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St. Louis Blues Recall Jake Neighbours

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The St. Louis Blues have brought up top prospect Jake Neighbours, assigning Nikita Alexandrov to the AHL in the meantime. The team will be without Robert Thomas for the next few days as he deals with a lower-body injury. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic relays the lines from morning skate, which had Neighbours beside Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou on the third line.

Neighbours, 20, played 11 games for the Blues earlier this season, but had been returned to the minor leagues after failing to produce much offense. In seven games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, he failed to record a goal but did manage five assists. The experience of professional hockey has been tough for the young forward so far, who is used to dominating offensively at the WHL level. Neighbours had 17 goals and 45 points in 30 regular season games for the Edmonton Oil Kings last season.

Losing Thomas, regardless of who replaces him, is a huge blow for the Blues. The 23-year-old has four goals and 19 points through 21 games, following up his 77-point 2021-22 campaign. While he is only listed as day-to-day, any game played without him in the lineup is a difficult one. The Blues will have to try and find offense from somewhere else as they face the Dallas Stars this evening.

Blues Sign Max-Term Extension With Robert Thomas

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11:25am: The Blues have now made it official, though it will cost a bit more than originally reported. St. Louis has signed Thomas to an eight-year, $65.1MM contract, meaning he will carry an $8.125MM cap hit starting in 2023-24.

7:20am: While unrestricted free agents often dominate the headlines at the start of free agency, it’s also a day when players that are entering the final year of their contracts can sign extensions.  It appears one of those will be Blues center Robert Thomas as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the two sides are closing on an eight-year, $64MM extension.

After a tough injury-riddled 2020-21 campaign that saw the 23-year-old put up just three goals and nine assists in 33 games, St. Louis pushed for a bridge contract last summer, eventually agreeing to a two-year, $5.6MM pact that was identical to the one that Jordan Kyrou had signed a month earlier.

It’s safe to say that the Blues got a fantastic return on the first year of that deal as Thomas put up 20 goals and 57 assists in 72 games last season, good for second in team scoring behind Vladimir Tarasenko.  On top of that, his playing time jumped up by more than five minutes a game to 18:36 while becoming an all-situations player.  In other words, he performed like a true top center.

He’s certainly about to be paid like a top-line center as the $8MM AAV of this deal nearly triples his current price tag and would make him the Blues’ highest-paid player for 2023-24.  This contract will buy out his final two remaining RFA-eligible years and then give St. Louis six extra years of team control beyond that.

St. Louis has $18MM coming off their books in the summer of 2023, the bulk of that coming from $7.5MM expiring deals for Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly so GM Doug Armstrong certainly has some flexibility at his disposal to give Thomas this type of contract.  He’ll likely want to keep O’Reilly while Kyrou will be looking at a significant raise of his own and by the time those two deals get done between now and next summer, most of their savings will already be spent.  But they’ll have Thomas locked up through the prime of his career and if he can continue to improve, this contract could become a team-friendly one down the road.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Robert Thomas Signs With St. Louis Blues

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Late last night, the St. Louis Blues announced that they have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Robert Thomas, signing him to a two-year contract. The bridge deal will carry an average annual value of $2.8MM, and allows Thomas to join his teammates on Thursday when Blues training camp opens.

The 22-year-old forward took a pretty drastic step backward this season when he posted just three goals and 12 points in 33 games while seeing his playing time decrease to just over 13 and a half minutes a night. Once seen as a future second-line center, it’s difficult to know exactly where Thomas will top out now after failing to really take that next step in the early part of his career.

Still, this two-year bridge deal gives him a chance to show that 2020-21 was the fluke and he can get back to (and exceed) the 42-point player he was the year before. A smart defensive player, he has struggled at times to generate offense for himself–incredibly registering just 22 shots in 33 games last season–and his linemates. In 169 career games, he has 22 goals and 87 points.

For the Blues, even if they believe in Thomas’ long-term outlook, there was no way they could make this deal stretch further into the future. Every additional year would likely make the cap hit creep up, and the team is capped out at the moment while they continue to carry Vladimir Tarasenko on the roster. In two years, when this bridge deal is up, there will be a ton of money coming off the books for the Blues, as Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, Oskar Sundqvist and Ivan Barbashev are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency. The same summer, Jordan Kyrou–who signed his own two-year, $5.6MM deal last month–will also be up for a new contract.

While there are other promising prospects in the Blues system, it really is on Thomas and Kyrou as the two young options to bridge the gap from the veteran core to that next wave. Until Klim Kostin or others prove they’re ready for the NHL full-time, Thomas and Kyrou will remain the only two forward on the team under the age of 25. By getting them both signed to reasonable bridge deals, the Blues have given themselves the opportunity to take advantage of any breakouts that result in surplus value.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

West Notes: Canucks, Thomas, Skinner

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There’s an expectation that one of Canucks RFAs Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will have to take a short-term contract this summer in order for Vancouver to be cap-compliant for next season.  Speaking with Vancouver Hockey Now’s Rob Simpson, Pat Brisson, the agent for both youngsters, indicated that there’s no indication yet as to which player could wind up with which type of contract.  Simpson suggests that Pettersson, who has offer sheet eligibility, could be the likelier player to sign first since Hughes doesn’t have that right although the odds of the center receiving an offer sheet worth signing at this stage is highly unlikely.  No discussions are expected over the coming days with GM Jim Benning taking a quick summer break before training camp, something many general managers around the league are likely doing.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Blues RFA forward Robert Thomas is believed to be seeking a higher AAV than the $2.8MM that Jordan Kyrou received earlier this season, reports Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription link). The 22-year-old is coming off a tough injury-riddled season that saw him post just a dozen points in 33 games but with 75 points in 136 contests over his first two seasons, he has enough of a track record to try to get that on a bridge deal.  Louis doesn’t have that much cap space but with Oskar Sundqvist headed for LTIR to start the season, that would give them enough of a buffer to get Thomas under contract although they’d need to get cap-compliant by the time Sundqvist returns.
  • Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner has been Edmonton’s top goalie prospect basically since they drafted him back in the third round in 2017. However, as Postmedia’s David Staples notes, they’ve never really shown much confidence in him, evidenced by the acquisition of veterans in recent years including Alex Stalock who presently sits ahead of him for the third spot on the depth chart.  With some of their other prospects now in the minor pros (Ilya Konovalov and Olivier Rodrigue), time is running out for Skinner to establish himself as a viable option for Edmonton.  If that doesn’t happen soon, it’s possible that he’ll become a trade candidate if one of those other prospects is ready for a bigger role in Bakersfield.

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.

Blues’ Robert Thomas Out 4-6 Weeks With Broken Thumb

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St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube told reporters today that the team will be without center Robert Thomas for an extended period of time, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford. The 21-year-old is expected to miss four to six weeks after suffering a broken thumb during Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.

“Well, I mean, somebody else is going to get in that position and do a job for us,” said Berube. “That’s the way we’ve got to look at it. We’ve got players. We’re a deep team and that’s a good thing. Other guys get an opportunity to get in there now and play.”

Thomas was forced to leave Saturday’s game in the first period after playing in just 3:01. The injury occurred when he collided with Arizona’s Nick Schmaltz and fell hard on his left hand. Coincidentally, he did manage to score his first goal of the season in that span.

Thomas, already in his third season, is coming off a 10-goal, 42-point campain in 2019-20 and now has a goal and six points in 12 games this season, was expected to play a big role for the team this year. Thomas will now lose a large chunk of an already shortened season and force St. Louis to reach deeper into its pool of depth forwards to continue moving forward. The Blues have made no roster moves as of yet, but the team has a number of forwards who can play the center position, likely taking away some of the pressure of the injury.

West Notes: Rinne, Blues, Flames, Persson

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When Pekka Rinne signed a two-year extension with the Predators last season, some interpreted that as an indication that he’d likely retire at the end of the deal when he’d be 38.  However, he told Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean that he hasn’t yet decided whether or not this will be his final contract.  Nashville has Juuse Saros as their expected starter of the future and both contracts expire at the same time so it certainly stands to reason that the proverbial torch could be passed at that time although if Rinne wants to accept another pay cut and reduced role, it’s certainly possible that he could hang around for another year or so as a backup.

More from the West:

  • Blues forward Robert Thomas will not play tonight due to an upper-body injury, notes Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The injury was sustained in the season opener back on Wednesday and he’s listed as day-to-day.  That opens up a spot for Zach Sanford to make his season debut.  Meanwhile, NHL.com’s Lou Korac mentions (Twitter link) that winger Sammy Blais was pulled by concussion spotters in that opening game but that he was cleared to return in the dying seconds of the third period so he won’t miss any time.
  • The Flames are dealing with a pair of injuries on the goalie front. Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson reports that Jon Gillies, the presumptive third-string option for Calgary, is day-to-day with a lower-body injury while prospect Tyler Parsons will miss several weeks with a lower-body issue of his own.  Calgary still has two other goaltenders on an NHL contract to call upon if one of Cam Talbot or David Rittich gets hurt so while they’re a little shorthanded between the pipes, they’re not at a spot where they’ll need to trade for extra depth either.
  • The Oilers announced (Twitter link) that they have activated Joel Persson off IR and he will make his NHL debut tonight. The 25-year-old spent the last two seasons as one of the better point producers from the back end in the SHL and should give Edmonton some more firepower from their blueline.  In a corresponding roster move, the team has returned defenseman William Lagesson to AHL Bakersfield.

Central Notes: Spurgeon, Koivu, Thomas, Avalanche, Copp

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The Minnesota Wild announced earlier today they signed Jared Spurgeon to a seven-year, $53MM extension that will kick in during the 2020-21 season. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Spurgeon’s deal has a no movement clause this year as well as the first four years of the first contract. After that, Spurgeon has a 10-team modified no-trade clause for the final three years, which will kick in during the 2024-25 season.

  • Sticking with the Wild, Minnesota got some good news about injured forward Mikko Koivu, who had surgery to repair a torn ACL back in February. The 36-year-old, who was expected to be eased back into practices and scrimmages in training camp, told coach Bruce Boudreau that he’s ready and is expected to participate in scrimmages on Monday, according to StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan. Koivu was cleared for practice on Thursday, but now looks like he’s ready for full play. He scored eight goals and 29 points in 47 games last season before going down with the knee injury.
  • NHL.com’s Lou Korac reports that the St. Louis Blues have been without forward Robert Thomas for a second straight day as he recovers from offseason surgery to repair a tendon in his left wrist. He and Jordan Kyrou, out with a knee injury, are expected to be brought back slowly from their injuries. “We’ve got them in that third group right now,” Blues head coach Craig Berube said. “We’ve got to be a little cautious with them right now.”
  • BSN Denver’s A.J. Haefele writes that Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar had quite a few positive to point out after Day 2 of training camp. Bednar pointed out quite a bit of improvement in the play of winger Andre Burakovsky and the standout play of A.J. Greer and the impressive leaderships skills of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. He also said that he believes that the next step for defenseman Samuel Girard is his offensive game. The 21-year-old scored four goals and 27 points last season. While both were career highs, Bednar would like to see those numbers rise this season.
  • The Athletic’s Ken Wiebe reports that the Winnipeg Jets are without a few player at the moment. The team has been without forward Andrew Copp due to a minor groin injury, while Kristian Vesalainen and Sami Niku were stiff Saturday after being in a fender-bender on Friday. They should return soon.

 

Robert Thomas Undergoes Wrist Surgery

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The St. Louis Blues have announced that young forward Robert Thomas underwent a successful surgery to repair a tendon in his left wrist. While not giving a clear timeline, the team explained that Thomas will rehab through the summer before another evaluation ahead of training camp in September.

The injury was sustained during game six of the Western Conference Final, but Thomas did suit up for two more games in the playoffs against the Boston Bruins.

Thomas, 19, came on quicker than many expected when he was selected 20th overall in 2017. The former London Knights forward ended up playing in 70 games for the Blues this season, recording 33 points and proving he can hang at the NHL level already. That’s an impressive accomplishment and one that will have Blues fans expecting even more of the young Thomas next season as they try to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

Even in the NHL though, the team can give Thomas time to develop at his own pace. The team has veteran centers like Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bozak and Brayden Schenn ahead of him that can take on the bulk of the defensive responsibility along with experienced wingers to help him along. That’s an enviable position to be in, and one that could quickly result in Thomas reaching his full potential. That is of course unless this injury sets him back, which we won’t know until closer to camp.

Robert Thomas To Return To Blues’ Lineup For Game Six

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Standout rookie Robert Thomas last suited up for the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final, as an injury has forced him to watch from the sidelines as his team bounced back from a loss to start the series to go up 3-2 heading back home for Game Six. Now, it seems Thomas will finally get to return to action tonight as the team tries to take home the franchises’s first Cup title. Thomas told the media, including Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland, after the team’s morning skate that he will play for the Blues in Game Six against the Boston Bruins. Head coach Craig Berube then confirmed his return tonight.

Strickland had noted that Thomas was a full participant on the ice this morning, albeit in a limited session, which was a positive step toward a potential return. But Thomas stated that it was actually at practice yesterday that he passed the final hurdles needed to be cleared for a return to the lineup. Although Thomas was the recipient of a highly publicized heavy hit from the Bruins’ Torey Krug in Game One, this injury was unrelated and is speculated to have originated in the Western Conference Final. For what it’s worth, Thomas told the media that he had no issue with Krug’s hit and is not focused on it in his return.

Thomas, 19, played in 70 games for the Blues in the regular season and finished ninth on the team in scoring with 33 points. The 2017 first-round pick will certainly provide an offensive boost for St. Louis tonight. The one concern though is that he will actually be filling the roster spot of suspended fourth-liner Ivan Barbashev, whose physicality Thomas won’t be able to replicate. The Stanley Cup Final has been more of a war of attrition than a shootout and the Blues have succeeded based on their physicality rather than their offense, so it will be interesting to see if they can get the win playing with more skill and less grit in Game Six. For their part, the Bruins are also looking to boost speed rather than physicality, returning to the standard six defenseman and adding Karson Kuhlman to the lineup up front rather than David Backes, per head coach Bruce Cassidy. 

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