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Vladimir Tarasenko

Central Notes: Duclair, Siemens, Blues

March 20, 2018 at 6:21 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With the Blackhawks having fallen well out of the playoff picture, this would have been a good time for midseason acquisition Anthony Duclair to get some extra playing time.  However, the winger has been out of the lineup since March 10th with a lower-body injury and NHL.com’s Tracey Myers relays (Twitter link) that he is not close to resuming skating yet.  Accordingly, it appears he may not be able to get back into the lineup this season.  Duclair got off to a decent start after being acquired from Arizona but has just two goals in 23 games with Chicago.  Now, with this injury and his struggles, he will be hard-pressed to command much of a raise on the $1.2MM he’s earning this season even though he is eligible for salary arbitration.

More from the Central:

  • Avalanche defenseman Duncan Siemens has failed to live up to his draft hype and as a result, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post speculates that Colorado may consider not tendering him a qualifying offer this summer. The former 11th overall pick back in 2011 has spent the bulk of this season at the AHL level but has played a somewhat regular, albeit limited role over the past month with the NHL club.  While they could choose to try to keep him around as depth for next year, Chambers wonders if they may be more inclined to give Conor Timmins, their second-round pick last June (32nd overall), a look instead.
  • Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko did not skate with the team today which has led head coach Mike Yeo to tell reporters, including Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, that their top goalscorer is doubtful to play on Wednesday against Boston. The 26-year-old is currently dealing with an upper-body injury.  Goaltender Carter Hutton still isn’t ready to rejoin the team either although he did skate before practice with Yeo stating that he is getting closer to returning.

Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| St. Louis Blues Anthony Duclair| Carter Hutton| Vladimir Tarasenko

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Western Notes: Jagr, Domi, Blues, Golden Knights

February 4, 2018 at 2:15 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

It’s a shame that the Hockey Hall of Fame voted long ago to abolish the selection committee’s ability to waive the three-year post-retirement waiting period for candidates that are exceptional. Because if there is someone that shouldn’t have to wait three years to gain entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Jaromir Jagr would seem to be a good bet that person, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

While Jagr is not retired yet, as he remains on loan from the Calgary Flames to Kladno in the Czech League, his career has been exceptional and would deserve that immediate honor of getting his wait time waived that only 10 players have ever earned such as Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux. However, that rule was removed back in 1999. Regardless, Jagr has played in 1,733 career NHL games, with 766 goals and 1,921 points.

  • In the same article, Brooks also writes that he’s heard the Arizona Coyotes are offering young center Max Domi to teams for the right price. The 22-year-old former first-round pick in 2013 has been struggling in his third season in the NHL. After a solid rookie year in which he put up 18 goals and 34 assists, his numbers have declined as he put up just 38 points in 59 games last year and currently has just three goals in 52 games. The team already moved on from winger Anthony Duclair a month ago as the Coyotes are trying to find the right balance of youth and veterans to start winning some games.
  • The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) responds to mailbag questions and suggests that if New York Islanders center John Tavares reaches free agency this summer, he believes the St. Louis Blues will be aggressive suitors for the 27-year-old center. The scribe writes that the team is expecting to have about $13MM available and it should cost between $10 and $12MM to sign Tavares. That will likely make for a tight cap, especially since the team still has to sign several of their own free agents including restricted free agent defenseman Joel Edmundson. However, with the salary cap likely going up and the ability to move out a contract or two, it is very possible the team can afford Tavares. Add in that Tavares is friends with defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and the team is already a playoff team with young winger Vladimir Tarasenko needing a star center to take that next step, there is a good chance he will strongly consider St. Louis. It’s still a long shot, but not unrealistic.
  • NHL.com’s Gary Lawless tweets part of an interview with Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee about the trade deadline. The veteran GM says that its still too early to know whether the team will be buyers, sellers or plan to stand pat. “We still don’t know what we’re going to do at the deadline,” said McPhee. “We’re still three weeks away. We’ll know more when we get there. Every team in the league has needs… We’ll see. I like our group. I don’t know if we’re going to do a lot, if anything.”

Calgary Flames| Free Agency| George McPhee| NHL| New York Islanders| Retirement| St. Louis Blues| Utah Mammoth| Vegas Golden Knights Alex Pietrangelo| Anthony Duclair| Hall of Fame| Jaromir Jagr| Joel Edmundson| John Tavares| Max Domi| Vladimir Tarasenko

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Central Notes: Tarasenko, Jets, Bouma

November 22, 2017 at 2:13 pm CDT | by natebrown Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues extended the Edmonton Oilers’ misery with an 8-3 beating on Tuesday night. But who would have thought the beating would have come not only from the blades of the stick, but from Vladimir Tarasenko’s fists, too? The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann highlights that Tarasenko’s Gordie Howe hat trick last night was just another sign that the Russian superstar is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the Blues as the top of the Western Conference. Tarasenko, along with winning the fight, added two goals, two helpers, and inspired the bench with his willingness to drop the gloves. Though its still early in the season and teams can fade down the stretch, there’s no denying that this tight-knit Blues squad is doing everything right so far.

  • The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn writes (paid content)  that no one saw the Winnipeg Jets being a top-five team at the start of the season. Even with a 79% chance to make the playoffs, according to Luszczyszyn’s projections, he does point out that some red flags exist despite the Jets’ hot start. Winnipeg is ranked in the bottom half of the league in Score-Adjusted Corsi. Additionally, as Luszczyszyn dives into the advanced stats, it reveals that the Jets are trending in the wrong direction statistically–indicating that the team is due to regress from its hot start. Luszczyszyn also presents some numbers that show a cause for concern about Blake Wheeler, who may be seeing his play decline at a quicker rate than many could have predicted.
  • Lance Bouma has been a great addition and his simple approach to the game is paying dividends for the Blackhawks writes the Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus. Though his scoresheet stats aren’t exactly setting the league ablaze, it’s his defensive responsibility that is getting the attention. Lazerus reports that aside from the physical side of his game, it’s his ability to advance the puck out of trouble that has kept him as a mainstay in coach Joel Quenneville’s lineup. Bouma isn’t going to get fancy–instead he simply pushes to get the puck out of the defensive zone as quickly as he can. This simplicity, Lazerus writes, is something that some of his teammates could take note of.

Chicago Blackhawks| Edmonton Oilers| Joel Quenneville| St. Louis Blues| Winnipeg Jets Blake Wheeler| Lance Bouma| Vladimir Tarasenko

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Blues Notes: Steen, Dunn, Thompson, Stastny

October 14, 2017 at 3:58 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Don’t be shocked if the St. Louis Blues put Alex Steen immediately onto the top line the moment he is healthy, which could be soon, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford. Taking mailbag questions, the scribe writes that while most people, including himself, believed that Steen would come back to the team’s second line, the recent promotion of Samuel Blais might change things. The team believes that Blais might take off on the team’s second line. The 21-year-old prospect had a great preseason and started hot with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage with three goals in two games. Rutherford believes that if Blais mixes in well with the second line, then the more likely option for Steen would be to move him to the first line with Vladimir Tarasenko and Paul Stastny. That would force Vladimir Sobotka to move down from the first line to the team’s third line, where the team has really struggled so far this year.

Steen, who scored 16 goals and 51 points a season ago broke his hand on Sept. 19 and is believed to be travelling with the team and close to returning to game action soon.

Other notes from Rutherford:

  • The scribe writes that when defenseman Jay Bouwmeester returns, the team may be in for a tough decision. Bouwmeester, who is recovering from a fractured ankle, could come back within the next week or two, will force the team to cut a defenseman. While Rutherford writes that rookie blueliner Vince Dunn has been impressive through five games, including scoring his first goal and putting up five shots in his last game and looking solid on defense. However, it is likely the team will send Dunn down rather than bench defenseman Carl Gunnarsson when Bouwmeester returns.
  • Rutherford adds that former 2016 first-rounder Tage Thompson’s demotion is probably a good thing. He writes that Thompson is being groomed to be a top-six forward, not a bottom-six forward, so his development is critical and more time in San Antonio makes more sense. The 19-year-old center, who was playing hockey for the University of Connecticut a year ago, has only 26 games of AHL experience (playoffs included). Despite being a big player, Rutherford writes he got pushed around quite a bit, which often happens to young, inexperienced players.
  • The scribe also writes that he believes that this could very likely be Stastny’s last year in St. Louis, unless the 31-year-old center is willing to take a pay cut to remain with the team. Stastny, who is in the final year of a four-year, $28MM deal, is currently making $7MM this season. Rutherford believes that while the team will likely keep their options open, the Blues will likely look at the free agent market first before deciding whether to re-sign Stastny. Stastny’s numbers have progressively been dropping over the last few years, with last year’s 40-point season being one of the lowest of his career. He is faring well so far with two goals and four assists in five games.

 

AHL| St. Louis Blues Alex Steen| Carl Gunnarsson| Jay Bouwmeester| Paul Stastny| Samuel Blais| Vince Dunn| Vladimir Sobotka| Vladimir Tarasenko

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: St. Louis Blues

September 3, 2017 at 4:16 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

St. Louis Blues

Current Cap Hit: $72,569,167 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Robby Fabbri (One year remaining, $894K)
F Zachary Sanford (Two years remaining, $875K)
F Ivan Barbashev (Two years remaining, $742K)

Potential Bonuses

Fabbri: $425K
Barbashev: $183K
Sanford: $50K

Total: $658K

Much of the attention of the youth will fall on Fabbri, who many are hoping will have a breakout season this year. The former 2014 first-round pick has already played two full seasons with the club and combined for 29 goals, but many people feel this might be the year where he takes that next step. He looked to be having a solid year last year, but tore his ACL in February and missed the rest of the season. Now healthy, many believe the Blues will move him to center to take control of a top line.

Sanford and Barbashev are two youngsters who many feel may also take on regular roles in St. Louis this year. Sanford, a second-round pick in 2013 by the Washington Capitals, came to St. Louis in the Kevin Shattenkirk trade at the trade deadline last season. The 22-year-old joined the Blues for the final 13 games and scored two goals and five assists and many believe he should make a solid fourth-line center as he develops his game. Barbashev is a second-round pick from the 2014 draft and got a promotion for the season’s final 30 games. The 21-year-old picked up five goals and seven assists and showed that he deserves a chance to start, but may have to settle for a wing position to start the year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Paul Stastny ($7MM, UFA)
G Carter Hutton ($1.125MM, UFA)
D Joel Edmundson ($1.05MM, RFA)
F Dmitrij Jaskin ($1MM, RFA)
F Kyle Brodziak ($950K, UFA)
F Magnus Paajarvi ($800K, UFA)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($675K, RFA)
F Beau Bennett ($650K, RFA)

Obviously the team has to make a decision on what it plans to do with Stastny as he’s the biggest name amongst the team’s pending free agents next season. Stastny has been a solid contributor at center, but hardly spectacular and is probably not worth the $7MM AAV that he has received from St. Louis when they signed him in 2014. Injuries have played a major role for the 31-year-old veteran as he has missed 42 games in three seasons. On top of that, he only took 112 shots, one of the lowest of his career and his 22 assists last year is his career low, not including the strike-shortened 2012-13 season. The team has put some effort into developing some of their youngsters at the center position, including Fabbri, Barbashev and Sanford likely in hopes of eventually finding a replacement for Stastny in the near future.

After Stastny, the talent level drops, but the team will have several restricted free agents who will be in line for more money next year. Edmundson, entering his third full year in the league, who has struggled with injuries in his two years. He played in 67 games in 2015-16 and just 69 games last year. He put up three goals and 12 assists last year, but should get more playing time with Shattenkirk gone and if he can stay healthy, should put up even better numbers. Sundqvist also came to St. Louis in a recent trade. Acquired from Pittsburgh in the Ryan Reaves trade, Sundqvist hopes to break camp with the Blues. He couldn’t crack the lineup in Pittsburgh, managing just 28 games over the past two years, but he did score 20 goals for the Penguins’ AHL squad this year. The center has a good chance to win a bottom six center position this year.

Jaskin has had trouble staying in the lineup for the Blues. The 24-year-old has been with the team now for four seasons, but has never been able to a steady contributor. He only managed to get into 51 games last year, for one goal and 10 assists. If he can’t put together a solid season, it may be his last in St. Louis. Bennett, who was signed as a free agent this summer, must prove he can make the team first. The 25-year-old wing scored eight goals in 65 games for the New Jersey Devils last year.

Among unrestricted free agents, the team may want to bring back Hutton, who has served the Blues well as their backup goaltender. The 31-year-old played 29 games and finished the year with a 2.39 GAA and a .913 save percentage. The 33-year-old Brodziak makes for a good fourth-line player, but this could likely be his last year in St. Louis, while Paajarvi split time between the Blues and the Chicago Wolves and also could be at the end of the line if he can’t make the team out of training camp.

Read more

Two Years Remaining

D Jay Bouwmeester ($5.4MM, UFA)
D Carl Gunnarsson ($2.9MM, UFA)
D Robert Bortuzzo ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Chris Thorburn ($900K, UFA)
D Nate Prosser ($650K, UFA)

This will be the year where the Blues will have to make some defensive decisions, especially with Bouwmeester, who will be 35 years old when his contract comes up. The deal he signed back in 2014 looked good, but three years later, he isn’t nearly as good and despite contantly being handed a role on the top defensive line, his time is fading quickly. Gunnarsson and Bortuzzo are bottom-line defenders and will likely be replaced by younger options.

Three Years Remaining

D Alex Pietrangelo ($6.5MM, UFA)
F Brayden Schenn ($5.125MM, UFA)
F Vladimir Sobotka ($3.5MM, UFA)

The team does have most of its top players already locked up for a significant amount of time and that includes Pietrangelo, who remains the team’s top defenseman. Of all the defensemen that benefitted when the team dealt Shattenkirk to the Capitals, the 27-year-old took advantage of the extra playing time. He had 30 points after his first 60 games, but after the trade, his numbers took off with 18 points in the next 20 games. He could have a breakout year. Schenn, acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers at a costly price of two potential first-round picks along with Jori Lehtera, should provide the team with some scoring. He has scored 51 goals over the last two seasons. Sobotka is the wildcard whose future is hard to project. After playing four years for the Blues, he left the NHL and played three years in the KHL before returning at the end of the season, signing a new three-year deal in April. He played in the team’s final regular season game, scoring a goal and then added two goals and six assists in 11 playoff games. The 30-year-old wing should be able to contribute to the team’s second or third line for a few more years.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Vladimir Tarasenko ($7.5MM through 2022-23)
F Alex Steen ($5.75MM through 2020-21)
D Colton Parayko ($5.5MM through 2021-22)
F Jaden Schwartz ($5.35MM through 2020-21)
G Jake Allen ($4.35MM through 2020-21)
F Patrik Berglund ($3.85MM through 2021-22)

Most of the team’s top talent is already locked up long-term. Tarasenko is signed for the longest and fortunately for the team, he’s also their best player. The 25-year-old has scored 116 goals over the past three years and still has the potential to get better. Many believe that despite having Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester, Parayko might be their best defenseman of the future. Already locked up for five more years, the 24-year-old blueliner is coming off a 35-point season and many feel he will only improve. Schwartz, who will likely team up with Tarasenko, is coming off a 55-point season with 19 goals. At 25, he should continue to develop alongside of Tarasenko.

Allen has steadily developed into a quality goaltender over the past few years and he really took off as the starter this year. He played in a career-high 61 games last year, putting up a 2.42 GAA and a .915 save percentage. However, he got even better once new coach Mike Yeo came aboard in February. In his final 25 games, he was 16-7-2 with a .938 save percentage. He should continue to put up good numbers for the next several years. The team took a hard loss earlier this offseason when Berglund underwent surgery on his left shoulder and will not return until December. The 29-year-old wing had a career-high 23 goals last year. Perhaps one of their worst deals, Steen still has four years at 33 years old. He has had a couple of down years after putting up 31 and 24 goals, respectively, but has managed just 33 goals in the last two years combined. Still, he put up 51 points last year and did have a broken bone in his foot during the playoffs, so maybe he deserves a break.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Tarasenko
Worst Value: Steen

Looking Ahead

This will be Yeo’s first full season in St. Louis, so he should have even more control than last year’s team that survived a round of the playoffs before losing in the second round to the Nashville Predators. With the additions of Sobotka and Schenn as well as the continued development of Tarasenko, Fabbri, Parayko and Pietrangelo to name a few, the Blues seem to have a bright future ahead of them. They are in solid shape cap-wise and should still be able to pick up a few free agents in the future if they can keep things going.

 

St. Louis Blues Alex Pietrangelo| Alexander Steen| Beau Bennett| Brayden Schenn| Carl Gunnarsson| Carter Hutton| Colton Parayko| Dmitrij Jaskin| Ivan Barbashev| Jaden Schwartz| Jake Allen| Joel Edmundson| Kyle Brodziak| Nate Prosser| Oskar Sundqvist| Patrik Berglund| Paul Stastny| Robby Fabbri| Robert Bortuzzo| Salary Cap Deep Dive| Vladimir Sobotka| Vladimir Tarasenko| Zach Sanford

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Blues Notes: Tarasenko, Schenn, Tavares, Barbashev

September 2, 2017 at 7:51 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues have high hopes for the coming season and much of those hopes hinges on the play of star player Vladimir Tarasenko, who has been the team’s top scorer and has put up impressive numbers over the past several years. However, what Tarasenko has not done is show any improvement. In scoring, he’s put up 37, 40 and 39 goals. He put up 36 assists in 2014-15, 34 assists the following year and then 36 assists again last year. His numbers are virtually identical.

At 25 years of age, the question is whether his present numbers are as good as they are going to get. Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that his development will likely hinge on coach Mike Yeo’s coaching success. Now entering his first full year as head coach, the scribe writes that it will be Yeo’s job to push him to that elite level. Much of that will be finding the perfect linemates for him, which the team has failed to do in the past. Jaden Schwartz is a good fit with Tarasenko on the opposite wing, but who will man the center position remains up in the air.

  • Gordon, in the same piece, writes that newly acquired forward Brayden Schenn has much to prove this coming season. There are many questions surrounding whether he is a true center or just a scorer. The Blues, who acquired Schenn from Philadelphia for their 2017 first-round pick and veteran Jori Lehtera, is expected to be a top-six player, but he has not proven to be a dominant center in the league so far, struggling with faceoffs and his defense. Schenn has scored 45 goals over the past two seasons.
  • Don’t expect the Blues to go after John Tavares if he becomes available. With Tarasenko tied up until 2022-23, the Blues will not want to offer a $10MM per year contract and have two huge contracts on their cap. Gordon compared the situation to the Chicago Blackhawks and how difficult a time they are having keeping their team afloat with their two superstars on the roster.
  • Finally Gordon suggests the two players who could take that “next step” are likely to be centers Ivan Barbashev and Zachary Sanford. Barbashev, the team’s second-round pick in 2014. He scored five goals and 12 points in 30 games at the end of last year and also scored 19 goals for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The 21-year-old center might be ready for a much bigger role next year. Gordon also feels that Sanford, a second-rounder in 2013, who the Blues acquired in the Kevin Shattenkirk trade, could take the next step. Between the Capitals and the Blues, he scored four goals in 39 games. The 22-year-old also tallied 11 goals for the AHL Hershey Bears.

St. Louis Blues Brayden Schenn| Ivan Barbashev| Jaden Schwartz| John Tavares| Jori Lehtera| Kevin Shattenkirk| Vladimir Tarasenko| Zach Sanford

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Inactive Blues Hoping For Different Results

August 6, 2017 at 8:08 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 1 Comment

The St. Louis Blues were one of the most inactive teams this summer, right alongside the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks. With their relative success in a difficult Central division, it’s easy to understand why they didn’t make too many seismic transactions. Still, they had a moderate backslide in points last season despite making it to the second round. With only 99 points, they easily could have found themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. The team’s only major move this off-season was trading Jori Lehtera for Brayden Schenn, by most accounts a trade they came out on top. Still, did the Blues need to be more aggressive?

The team has one of the most consistently underrated defensemen in Alex Pietrangelo, and Colton Parayko behind him is no slouch. After that, however, the pickings on defense are rather uninspiring. Jay Bouwmeester still logs substantial time on ice, with a 22:24 average, but there are signs his play is starting to slip. His last four seasons have been negative possession seasons (relative Corsi), and his offensive game has completely dried up. He only scored one goal to accompany his 14 assists last season. Furthermore, age is starting to catch up to him in terms of footspeed. He’ll be 35 this season, and that issue isn’t going to get any better in the years to come. Carl Gunnarsson only saw sheltered time last year, with just over 13 minutes a night against weaker competition. Robert Bortuzzo is a 6th defenseman at best and Joel Edmundson has work to round out his game if he wants to solidify himself as a top-four defender. Ultimately, the team needs defensive help, especially when the team will be up against the likes of the Blackhawks and Stars on a regular basis.

The offense is deep but undeniably overly reliant on Vladimir Tarasenko. Paul Stastny is looking nowhere near worth his contract, and Alex Steen has to slow down at some point in the near future. Jaden Schwartz is primed to have another solid 50+ point season, but if the bodies around him again struggle with consistency it could be an uphill endeavor. Robby Fabbri is another player to watch, as the former first-rounder looks to put together a solid, healthy campaign. The aforementioned addition of Schenn is valuable, but the team could arguably have done more to bring fresh blood in. The team is really banking on Vladimir Sobotka to prove his worth, but there is still the risk of him not producing. He’s never topped 10 goals in an NHL season, after all. Ivan Barbashev looks very promising, but he’s still somewhat of an unknown entity at this point. Ultimately, the team lacks a proven, go-to offensive threat behind Tarasenko Whereas other teams in the division have exceptional one-two punches, the Blues are still hoping to develop theirs fully.

There were available names this offseason to be had if GM Doug Armstrong was willing to make the moves. An Alexander Radulov, for example, would have done wonders to ease some of the pressure from Tarasenko. There are still names available, though, such as Thomas Vanek and Jaromir Jagr up front. On defense, not much remains at this late date. A trade would really be the only sensible option. The team is still relatively undersized up front and overtaxes the top defenders. Cap space was undoubtedly an issue, as at $72.57 MM currently there was little room to maneuver. Still, moving out a larger contract like Stastny’s or Bouwmeester’s might have cleared room to add an important piece or two. The Blues lost Kevin Shattenkirk at the deadline, and it remains to be seen how his absence will affect the team over the course of a full year. The coaching staff behind Mike Yeo did phenomenal work to bring the team back into contention, but stagnation can often cost teams who are on the bubble. It will be interesting to see if Armstrong remains quiet this off-season, or opts for an additional move before the season’s start.

Doug Armstrong| Mike Yeo| NHL| St. Louis Blues| Transactions Alex Pietrangelo| Alex Steen| Alexander Radulov| Brayden Schenn| Colton Parayko| Ivan Barbashev| Jaden Schwartz| Jaromir Jagr| Jay Bouwmeester| Joel Edmundson| Jori Lehtera| Kevin Shattenkirk| Paul Stastny| Robby Fabbri| Robert Bortuzzo| Thomas Vanek| Vladimir Sobotka| Vladimir Tarasenko

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Blues Snapshots: Steen, Parayko, AHL, Fabbri

August 5, 2017 at 4:57 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Don’t be surprised if the St. Louis Blues move on from Alex Steen, eventually. While St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Rutherford answered questions on the newspaper’s website, he added that while he’d be surprised to see Steen moved at this point in the offseason, he wouldn’t be shocked if the Blues were to look into trading him at the trade deadline next year or in the offseason.

The 33-year-old Steen’s new contract that he signed last offseason will be kicking in this year. He signed a four-year, $23MM contract and while his production has been consistently solid over the last couple of years (33 goals and 70 assists combined in last two years), the veteran is suddenly beginning to get in the way of the Blues massing core of young wingers, including Vladimir Tarasenko (25), Jaden Schwartz (25), Dmitrij Jaskin (24), Robby Fabbri (21 — although he could move to center next season — see below), Oskar Sundqvist (23) and Beau Bennett (25).

Rutherford adds the team still needs a veteran like Steen to provide the leadership to the youth, but there will be a point in which the team will be confident in its young wingers that it’s unlikely he’ll finish out his contract in St. Louis.

  • In the same piece, Rutherford writes that he expects young defenseman Colton Parayko to step up this season for the Blues and become the star defenseman they were hoping for. While his goals scored dropped from nine to four last year, his points still went up, finishing with 35 points compared to 33 two years ago. The scribe writes that with Kevin Shattenkirk finally gone, Parayko should be able to raise his scoring numbers and develop into a No. 1 defenseman.
  • Rutherford also writes that with the team agreeing to AHL agreements with the Chicago Wolves (Vegas’ affiliate) and the San Antonio Rampage (Colorado’s affiliate), the team will send prospects to either team, but are likely to have little say about playing time for their prospects. Both Vegas and Colorado will be putting a priority on their own prospects, leaving any Blues prospects to force their way into playing time.
  • Former 2014 first-rounder Fabbri is currently penciled in as the team’s third-line center behind Paul Stastny and new acquisition Brayden Schenn. However, if they feel he is ready to put up a big season, Rutherford writes that it is likely he’ll be moved up to be a wing on the second line and force Steen to move to the right side.

 

AHL| St. Louis Blues Alex Steen| Beau Bennett| Brayden Schenn| Colton Parayko| Dmitrij Jaskin| Jaden Schwartz| Kevin Shattenkirk| Oskar Sundqvist| Paul Stastny| Robby Fabbri| Vladimir Tarasenko

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Injury Updates: Klefbom, Ducks, Blues, Barrie, Rieder, Schmaltz

May 10, 2017 at 6:31 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Edmonton will get back a key player on their blueline tonight as they get set for their Game Seven matchup against Anaheim as Oscar Klefbom has declared himself “100 percent ready to go tonight”, writes Marc Ciampa of the Oilers’ team site.  He missed the last game due to an upper body issue.

On the other side, Ciampa notes the Ducks will have center Nate Thompson in their lineup.  His status was in question after the team recalled Sam Carrick from AHL San Diego on Tuesday.  Defenseman Kevin Bieksa’s situation isn’t as clear though, as head coach Randy Carlyle is listing him as a game-time decision.  Bieksa suffered a lower body in the series opener against the Oilers and has been out of the lineup since then.

Other injury notes from around the hockey world:

  • Although there was speculation that Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko needed surgery, that isn’t the case, notes Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While the forward noted that he has been playing through an undisclosed injury, he expects it to heal over the coming weeks with rest.  On a similar note, Alex Steen’s broken toe that he played through also won’t require going under the knife.
  • Colorado blueliner Tyson Barrie will miss the rest of the World Championships with a lower body, Team Canada announced via Twitter.  The exact nature of the injury is unknown but the Avalanche added (Twitter link) that he is expected to fully recover for his offseason workouts.  The defenseman was off to a torrid start on the scoresheet, leading all defenders in scoring with seven points through four games.  Although the Canadians won’t be able to replace him on the roster, they will certainly benefit from the late addition of Colton Parayko, who was added into a vacant roster slot yesterday.
  • Coyotes winger Tobias Rieder also will miss the remainder of the Worlds after sustaining a lower body injury against Russia on Monday. Fortunately for Arizona, the injury isn’t believed to be too serious, reports ArizonaSports’ Craig Morgan.  Rieder is expected to undergo further testing in the coming days.  It’s the second straight year that a lower body injury has ended his tournament early as back in 2016, he suffered a knee injury against Canada in the preliminary round.
  • Still with the Worlds, USA (and Chicago) forward Nick Schmaltz may be ready to return to the lineup on Saturday against Latvia, notes NHL.com’s Brian Hedger (Twitter link). He was also injured on Monday on a hit from Sweden’s Gabriel Landeskog and was held out of their game against Italy today, which they won 3-0.

Injury Alex Steen| Kevin Bieksa| Nate Thompson| Nick Schmaltz| Oscar Klefbom| Tobias Rieder| Tyson Barrie| Vladimir Tarasenko

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Snapshots: Karlsson, Stevens, Hayes, Lady Byng Finalists

April 23, 2017 at 8:54 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson revealed to reporters, including ESPN’s Joe McDonald (Twitter link), that he played through the entire first round of the playoffs with two hairline fractures in his right foot.  He added that he was receiving regular injections to help deal with the pain and that he’s hopeful that it will be back to normal by Thursday.

Despite the injury, Karlsson logged a heavy workload for Ottawa in their first round victory over Boston.  He led the team (and the league) in ice time with an average of 30:23 per game while his six assists lead all defensemen in the postseason.  He will undoubtedly be a focal point of their attack as the Sens get set to take on the Rangers in the second round.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Kings named John Stevens their new head coach today. Helene Elliott of the LA Times reports that the bench boss will receive a three year contract and that there may be options involved as well.  Stevens will now turn to hiring assistants to replace himself and Davis Payne who was let go along with Darryl Sutter at the end of the season.
  • Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe suggests that it’s likely that right winger Jimmy Hayes has played his last game in a Bruins uniform. However, given his disastrous campaign, one where he recorded just five points in 58 games and his $2.6MM contract for next season, it’s unlikely that the team will be able to trade him or that Vegas will take him in expansion.  As a result, he notes that he’s a strong candidate for a buyout.  Doing so would cost Boston a cap charge of roughly $867K for the next two seasons.
  • The NHL announced the finalists for the Lady Byng Award, given to the player who best combines sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and ability. The top three in the voting are Johnny Gaudreau of the Flames, Mikael Granlund from Minnesota, and Vladimir Tarasenko of St. Louis.  The winner will be announced on June 21st during the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

John Stevens| Snapshots Erik Karlsson| Jimmy Hayes| Johnny Gaudreau| Mikael Granlund| NHL Awards| Vladimir Tarasenko

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