Blues Place Torey Krug On LTIR, Recall Tyler Tucker
The Blues will be without a key member of their back end for the next little while as the Blues announced that they’ve placed defenseman Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) due to a lower-body injury. In a corresponding move, St. Louis has recalled blueliner Tyler Tucker from AHL Springfield.
Krug was on a nice run offensively leading into the holiday break with five points over his last four games and logged nearly 23 minutes on Friday against Vegas so it’s unclear exactly when the injury was sustained. The 31-year-old has suited up in 31 games for St. Louis this season, notching 17 points, second to only Justin Faulk in terms of production from the back end. Offensive production has been hard to come by beyond those two as their other rearguards have managed just four goals combined this season so Krug’s absence on that side of the ice will certainly be felt.
There is no firm timetable on when Krug might be able to return as the release from the Blues only mentions that he will be re-evaluated in six weeks. Accordingly, it stands to reason that he will likely be out of the lineup longer than that.
As for Tucker, the 22-year-old made his NHL debut last month, getting into four games with St. Louis, picking up six blocks and eight hits along the way. He has spent the rest of the season with the Thunderbirds, collecting 13 points and 45 penalty minutes in 24 contests.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: St. Louis Blues
As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the St. Louis Blues.
Who are the Blues thankful for?
He may have had a slow start to the season, but Kyrou’s had a torrid November and December to silence any doubters. It’s been a streaky run for the Blues this season, and seeing young cornerstones continue to develop and lead the team is always a positive.
After just three points in his first eight games, Kyrou has 29 in his past 23 and leads the team in scoring with 16 goals and 32 points. At 24 years old, Kyrou figures to be a long-term solution for elite goal-scoring in St. Louis. The team agrees and is being rewarded for their gamble, handing Kyrou an eight-year, $65MM extension that kicks in next season.
He’s rolling along at more than a point-per-game clip on the league’s 21st-ranked offense, which is underperforming, to be fair. But the Blues still remain in the playoff conversation with a .500 record as Christmas approaches, mainly in part due to Kyrou’s offensive excellence.
What are the Blues thankful for?
A rough season with good timing.
If there were ever a season for the Blues to sell, it would be this one. Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ivan Barbashev are all unrestricted free agents at the season’s end. While it would be a tad out of nature for general manager Doug Armstrong, the team could certainly opt for a retool around the strong performances of players like Kyrou, Robert Thomas, and Pavel Buchnevich.
It would allow St. Louis to recoup what could be massive value early on in a retool phase, giving them a jumpstart in getting back into competitiveness without having to sacrifice players like Kyrou and Thomas later in their primes for a full-scale rebuild. If Armstrong plays his cards right, he has a unique opportunity to restock St. Louis’ cupboard at just the right time.
What would the Blues be even more thankful for?
A Jordan Binnington resurgence.
His .897 save percentage doesn’t tell the whole story. The team has not been close to the league’s upper echelon defensively, and it reflects in their goals against total, which sits near the league’s bottom.
But Binnington hasn’t stolen games the way he did earlier in his NHL career, and his behavior unrelated to his play has made more headlines this year than his saves have. He’s been average, not to blame for St. Louis’ struggles, but not the goalie that won them a Stanley Cup in 2019.
The issue lies in that St. Louis has invested in him to do just that – steal games. He’s not paid like a tandem netminder, locked in at a $6MM cap hit through 2027. With trade protection in the mix, too, it’s not looking like a pretty situation financially.
What should be on the Blues’ holiday wishlist?
Like many other teams, young defensemen.
The team’s prospect pool on D revolves around Scott Perunovich. While extremely talented, he hasn’t been able to avoid constant injury issues. He played just 36 games last season across both the NHL and AHL and hasn’t played at all this season due to a shoulder injury expected to keep him out through April.
Outside of him, there are some players who may have NHL futures, but no one who fits the bill as a solid long-term solution. Help in the D pipeline will likely be top of mind in trade returns if the Blues do sell off assets at the trade deadline.
Main photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
St. Louis Blues Activate Logan Brown
The St. Louis Blues have activated forward Logan Brown off injured reserve, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford.
St. Louis acquired Brown before the 2021-22 season, making a one-for-one exchange with the Ottawa Senators for Zachary Sanford. Brown, the 11th overall selection in 2016, has 11 points in 44 games in St. Louis since the trade.
Brown missed more than a month with an upper-body injury, leaving a game on November 8. He has suited up just five times in 2022-23, averaging under 10 minutes per game, and is without a point.
He’ll compete with players like Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker to get back into the lineup, who’ve similarly not produced much offense in extremely limited ice time.
St. Louis Blues Recall Logan Brown, Assign William Bitten To AHL
The St. Louis Blues this afternoon announced they’ve recalled forward Logan Brown from the Springfield Thunderbirds, their AHL affiliate. In a corresponding move, the team has assigned forward William Bitten to Springfield. Brown had been in the AHL on a conditioning loan, which the Blues assigned him to Thursday. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the first to report the move.
Brown, 24, is in his second year as a member of the Blues organization, splitting time with St. Louis and Springfield last season, recording 11 points in 39 games with the NHL team. A former top prospect with the Ottawa Senators, Brown had been trying to gain traction in the NHL after a modest breakout last season. But, the forward found himself on LTIR after playing just five games this season. Now, after the brief conditioning stint, Brown can look to stay healthy and get back into a groove in the Blues’ lineup.
Bitten was recalled back on December 3rd and made his long-awaited NHL debut that night. In four NHL games to date, the 24-year-old has just one assist, coming in his second game. By getting Bitten back themselves, Springfield will hope to get more of the scoring touch he had earlier this season, with eight goals over his first 20 games.
Blues Sign Marc-Andre Gaudet To Entry-Level Deal
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
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
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
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
- 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
- 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.