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Robert Bortuzzo

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.

Snapshots: Sabres, Capitals, Blues

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Sabres winger Sam Reinhart is dealing with an upper-body injury, notes Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  While he didn’t leave Thursday’s game, he was absent from practice on Friday and he will at least miss today’s game while his availability for Sunday’s rematch against New Jersey is still up in the air.  The 25-year-old is off to a good start this season with three goals and three assists in eight games and will be a restricted free agent for the final time this summer.

Meanwhile, Lysowski adds (Twitter link) that prospect Jack Quinn is dealing with an upper-body injury of his own.  He’s currently on the taxi squad but the Sabres may send him to AHL Rochester once he recovers.  While he’s still junior-aged, Quinn can go to the minors as long as the OHL season continues to be delayed.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov have been cleared from the CPRA list, relays Samantha Pell of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The two took part in Washington’s morning skate today but Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov weren’t, meaning their time on the list will continue.  Meanwhile, Pell adds in a separate tweet that center Lars Eller also skated earlier today in a non-contact sweater after missing Thursday’s contest due to an upper-body injury.
  • The Blues will be without center Tyler Bozak for their two games this weekend against Anaheim, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He was injured on a hit from Vegas winger Mark Stone on Tuesday night, one that had St. Louis hoping for some sort of supplemental discipline although none was coming.  Sammy Blais will take Bozak’s spot in the lineup.  As for defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, he’s expected to take the gameday skate today with head coach Craig Berube hoping that he’ll be available on Sunday.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/17/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad, and although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • With a few players hitting the COVID protocol related absence list Saturday, the Winnipeg Jets announced they have added two AHL players to the taxi squad, including forward C.J. Suess and defenseman Nelson Nogier. Suess appeared in one game for the Jets last season, while Nogier has appeared in 11 NHL contests for Winnipeg, most of which came back in 2016-17. The team also has sent Ville Heinola to the taxi squad, while the Jets have recalled Logan Stanley.
  • The San Jose Sharks moved around a few players late Saturday. The team recalled defensemen Nicolas Meloche and Nikolai Knyzhov from the taxi squad, while sending forwards Fredrik Handemark and Jeffrey Viel to the taxi squad. The team also sent forward Maxim Letunov to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning sent defenseman Luke Schenn to the taxi squad late Saturday. The veteran was recalled Friday and appeared in Friday’s game.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that prized rookie defenseman Alexander Romanov has been sent to the taxi squad, most likely for cap purposes. The blueliner can still travel and practice with the team and he is expected to join the team once again on Monday in Edmonton. Romanov has already played in the team’s first two games this season and has looked impressive.
  • The St. Louis Blues placed defenseman Robert Bortuzzo on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury and have recalled Niko Mikkola from the taxi squad to take his place, according to NHL.com’s Lou Korac. The 24-year-old blueliner appeared in five games for the Blues last season. St. Louis also recalled forward Jake Neighbours and defenseman Jake Walman from the AHL and assigned them to the taxi squad.
  • After being recalled Saturday, the Calgary Flames announced they have assigned forward Derek Ryan and defenseman Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad following their game Saturday. Ryan has appeared in both games for the Flames so far this year.
  • The Nashville Predators announced they have assigned forward Mathieu Olivier to the taxi squad. Olivier made his season debut Saturday, playing 11:58 of ice time, while posting six hits and two blocked shots.
  • The Colorado Avalanche moved defenseman Bowen Byram to the taxi squad, according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. Byram, the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft, hasn’t appeared in a game yet for the Avalanche. Head coach Jared Bednar said that he has a plan for when Byram will make his debut, but said he isn’t sharing that information right now.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced they have assigned defenseman Mark Alt from the taxi squad to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. The 29-year-old played one game for the Kings during their season opener, but likely will spend most of his time between the AHL and the taxi squad. The veteran has only appeared in 19 total NHL games, spending most of his career in the AHL.
  • The Boston Bruins have assigned forward Trent Frederic to their taxi squad. The 22-year-old has appeared in both of the Bruins games so far this year, but hasn’t produced a point.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled forward Pierre Engvall from their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, and moved him to their taxi squad, according to CapFriendly. The 24-year-old hasn’t made an appearance yet for Toronto. He played in 48 games for the Maple Leafs last year, scoring eight goals and 15 points.

Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo Suspended Four Games For Cross-Checking

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4:24 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced they have suspended Bortuzzo four games for cross-checking Arvidsson, who is now listed as being out for four to six weeks because of the incident. Bortuzzo will sacrifice $67,073.16 in salary.

8:47 AM — Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson celebrated his 300th career NHL game with just 4:15 of ice time. While he managed to record an assist in that brief period, he left the game early in the first period with a lower body injury as a result of repeated cross-checks from St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. Bortuzzo received a two-minute minor on the play, even though each of the two cross-checks likely deserved its own penalty. However, the league will make up for that on-ice error. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced last night that Bortuzzo will sit for a hearing. It has been scheduled for Sunday, ensuring that there is a decision before he could potentially face the Predators again on Monday night.

The play in question occurred just six minutes into Saturday night’s game (video). Arvidsson, standing in the St. Louis crease as the puck was loose in front of the net, initially receives a forceful check from behind from Bortuzzo, pushing him into the net. Bortuzzo actually turns and complains to the refs about how easily Arvidsson went down, even though the forward was completely blindsided by a hit from a much bigger, stronger player. Bortuzzo then turns back to Arvidsson and hits him with another cross check as he is trying to get up, one that is arguably harder and more dangerous and certainly more intentional. Arvidsson appears to feel this second check even more. For good measure, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington then shoves Arvidsson back into the goal again, although Binnington is not expected to receive any supplemental disclipline.

Few will be surprised to see Bortuzzo’s name linked to a player safety incident. The often-overly aggressive defender is a repeat offender, with his most recent suspension coming just last year after an elbow to the head of Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny. He lost two preseason games and one regular season games for that incident and the league will likely want to dole out a harsher penalty for yet another infraction. Bortuzzo has made his career off of being the biggest and toughest player on the ice, but has been known to lose his cool and end up in the penalty box or in trouble with the league. This was clearly a case of Bortuzzo purposefully committing a dangerous penalty against an opponent with an intent to injure. As such, Player Safety may choose to send a message to a player who clearly has yet to learn his lesson. Expect a suspension of at least two games for the St. Louis blue liner this time around.

Nashville’s Viktor Arvidsson Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks

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The Nashville Predators are already struggling in the standings and now took another hit, literally, as the team announced that forward Viktor Arvidsson is expected to miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury after being cross-checked by St. Louis’ Robert Bortuzzo during Saturday’s game.

The injury is devastating to team that has been struggling of late, having won just two games in their last 10 as the Predators have slipped to fifth place in the Central Division. Arvidsson has six goals and 15 points in 22 games this year and is an anchor on the wing on the team’s first line. Arvidsson, who was playing in his 300th career NHL game Saturday, is coming off a 34-goal season last year and has averaged more than 30 goals for three straight seasons.

Bortuzzo is believed to be in a hearing with the Department of Player Safety right now, although it is not an in-person hearing which could limit how many games he could be suspended by the league. However, there is plenty of sentiment that the book should be thrown at Bortuzzo, who not only checked Arvidsson into the net, but also followed that up with a second hit, a cross-check into his lower back while he was down (video here).

St. Louis Blues Making Changes For Game Four

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The St. Louis Blues are down 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final after a thorough drubbing in game three, and will now make some changes to their lineup. Based on the morning skate, the team is expected to welcome back Oskar Sundqvist after serving his one-game suspension while Vince Dunn is also expected to return to the lineup and re-take his spot on the second powerplay unit. Robby Fabbri and Robert Bortuzzo are the expected scratches, while Zach Sanford will move up to the second line beside Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron.

The Blues need to try something after letting game three get out of hand in a 7-2 loss at the hands of the Boston Bruins. The team has never won the Stanley Cup in their history and it has been nearly 50 years since they were even in the finals. They’ll have to find a way to take game four at home or face a nearly insurmountable task for the rest of the series.

Getting Dunn back is a substantial addition however. The 22-year old defenseman has become a dominant force for the team, posting seven points in 16 playoff games while continuing to post impressive possession numbers. Though he isn’t used as much as some of the Blues other more experienced defenders, he provides some punch from the third pairing that Bortuzzo cannot. That kind of offensive upside may be crucial as the team tries to topple Tuukka Rask, who still easily leads the playoffs with a .939 save percentage and is a front runner for the Conn Smythe trophy.

Blues Sign Robert Bortuzzo To A Three-Year Extension

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The Blues have locked up one of their depth defenders, announcing that they have signed Robert Bortuzzo to a three-year extension.  The deal will carry a cap hit of $1.375MM, representing a small upgrade on his current $1.15MM contract.

The 29-year-old has only played in a dozen games so far this season after missing time due to multiple lower-body injuries, the last of which kept him out of the lineup for nearly six weeks.  He’s logging 15:54 per night of playing time, a career high while picking up a goal and two assists in that span.

Bortuzzo is in his fifth season in St. Louis after being acquired back at the trade deadline in the 2014-15 campaign from Pittsburgh.  Between the two teams, he has played in 288 career NHL games, tallying 45 points along with 636 hits and 375 blocked shots.

Even with this signing, the Blues have a lot of work to do on their back end for next season.  Jay Bouwmeester, Carl Gunnarsson, and Chris Butler are all slated to become unrestricted free agents in July while Joel Edmundson is a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights.

West Notes: Boeser, Hanzal, Bortuzzo

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Earlier this week, Canucks winger Brock Boeser was sent back to Vancouver for evaluation on a groin injury.  The results of his testing are in and while it’s not great news, it could be a lot worse.  Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province reports that Boeser has been diagnosed with an adductor muscle strain and has been ruled out for the remainder of their current road trip which wraps up on Thursday.  Head coach Travis Green stated that his official prognosis is that he will be out week-to-week.

This has been a lingering issue in recent weeks for the 21-year-old so the fact that there is now some more clarity and detail as to what the specific problem is certainly a positive.  Now, the Canucks will be hoping that Boeser makes a quick recovery as he is one of their top players in the early going this season with 11 points in 13 games and they will need him healthy if they want to hang on to their position atop the Pacific Division.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Stars center Martin Hanzal has been cleared for contact and skated with the team for the first time this season on Friday, notes Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News. He underwent spinal fusion surgery back in June and has been out since then.  The original timeline for his return was early December but if he has the green light already, he may be able to make it back a little earlier.  Hanzal’s first season in Dallas was nothing short of disastrous due to frequent injuries but if healthy, he can still be an effective player down the middle, particularly at the faceoff dot.
  • The initial diagnosis for Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was that he’d be re-evaluated in two weeks as he is currently out with a lower-body injury. That mark quietly passed on Thursday and there still hasn’t been any further update from the team.  However, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch mentions that Bortuzzo has yet to resume skating, suggesting that his return to the St. Louis lineup is far from imminent.  The 29-year-old has played in just five games this season but with Jay Bouwmeester continuing to deal with nagging hip issues, they will certainly be looking forward to his return.

West Notes: Smith, Bortuzzo, Bouchard

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Based on their roster in recent games, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (subscription required) speculates that Stars center Gemel Smith could be heading for the waiver wire in the near future.  Justin Dowling appears to have moved ahead of Smith on the depth chart while it’s telling that the team opted to play seven defensemen over using Smith recently.  It wouldn’t be the first time that the 24-year-old has been on waivers as he was placed there in the summer in advance of his arbitration hearing, one that saw him get awarded a $720K salary.  Smith has shown that he can be a capable fourth liner in the past but hasn’t fared particularly well in his two games so far this season and if Dallas needs to make a roster move, he could very well become the one leaving to make room for him.

Elsewhere out West:

  • While there is no firm timetable for his return, Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo is not expected to need surgery on his lower-body injury, notes Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The team will give him a couple of weeks to rest and then re-evaluate his situation at that time.  While St. Louis is down another blueliner for now, they should get Carl Gunnarsson back in the lineup at some point next week once he finishes up his rehab assignment with AHL San Antonio.
  • Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard is quickly approaching the games played threshold where a decision will need to be made regarding whether or not to keep him up. Based on his performance thus far and the current state of Edmonton’s back end, Postmedia’s Derek Van Diest suggests that it’s likely that the 19-year-old will stick around past the ten-game mark, officially burning the first year of his entry-level contract.  Bouchard has a goal in seven games so far this season while averaging a little over 12 minutes per night of ice time.  If he does stick around, the next key threshold will come a couple of months from now when he approaches 40 games on the active roster as reaching that will accrue a season towards UFA eligibility.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Bortuzzo, Backes

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The NHL has released the Three Stars for the third week of the season, and Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has found himself in the top spot. Landeskog makes up part of one of the most dangerous trios in the league alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, and finished last week with six goals and seven points in just three games. Landeskog is still just 25 years old despite this being his eighth season in the league and still has the potential to breakout and become a point-per-game player. That’s what he is so far with ten through his first eight games, and is an early bet to break his career high of 65 points this season.

Connor McDavid and Marc-Andre Fleury round out the stars of the week, taking home second and third respectively. Fleury especially bounced back from some early season struggles and is once again playing at a high level for the Vegas Golden Knights. The 33-year old goaltender is now tenth all-time in wins, and should pass Tony Esposito by season’s end to climb another spot.

  • Robert Bortuzzo won’t be suiting up for the St. Louis Blues in Winnipeg tonight, as he’s flown back to St. Louis to be evaluated for a lower-body injury. The defenseman played on Saturday night, but is now apparently dealing with something serious enough to leave the team. The 29-year old has one goal through five games for the Blues, and is coming off the best season of his career in 2017-18 when he suited up for 72 contests. The team will have to go without his physicality and penalty killing for the time being, and will re-insert Jay Bouwmeester into the lineup for tonight’s game.
  • It’s similar news for David Backes, who has left the Boston Bruins to return home and “have some tests done.” Backes didn’t play in Vancouver on Saturday night, and was limited to just over six minutes of ice time against the Edmonton Oilers after taking an early hit and being checked for a concussion. The 34-year old forward hasn’t scored yet this season, and could be on his way out of the Boston lineup on a long-term basis if he both can’t stay healthy and can’t produce. Unfortunately for the Bruins, he’s still has two more years after this season at a $6MM cap hit, and currently has a no-movement clause.

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