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Blues Sign Marc-Andre Gaudet To Entry-Level Deal

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Marc-Andre Gaudet is off to a nice start to his post-draft season and he was rewarded for his efforts today as the team announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a three-year, entry-level contract.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal carries an $849K AAV and breaks down as follows:

2022-23: $750K NHL salary, $80K signing bonus, $82.5K AHL salary
2023-24: $775K NHL salary, $82.5K signing bonus, $82.5K AHL salary
2024-25: $775K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $82.5K AHL salary

The 18-year-old was a fifth-round pick by St. Louis this offseason (152nd overall) following a strong sophomore year with Acadie-Bathurst of the QMJHL which saw him pick up 13 goals and 25 assists in 68 games.  This season, he made one preseason appearance with the Blues (where he had an assist) and is off to a good start with his new team in Shawinigan as he has eight goals and 17 helpers in 30 games so far, good for seventh in the league for points by a blueliner.

Officially, the contract begins this season.  However, he’ll remain in junior and thus won’t play in ten games in St. Louis.  Accordingly, his deal will be able to slide a year and thus will still have three years left on it for the 2023-24 campaign.  Gaudet will be eligible to play in the AHL next season.

Latest On Ryan O'Reilly Trade Interest

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While the Toronto Maple Leafs have been among the NHL’s most successful regular-season teams for the past half-decade, playoff success has eluded them. One player who had similarly spent an extended period without any playoff success is Ryan O’Reilly, who spent nearly his first decade in the NHL without making it to the second round. In 2019, though, O’Reilly bucked that career trend, leading the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup victory and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy along the way.

The Maple Leafs want to do the same this spring, and it seems that they view O’Reilly as someone who can help them get there. Per Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic’s first 2022-23 trade board, Toronto has “talked about O’Reilly internally,” debating the prospect of acquiring him from the Blues. (subscription link) While O’Reilly’s scoring numbers have slowed down, Toronto could add him to a center corps that already boasts Auston Matthews and John Tavares, forming what would be likely the best trio of centers in the NHL. He remains a player with a sterling reputation as a playoff performer, and as a pending unrestricted free agent acquiring him would pose no long-term financial complications.

Logan Brown Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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The St. Louis Blues may get Logan Brown back relatively soon, as the big forward was sent to the AHL on a conditioning loan today. It can last up to two weeks, allowing him to return to game shape.

Brown, 24, has missed 18 games with an upper-body injury, the second stretch he’s missed since training camp. Limited to just five appearances so far in 2022-23, he has been held scoreless.

Standing 6’6″ with the draft pedigree of an 11th-overall pick, there’s still hope that Brown can take his success in the minor leagues and translate it to the highest level. In 19 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds last season, he scored 17 points. That takes his overall minor league numbers to 96 points in 113 games, showing just how effective he can be in the right situation.

With general managers all over the league likely watching Tage Thompson’s success and believing (rather naively) they can recreate it with other big, skilled forwards, Brown will probably get plenty of opportunities moving forward. His one-year, $750K contract will leave him a restricted free agent at the end of the year.

St. Louis Blues Recall Alexey Toropchenko

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With his two-week conditioning stint used up, Alexey Toropchenko has been recalled by the St. Louis Blues. The big winger is back on the active roster, though it’s not clear if he’ll be back in the lineup right away.

Toropchenko, 23, wasn’t even supposed to be ready for the start of the season after offseason shoulder surgery, but was ready when things opened and played 15 games for the Blues. The 6’6″ forward scored just a single goal in that time, and failed to make much of an impact, leading to this conditioning stint. During five games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, he recorded three points.

The Blues continue to struggle this season, allowing 108 goals in 28 games, easily the worst among Central Division clubs. That has resulted in a 12-15-1 record so far, including a 2-7-1 run in their last ten. Toropchenko certainly isn’t going to fix that, especially given the lack of production he has shown in the NHL. Sure, his size can be used as a fourth-line option, but the team needs a lot more than a few extra hits to turn things around.

Logan Brown, another big body, was also on the ice this morning at the optional skate, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com, but it was an appearance by Pavel Buchnevich that should excite Blues fans. Buchnevich hasn’t played since December 5, missing the last three games after a brilliant start to the year.

Torey Krug Returns To The Lineup Sunday, Buchnevich Still Out

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  • The St. Louis Blues confirmed defenseman Torey Krug would rejoin the lineup Sunday after missing two games with an upper-body injury. The veteran, much like his Blues, has had a shaky start to 2022-23, recording 11 points in 24 games, but comes with a -22 rating, the worst mark in the league. Even amid his struggles, if the Blues hope to re-write their 2022-23 story, it’s more likely than not that Krug will have to be part of the solution, and having him in the lineup would be a start. Though Krug is back, forward Pavel Buchnevich, who also hasn’t played since December 5th, will not play this afternoon, the Blues announced.

Torey Krug Nearing Return

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  • The St. Louis Blues are set to get a defenseman back when Torey Krug returns to the ice tomorrow, per Blues coach Craig Berube. (via NHL.com’s Lou Korac) Krug has missed the Blues’ last two games, and his return should help the team shore up a blueline that has surrendered goals at an alarmingly high rate for the past two weeks.

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Blues, Brodin

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without defenseman David Savard and forward Sean Monahan when they take on the Seattle Kraken tonight. Per the team, Savard is dealing with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. At the same time, Monahan has a lower-body injury and will be reevaluated when the team returns to Montreal after their road trip concludes tonight.

Savard is second among Canadiens defensemen this season in points (eight) and average time on ice (22:17). While his defensive play hasn’t been what it was during the end of his time in Columbus, he’s a vital minute-muncher on a youthful Montreal defense. His usage is the highest it’s been in more than five years, so it’ll be testing for the Habs rookies to see if they can handle some increased minutes in his absence. Monahan is also in the middle of a well-documented resurgence, sitting in fourth place on the Habs with 17 points in 25 games this year. He’s also been great in the faceoff circle, winning over 55% of his draws and leading the team in total faceoff wins (177).

  • While the St. Louis Blues are on their way to a convincing road win on Long Island, they did it without a pair of key players in winger Pavel Buchnevich and defenseman Torey Krug. Buchenvich was out with a lower-body injury, while Krug missed the game with an upper-body injury. Head coach Craig Berube noted pre-game that both players need further evaluations before “knowing whether the injuries would be more short-term or long-term.”
  • Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason said today that although defenseman Jonas Brodin won’t make his return to the lineup tomorrow, the Swede looked “great” today and is close to returning. Brodin, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, has missed a combined five games this year with this injury and an earlier illness. While known for his defensive prowess, he’s still in the middle of a down year offensively, with just four assists in 19 games.

 

Jordan Kyrou Out Saturday With Non-Covid Illness

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  • Per a team announcement, St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou will be out of the lineup tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a non-COVID related illness. Of course, this isn’t good news per se, however the reasoning being illness over a serious injury is a silver lining, as St. Louis cannot afford to be without their star forward for very long. Taking his place in the lineup is forward William Bitten, who was recalled from the AHL earlier today. Also in the lineup is forward Brayden Schenn, who has been battling a lingering injury. Interestingly, while this will be game number one in the NHL for Bitten, it also marks game number 800 in the league for Schenn.

St. Louis Blues Recall William Bitten

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The St. Louis Blues announced this afternoon that they’ve recalled forward William Bitten from the Springfield Thunderbirds, their AHL affiliate. No corresponding moves were announced, though Jake Neighbours’ assignment to the AHL yesterday did open a spot on the roster. Bitten’s recall brings the Blues to a complete 23-man roster.

The 24-year-old Bitten has had a solid season thus far, tied for the team lead with eight goals for Springfield through 20 games after spending time in training camp with St. Louis earlier this year. This is not Bitten’s first season in the Blues organization, getting into 45 games with the Thunderbirds last year as well after a midseason trade. Should he play while recalled, it would mark his NHL debut.

A third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2016, Bitten bounced around in his OHL career, spending time with the Plymouth Whalers, Flint Firebirds, and Hamilton Bulldogs. Just before he was set to make his professional debut, Montreal dealt him to the Minnesota Wild, where he spent parts of four seasons in the AHL before being dealt to St. Louis nearly a year ago.

St. Louis Blues Return Jake Neighbours To AHL

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The St. Louis Blues have sent Jake Neighbours back to the AHL after his most recent call-up. The young forward played in two games, recording two shots, two blocks, and a hit while failing to record a point.

Neighbours, 20, like so many other prospects, needs to play. He wasn’t going to see much ice time with the big club, getting just 13 shifts in last night’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. At the AHL level, he can touch the puck a lot more and get his confidence up, something that must be waning after so many scoreless appearances as a pro. Neighbours has two goals and three points in 22 career NHL games and has yet to score an AHL goal in seven games.

There’s still plenty of optimism about the 2020 first-round pick, but it’s hard to see how playing fewer than ten minutes a night on an NHL fourth line is the right development path. He may be up again at some point but the focus should be on getting him rolling in the minor leagues.

The struggle of course is that the Blues aren’t winning, either, so head coach Craig Berube needs to do anything he can to turn the ship around. The club is 11-12 on the year and has lost their last two after a strong stretch. Balancing Neighbours’ long-term development with the short-term team needs is a difficult task, especially if they believe he is one of the 12 best forwards in the organization.

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