wonder whether Soshnikov will request a contract termination to go back to the KHL instead of reporting to the minor leagues. It’s been years since he played in the AHL on a regular basis, and there would certainly be interest in him by some of the better programs in Russia. We’ll have to wait and see what the Islanders have planned for him and the roster spot he currently occupies, but it might be close to the end of Soshnikov in the NHL.

In those three appearances this season he has not registered a point, meaning his career total is now 16 in 90 games played.

New York Islanders Sign Nikita Soshnikov, Cory Schneider, Parker Wotherspoon

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Nikita Soshnikov is coming back to North America after spending the last three seasons in the KHL. The 28-year-old forward has signed a one-year deal with the New York Islanders, according to his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that the one-way deal is worth $750K.

The team has also confirmed one-year contracts for Cory Schneider and Parker Wotherspoon, though did not include any financial details. CapFriendly notes that Schneider’s one-year, two-way contract is worth $750K in the NHL and $400K in the minor leagues while PuckPedia adds that Wotherspoon’s deal will pay $750K in the NHL, $175K in the minors, and carries a guarantee of $225K.

Lou Lamoriello, of course, has experience with Soshnikov from his time as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and will now give the talented forward a chance to compete for another NHL opportunity.

In 33 games last season split between CSKA Moscow and Avangard Omsk, Soshnikov scored just 16 points. That production improved in the playoffs though, where he posted five goals and eight points in just 13 games. With a history of success in the KHL and 87 games of NHL experience, it seems a worthwhile gamble for an organization that needs some secondary scoring.

Schneider and Wotherspoon meanwhile will be headed to the minor leagues, as Lamoriello indicated recently. The veteran netminder played well with the Bridgeport Islanders last year, posting a .921 in 30 appearances.

Wotherspoon, 25, was one of the final unsigned RFAs and had 24 points in 57 games last year, while also racking up 127 penalty minutes.

Overseas Notes: Rychel, Enstrom, KHL

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After years of trying to find his place in the NHL, former top prospect turned journeyman Kerby Rychel has decided to take his talents to Sweden. Orebro HK of the SHL announced today that Rychel has signed a one-year contract with the club. Rychel brings with him nearly 300 games worth of AHL experience, as well as 43 NHL games. The 19th overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013, Rychel entered the pro level with high expectations as both the son of respected former player and OHL executive Warren Rychel and as a player who had done serious damage on the score sheet at the junior level. Rychel looked to be on his way to becoming an established NHL player when he suited up for 32 games with Columbus in his second pro season, but a trade to Toronto – in exchange for current Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington – altered his trajectory. Rychel never played a single game for the Maple Leafs, spending close to two full seasons with the AHL’s Marlies. He was then traded to the Montreal Canadiens at the tail end of the 2017-18 season as part of the package for rental Tomas Plekanec. Despite performing well in a brief showing with the Habs, Rychel was traded again last summer to the Calgary Flames for Hunter Shinkaruk. Even as he was enjoying the best per-game production of his AHL career with the Stockton Heat, Rychel earned just two appearances with the Flames and the team did not make him a qualifying offer earlier this summer. Putting a tumultuous NHL career behind him, Rychel will now try his hand at the SHL. Orebro struggled last season, finishing tenth out of 14 teams and will be glad to add an experienced talent like Rychel. Between he, fellow new addition Ryan Stoa, and returning top liner Shane Harper, Orebro should pack some more offensive punch next season.

  • Given the lackluster NHL free agent market this summer, it’s no surprise that few veterans who had previously made the jump to Europe have been able to find a fit back in North America. Count defenseman Tobias Enstrom among that group. The 34-year-old has re-signed with his hometown team, MODO of the Swedish minor league Allsvenkan, the club announced. It is a new one-year deal for the captain, who returned to Sweden last off-season. A career member of the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise, Enstrom found himself without a home for the first time in 11 years last summer as a free agent without a market. He held out hope, waiting for an offer until late August, before opting to head home. In returning to MODO, the team he grew up playing for – albeit in the SHL at that time – Enstrom took on a leadership and also saw a spike in his production. MODO hopes that the strong play continues from their veteran ace, as the team looks to contend for promotion back to the SHL in the upcoming season.
  • The quiet NHL free agent market has had an overwhelmingly positive effect on the European leagues, as few players left their respective clubs while talent continues to come over from North America. While Sweden has had a strong off-season in the import business, the winner thus far in terms of NHL additions is unsurprisingly the KHL, considered to be the best of the European leagues. Among the players who have signed in the KHL this off-season are forwards Sven Andrighetto, Ty Rattie, Nikita Soshnikov, Jori Lehtera, Peter Holland, and Lukas Sedlak, defensemen Andrej Sustr, Igor Ozhiganov, Bogdan Kiselevich, and Jakub Jerabek, and goaltender Harri Sateri. It’s a valuable influx of talent for a league that is seeking better competitive balance.

Snapshots: Sabres, Gardiner, Tkachyov

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Few have criticized the Sabres’ side of the recent Henri Jokiharju–Alexander Nylander trade, but it’s a fact that Buffalo is overflowing with defenders after acquiring the young right-hander from the Chicago Blackhawks. As Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News’ points out, the Sabres still have needs to fill up front and they could use their defensive depth to do so. Lysowski writes that Buffalo has ample cap space to make an addition at forward, but there are few ideal candidates left on the free agent market and the team may as well use their surplus of blue liners to swing a deal. Jokiharju is safe, as are fellow recent additions Brandon Montour and Colin Miller and 2017 No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin. RFA Jake McCabe is not likely to be dealt, but a potential candidate and injury-prone Zach Bogosian and overpaid veteran Matt Hunwick might be hard to move. That would seemingly leave Rasmus Ristolainen, a fixture on the rumor mill, Marco Scandella, and Casey Nelson as the most likely names to be dealt and it would not be a surprise if more than one ends up elsewhere. The Sabres are certainly not done making moves this summer.

  • Of course, this makes Buffalo just one of a surprising number of teams not biting on Jake Gardiner this summer. PHR’s top-ranked UFA defenseman, Gardiner remains unsigned more than a week after the market opened. NBC Sports’ Scott Billeck reports that Gardiner is seeking $7MM annually in his next year, which is likely pricing himself out of the range that many D-needy teams are looking for. It’s hard to argue that Gardiner was not the best available defenseman when free agency opened, but he’s also not a top-pair defenseman by most metrics and teams aren’t willing to shell out right now simply due to a weak market. Billeck names the Winnipeg Jets as a team that could use Gardiner, but can’t afford him at his current asking price. The Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and his own Toronto Maple Leafs also fit that description. Billeck feels the New Jersey Devils could be the leading candidate to land Gardiner right now, but there really aren’t many clear fits for the defender at this time unless he changes his expectations.
  • Despite flirting with a jump to the NHL for several years, Vladimir Tkachyov has decided to re-sign in the KHL once again. SKA St. Petersburg has announced an extension with the young scorer. Tkachyov, 23, has been a solid offensive contributor for the past several years but the best may still be yet to come. The winger was acquired by SKA last month from Salavat Yulaev Ufa for the rights to Nikita Soshnikov, who has since signed in Ufa, and Tkachyov could be set for some career-highs with the perennial contenders in St. Petersburg. It is a two-year contract with SKA, so Tkachyov has a couple more years to further prove he is a formidable forward, and could very well drawn NHL attention once again in 2021.

Free Agent Focus: St. Louis Blues

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Free agency opens in five days and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market, as well as restricted free agents that still need to be re-signed. St. Louis is still enjoying their Stanley Cup victory, but they’ll soon have to get to work, with more than a few key players in the title run in need of extensions. Here’s a closer look at their free agent situation:

Key Restricted Free Agents: G Jordan Binnington – In an off-season highlighted by so many high-profile restricted free agents, perhaps no case is more intriguing that Binnington’s. Both sides (and potentially an arbitrator) face the very difficult task of trying to quantify the value of a 26-year-old rookie who has accomplished so much in so short a time. Binnington is one of the stranger cases in recent memory; a player who toiled in the minors through much of a standard NHL career only to emerge as one of the best goalies in the league in the second half and lead his team to a Stanley Cup. Binnington may want a short-term deal to further cement his value prior to a longer extension, but he may also want a long-term deal to maximize the value established this season. Similarly, the Blues may want to lock Binnington up long-term before his value can rise over a full NHL season, but they know there’s risk involved there. However, a short-term deal that could see Binnington soon leave as UFA is equally as treacherous. There’s really no way to know what will happen here, but it bears watching.

D Joel Edmundson – Edmundson is a tricky case as he’s played four full seasons with the Blues, without ever playing in 70 or more games in a season. Offense is also not the hallmark of his game, as he consistently finishes in the 10-20 point range despite considerable ice time. Edmundson’s job is simply to play defense, and he plays the role well with physicality and awareness. Edmundson has been one of the Blues’ leaders in hits and blocked shots each of the past three years, even as he missed double-digit games, and that is where his value lies. However, shutdown defensemen can be hard to quantify and St. Louis may have concerns about a long-term commitment to an injury-prone player who lacks offensive upside.

Other RFAs: F Ivan Barbashev, F Sammy Blais, F Robby Fabbri, G Ville Husso, D Mitch Reinke, F Zach Sanford, F Oskar Sundqvist

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Patrick Maroon – Maroon took a hometown discount last summer, signing in St. Louis for one year and $1.75MM following back-to-back 40+ point seasons. At first it looked like Maroon was actually a mistake rather than a bargain after a very quiet first half of the season. However, as Maroon went, so did the Blues. His play improved in the second half to the tune of 28 points by the end of the year and then his gritty, physical style came up clutch in the postseason and was a key piece of the Stanley Cup run. Maroon single-handedly has reignited interest in veteran crash-the-net forwards, but he himself likely won’t cash in on the market demand. There was likely a handshake agreement between both sides when Maroon took a deal well below market value last summer and after coming up big and establishing himself as a leader and fan favorite, it would be a major surprise if the Blues didn’t hold up their end of the bargain with a raise and multi-year extension.

D Carl Gunnarsson – Gunnarsson was little more than a part-time player for the Blues this season, skating in a career-low 25 games. He also recorded just seven points and saw his ice time cut back. However, when injuries struck in the postseason and Gunnarsson was called upon, he played very well in 19 games. Gunnarsson may not be an exciting player, but he’s a sound depth piece with experience. He’s the type of No. 7 defenseman that contenders like to have. Signs point to the Blues being that contender again, but with little wiggle room against the cap, if the market for Gunnarsson gets to high, St. Louis will have to say goodbye.

Other UFAs: F Conner Bleackley, D Chris Butler, G Jared Coreau, D Michael Del Zotto, F Nikita Soshnikov, F Chris Thorburn, D Tyler Wotherspoon

Projected Cap Space: The Blues have approximately $17.2MM in cap space. Looking at the players they need to re-sign the sheer number of contracts is a bigger problem than any individual salary. With seven to ten of the listed free agents likely to be back in St. Louis and on the NHL roster next year, the team likely has just enough space to re-sign each to a smart deal and that’s it. Don’t expect the defending champs to be active on the free agent market this summer.

List Of Players Not Receiving A 2019 Qualifying Offer

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The deadline to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents comes down at 4pm today, making any player who has not received one eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. It does not stop them from re-signing with the team for a different amount. Below are the players who will not be issued a qualifying offer:

Anaheim Ducks

D Jake Dotchin, D Trevor Murphy, D Keaton Thompson

Arizona Coyotes

G Hunter Miska, F Nick Cousins, F Josh Archibald

Boston Bruins

F Gemel Smith

Buffalo Sabres

F Eric Cornel, D Jack Dougherty, D Brycen Martin, F Sean Malone* (Signed to AHL deal)

Calgary Flames

F Curtis Lazar, F Brett Pollock, F Kerby Rychel, D Josh Healey, G Mason McDonald

Carolina Hurricanes

D Josh Wesley

Chicago Blackhawks

D Blake Hillman, F Anthony Louis, F Spencer Watson, F Luke Johnson, F David Kampf

Colorado Avalanche

F Sven Andrighetto, G Spencer Martin, D Sergei Boikov, D Mason Geertsen, F Julien Nantel

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Sam Vigneault

Dallas Stars

F Brett Ritchie, F Ryan Hartman, D Chris Martenet, G Philippe Desrosiers

Detroit Red Wings

F Martin Frk, F Axel Holmstrom, F Dylan Sadowy, D Libor Sulak

Edmonton Oilers

F Tobias Rieder, F Ty Rattie, F Colin Larkin, F Tyler Vesel, D Robin Norell

Florida Panthers

F Vincent Praplan, F Henrik Haapala, D Michael Downing, D Ludwig Bystrom

Los Angeles Kings

F Nikita Scherbak, F Brendan Leipsic, F Matheson Iacopelli, F Pavel Jenys, D Alex Lintuniemi

Minnesota Wild

F Pontus Aberg, F Chase Lang, F Dante Salituro, D Michael Kapla

Montreal Canadiens

F Hunter Shinkaruk, F Daniel Audette, D Brett Lernout

Nashville Predators

F Phillip Di Giuseppe, F Justin Kirkland

New Jersey Devils

F Stefan Noesen, D Ryan Murphy, G Cam Johnson

New York Islanders

F John Stevens 

New York Rangers

D Julius Bergman, D Fredrik Claesson, D Chris Bigras, G Chris Nell, G Brandon Halverson

Ottawa Senators

F Adam Tambellini

Philadelphia Flyers

F Justin Bailey, D Jacob Graves

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Jeff Taylor

San Jose Sharks

D Joakim Ryan, F Rourke Chartier, F Jon Martin, F Alex Schoenborn, D Michael Brodzinski, D Cody Donaghey, D Cavan Fitzgerald

St. Louis Blues

F Nikita Soshnikov, F Conner Bleackley

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Mitch Hults

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Nicholas Baptiste, F Gabriel Gagne, D Jordan Subban, G Eamon McAdam

Vancouver Canucks

F Brendan Gaunce, F Markus Granlund, F Yan-Pavel LaPlante, D Derrick Pouliot, D Ben Hutton

Vegas Golden Knights

F Tomas Nosek, F Alex Gallant, F Tobias Lindberg, F Tomas Hyka, G Zach Fucale

Washington Capitals

F Dmitrij Jaskin, F Mason Mitchell, F Hampus Gustafsson, F Mathias Bau-Hansen

Winnipeg Jets

F Marko Dano, D Joseph Morrow, D Nathan Beaulieu, D Jimmy Oligny, G Ken Appleby

Nikita Soshnikov Signs In KHL

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The St. Louis Blues won’t be re-signing Nikita Soshnikov this summer. The oft-injured forward has decided to take his talents back to Russia, and today signed a two-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa after the team acquired his rights from SKA St. Petersburg in exchange for those of young forward Vladimir Tkachev. In the release, the team mentions that Soshnikov has not completely given up on an NHL career.

Soshnikov, 25, originally signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 after going undrafted. The speedy forward had excelled as a young player in the KHL and looked to be a legitimate prospect for the Maple Leafs, who allowed him to develop in the minor leagues during his first season in North America. After a late-season taste of the NHL, he ended up playing nearly the entire next year there, but was limited by injury and recorded just nine points in 56 games. In March, 2017, he was hit twice by Zdeno Chara in the same game and suffered a concussion that would torpedo the rest of his time in Toronto.

Eventually finding himself on the Blues in 2017-18 after threatening to use his European Assignment Clause in order to return to Russia, Soshnikov would again miss a good chunk of the season due to injury. He would play just 12 games for them that season, and five this year. Scheduled to become a restricted free agent, the Blues can temporarily retain Soshnikov’s exclusive rights by issuing him a qualifying offer, but at this point he obviously intends on getting his career back on track back in Russia.

Deadline Primer: St. Louis Blues

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Central Division, here is a look at the St. Louis Blues.

Alex Pietrangelo? Vladimir Tarasenko? Colton Parayko? Sorry, but they aren’t going anywhere. The St. Louis Blues have quietly climbed within three points of a playoff spot and the early-season panic is over. Granted, the team is still in the middle of a cluster of teams fighting for just a few postseason berths, but the Blues have games in hand on the whole bunch and have been playing some of their best hockey lately. St. Louis is now a legitimate threat to slip into the playoffs and, once there, could do some damage. In fact, the potential on paper of this team is yet another reason why a fire sale is unlikely. There is no excuse for their first half failures, but many, including their own GM Doug Armstrong, have expressed optimism about what this core can do next season. They may have considered tearing it all down at one point, but that’s no longer a realistic possibility.

With that said, the Blues have fallen short of expectations all year long and no one would be surprised if they do in fact miss the playoffs this year. As such, they need to hedge their bets and continue to take offers as a seller. The team has a handful of impending unrestricted free agents they can trade, as well as others that they may entertain moving. The bulk of the St. Louis lineup isn’t going anywhere and will continue their playoff push, but Armstrong and company are likely to move out some extraneous pieces and play both sides of the market as the trade deadline approaches.

Record

22-22-5, sixth in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$7.2MM of full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: STL 2nd, STL 3rd, STL 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
2020: STL 1st*, STL 2nd, STL 3rd, STL 4th, STL 5th, STL 7th
* – Blues owe their 2019 first-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade, but have option to keep that pick if it is top-ten and send 2020 first-round pick instead

Trade Chips

Brayden Schenn is a name that just won’t go away. Even as the Blues’ play has improved of late, Schenn’s name continues to bounce around the rumor mill. The 27-year-old center broke out for 70 points last season, but is back to his regular 50-point pace, if that, this year and has been an underwhelming presence this season for an underachieving team. Logic would dictate that if the Blues want to keep their core intact for another try next season, they’ll refrain from moving Schenn. However, if the market interest forces his hand, Armstrong will move the talented forward, who has one year remaining on his contract, for the right price.

The same goes for winger Jaden Schwartz. Once the epitome of consistency and clutch in the Blues’ lineup, Schwartz, 27, has been streaky and largely ineffective on offense this season. His 21 points thus far is one of the biggest disappointments of St. Louis’ season. Schwartz has quietly continued to be a solid two-way force for the Blues though, even if it doesn’t show up on the score sheet. Schwartz has shown immense talent previously and his trade value is at an all-time low. Maybe he does just need a change of scenery, but Armstrong is unlikely to sell low on the two-way forward this season.

Not every trade decision will be as difficult as Schenn and Schwartz. For example, veteran forward Patrick Maroon has been an utter failure this year for St. Louis and is all but gone before the deadline. Earlier this month, it was rumored that Maroon was likely to be dealt when his full no-trade clause expired at the end of January. In the nine games since the report, Maroon has one lone goal. Hometown product or not, the Blues are likely to move Maroon – who has proven before to be a deadline commodity – for the best offer. Veteran grinders Jordan Nolan and, to a lesser extent, Chris Thorburn could also have value on the market and their absences would mean little to the Blues.

Defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson have not struggled like Maroon, but are also likely goners as impending UFA’s. Bouwmeester, 35, is a respected veteran around the league but has undoubtedly slowed down over the past couple of seasons. He’s currently fourth among St. Louis defenders in time on ice and has the worst plus/minus of the group. Bouwmeester isn’t going to be extended by the Blues, but he’s also still a serviceable and experienced blue liner who could help a true contender. He’s worth more elsewhere than he is for this fringe St. Louis team. The same goes for depth defender Gunnarsson, who has actually been a quite effective possession defenseman in limited opportunity this year, but has a higher value as an added option to a contender than to a team that may not make the playoffs. Jakub Jerabek and Chris Butler are also impending UFA defensemen who may have some slight value on the market. Don’t be surprised if 25-year-old Jordan Schmaltz has his name thrown around too; the Blues have made no effort to get him NHL minutes and he could use a new opportunity.

One of the major issues of this St. Louis team is underachieving forwards and it’s not just the veterans. Sure, the Blues might like to move Alex Steen or Tyler Bozak, but no-trade clauses alone will limit that possibility. The team would be far more likely to find takers for some of their disappointing young forwards, of which there are many. Robby Fabbri, Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev, Nikita Soshnikov, and Sammy Blais are all getting too old to be called prospects, but have yet to prove themselves as difference-makers in the NHL. Each one is an impending restricted free agent this summer and the Blues likely don’t plan to bring the whole group back. St. Louis could benefit from swapping out a young forward or two of their own for other teams’ disappointing forwards in hopes that a new system can turn their game around.

Five Players To Watch For: F Brayden Schenn, F Patrick Maroon, D Jay Bouwmeester, D Carl Gunnarsson, F Sammy Blais

Team Needs

1) Scoring Depth: Obviously, goaltending is the biggest long-term concern of the Blues, but that isn’t going to be addressed at the deadline this year. Next in line then is scoring. As previously mentioned multiple times, one of the fatal flaws of the Blues this season has been a lack of scoring and disappointing efforts from too many regular forwards. St. Louis is 22nd in goals for this season and, even if the veteran core returns to form this season, the fringe pieces lack some upside in the production department. As the team moves out forwards from the roster, old or young, the Blues could benefit from taking a waiver on other teams’ frustrated young forwards to test this season for whether there is a there is a fit moving forward. The Washington Capitals’ Andre Burakovsky, the Vancouver Canucks’ Nikolay Goldobin, or the Montreal Canadiens’ Charles Hudon could all be intriguing options. Finding another name to add to the blossoming next wave of Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Klim Kostin, and Dominik Bokk should be a priority.

2) Top Prospect Defenseman: In the course of making possible trades of Schenn or Bouwmeester or a young forward, Armstrong would be smart to target a top young defender in the return. The Blues have some nice 25-and-under pieces on the NHL blue line right now, but the AHL unit lacks much upside and the organization does not really have a blue chip defenseman in the pipeline other than collegiate rearguard Scott Perunovich, who will already be 21 next season when he begins his junior year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. St. Louis has many exciting, talented forwards waiting to take over a role in the NHL; the team desperately needs to add a defenseman into that group. If they can’t find one via trade, they should focus on the draft and adding picks to make up for their first- and fourth-rounders this year.

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