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Latest On Vince Dunn

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The St. Louis Blues have some gymnastics to pull off at the start of the regular season, moving players to long-term injured reserve and finalizing contract details with Mike Hoffman, who agreed to a professional tryout for the time being. They also have another contract to finish, this time with restricted free agent Vince Dunn who remains unsigned currently.

On the Dunn front, progress is being made according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest, who tweets that the negotiation will get done in time for training camp. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports something similar, tweeting that Dunn’s agent told him that the defenseman would be in training camp when it opened.

Technically Dunn too could sign a tryout agreement to get into camp with the Blues if they need to wait out the cap complexities, but it’s great news for St. Louis fans that were worried about their young RFA. The 24-year-old has turned into quite the player over the last few seasons, recording at least 23 points in each of his three years in the NHL despite averaging just over 17 minutes a night.

That number could increase with Alex Pietrangelo gone, though newcomer Torey Krug figures to take over the PP1 duties for the Blues. Ten of Dunn’s points (including four of his nine goals) came with the man advantage last season.

Coming off his entry-level contract, Dunn was still not eligible for salary arbitration and doesn’t have a ton of leverage if he wants to play this year.

Blues Sign Mike Hoffman To PTO Agreement

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Dec 28: According to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, Hoffman is believed to have a one-year contract in place worth between $3.5MM and $4.5MM. The two sides are waiting to make it official to help maximize their salary cap flexibility.

Dec 27: Mike Hoffman is certainly taking a different route to securing a contract for the upcoming season.  The Blues announced that they have signed the winger to a PTO agreement with an invitation to training camp.  Back when free agency opened up, this certainly wasn’t the expected outcome for the player ranked fourth on our Top 50 UFA list.

The 31-year-old is coming off of another productive season that saw him put up 29 goals and 30 assists in 69 games with the Panthers.  It was the fifth time in the last six seasons that he had at least 27 goals and he’s tied for 16th in goals scored by any player over the past six seasons.  Hoffman is particularly adept when it comes to power play production and has scored 28 times with the man advantage over the past two years, tied for the fifth-most in the league.

So how has it come to this?  The UFA market wasn’t kind to wingers seeking long-term, big-money agreements; Taylor Hall had to settle for a one-year, $8MM deal with Buffalo while Tyler Toffoli opted for a multi-year agreement but had to take a pay cut to do so with Montreal.  Hoffman indicated a willingness to do like Hall and sign for one year but the higher-priced offers never really materialized.

Having said that, this isn’t a typical PTO agreement.  The Blues will have some salary cap flexibility with Alex Steen (out for the year) and Vladimir Tarasenko (out for several more months) heading for LTIR but for St. Louis to best utilize the cap space that those placements will provide, they will want to wait to move them there until the start of the season.  Hoffman will presumably sign a one-year agreement once the season starts for a much higher price tag than a deal that’s close to the league minimum as players who earn deals off of PTOs typically get.

St. Louis still has to re-sign RFA defenseman Vince Dunn but the approach for him could very well be the same, to wait for the LTIR placements to be made official and then sign the contract into that space.

It has been an interesting free agent market for Hoffman but it appears he will eventually get his one-year deal with St. Louis being the team to give it to him.  He’ll just have to wait a few more weeks for it to happen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2020 Year In Review: February

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2020 has certainly been a unique year away from the rink.  However, it’s also a year that has featured several big trades and free agent signings, coaching changes, and much more.  Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis.  We continue with a look back at February.

Byfuglien Situation Explained: The Winnipeg Jets spent a good chunk of their season in confusion at the sudden announcement during training camp that star defenseman Dustin Byfuglien was taking a leave of absence with little to no explanation. That decision prompted the team to suspend Byfuglien, then he countered with a grievance through the NHLPA. The blueliner also underwent ankle surgery shortly after the season began. However, after months of waiting, the team got some clarification regarding Byfuglien as it was reported that Byfuglien has not even skated as of Feb. 1 and he wasn’t expected to return at all during the season. Suddenly two days later, it was reported that the Jets and Byfuglien were discussing a mutual contract termination. That led to trade rumors with the Jets trying to move Byfuglien at the trade deadline. Of course the saga continued for several more months, but February was the first month where it became quite clear that the Jets not only weren’t getting Byfuglien back any time soon, but the two parties’ were headed for a divorce.

Major Injuries: As February rolled on, injuries became a major notation in the season as many teams lost key players for significant times and many for the season (had the playoffs not been delayed until August due to COVID-19). The Sharks were the first to announce that Tomas Hertl was out for the season, a big blow for the struggling Sharks. Next, Chicago’s Brent Seabrook underwent his third surgery, followed by Seth Jones, who was expected to be out indefinitely, a major loss for the defensive Blue Jackets. Of course, the suspension of play did allow Jones to return for the playoffs. The injuries continued to pile up, including San Jose’s Erik Karlsson, Vancouver’s Brock Boeser, Toronto’s Andreas Johnsson, Winnipeg’s Brian Little and Montreal’s Shea Weber. Some were able to return for the playoffs, but those injuries crippled several teams.

Paul Maurice Extended: Despite the team’s struggles and even some light rumors that the Winnipeg Jets might consider a coaching change, the Winnipeg Jets instead signed head coach Paul Maurice to a three-year extension, who has been leading the squad since 2013. While Maurice hasn’t been able to get the Jets deep into the playoffs and the team has seen quite a few early-round exits over the years, the veteran coach has helped the Jets post impressive numbers over the years. Maurice had tallied a 264-186-53 record at the time of the extension and had kept Winnipeg above water last season despite the depletion of their defense.

Bouwmeester collapes: The St. Louis Blues suffered a shock when veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a cardiac event while sitting on the bench during a game against the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 11. He collapsed behind the bench and trainers and physicians rushed to his aid and saved his life and was later taken the the hospital. He was doing “very well” the following day and underwent successful surgery two days after that. He was labeled out for the season and the playoffs two weeks later. His playing career looks to be over, but the 37-year-old is doing well.

Trade Deadline: The trade deadline came and went with dozens of trades that filled the transaction wires. While many significant names passed throughout the month, perhaps the most significant trades were made by the Tampa Bay Lightning (hint: the eventual Stanley Cup Champions). The Lightning traded for New Jersey Devils power forward Blake Coleman, giving up prospect Nolan Foote and Vancouver’s 2020 first-round pick. A week later, the Lightning were at it again, acquiring another physical forward, Barclay Goodrow, in exchange for their own 2020 first-rounder. While Tampa Bay was the obvious winner, many significant names changed hands, including Robin Lehner, Nick Cousins and Alec Martinez (to Vegas); Tyler Toffoli (to Vancouver); Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie (to Boston); Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Andy Greene (to New York Islanders); Tyler Ennis, Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green (to Edmonton); Brendan Dillon and Ilya Kovalchuk (to Washington) amongst many other significant deals.

Alexei Toropchenko Will Remain In The KHL, Won't Attend Blues Training Camp

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  • While many prospects will be returning to North America from their international loans if they haven’t already, that won’t be the case for Blues prospect Alexei Toropchenko. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the forward will remain on loan to Kunlun of the KHL instead of participating in training camp with St. Louis.  The 21-year-old spent all of last season in the minors and has six goals and two assists in 24 games so far this season.  Thomas adds that the team is still deciding on whether or not to bring in Nikita Alexandrov for camp or allow him to stay back home in Germany to keep training.

St. Louis Blues Name Ryan O’Reilly Captain

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The St. Louis Blues not only lost a Norris-level defenseman but also lost their captain when Alex Pietrangelo decided to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights in free agency. Today, one of those things has been restored, with the Blues’ announcement that Ryan O’Reilly will serve as captain moving forward. O’Reilly will be the 23rd captain in franchise history and is joined by Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn, and Colton Parayko, who will serve as alternates. Blues head coach Craig Berube explained just why O’Reilly was the choice:

Ryan’s work ethic on and off the ice and his commitment day in and day out is second to none. He leads by example with how hard he works during practices and our games and he relays the right message from our coaching staff to our entire team.

O’Reilly, 29, has actually only been in St. Louis for two seasons but is already a franchise icon. The team’s second Conn Smythe winner, he led the Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019 with a playoff-leading 23 points in 26 games. That followed a 77-point season, a career-high of O’Reilly, but it’s really not even his offense that is so important to the team. The 2019 Selke Trophy winner is one of the very best defensive forwards in the entire world, shutting down the middle of the ice while always among the league leaders in faceoff wins. He has received votes for the Selke in each of the last ten seasons, starting when he was just a 19-year-old for the Colorado Avalanche.

Not only does O’Reilly drive offense and shut down opponents, but he also almost never takes a penalty, recording just 106 PIM over his 804-game career, 46 of those coming in his first three seasons. He won the Lady Byng trophy in 2014 when he took just a single minor penalty, a feat he repeated in 2017-18. Though that lack of penalties isn’t a flashy stat, it’s more important than you might think given that O’Reilly is so important on the penalty kill. When it’s never him serving, he’s always available to take crucial defensive-zone draws for the Blues.

All of that makes O’Reilly one of the best players on the Blues, but his leadership off the ice and camaraderie with teammates also likely made this an easy choice for the coaching staff. With three years left on his contract, St. Louis has found their leader for at least the next few seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Alex Steen Announces Retirement

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The St. Louis Blues will not have Alex Steen on the ice for them this season, announcing today that the veteran forward has been forced to retire due to a back injury. The release indicates that he has “multiple levels of degenerative herniated discs of his lumbar spine.” Though he is retiring, Steen’s contract won’t actually be coming off the books entirely.

Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic confirms that he will be treated as an injured player for this, the last season of his contract, meaning he will earn his full $3.5MM salary and the Blues will still have to deal with his $5.75MM cap hit. That cap hit can be moved to long-term injured reserve for cap relief, though it is still a more complicated process than the complete relief that actual retirement would bring.

Steen, 36, started his NHL journey back in 2002 when he was selected 24th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, though he wouldn’t actually make it to North America until 2005. When he did, he was already a polished professional from his years in the Swedish Elite League and stepped into the Maple Leafs lineup immediately. With 18 goals and 45 points in his rookie season, there were high hopes that he could be a superstar in Toronto. After a few more solid, if unspectacular seasons, the Maple Leafs made one of their patented (at the time) moves to secure a more veteran talent, trading Steen and fellow first-round pick Carlo Colaiacovo to the Blues for Lee Stempniak.

His Maple Leaf career in the rearview, Steen started the real meat of his hockey journey with St. Louis, a team that he would play 12 seasons and more than 850 games for. Seven different times he earned votes for the Selke Trophy as one of the league’s best defensive forwards, while also reaching new career highs in goals (33) and points (64). His career finishes with 622 points in 1,018 games, and at long last, he got to lift the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Steen isn’t a hall of fame candidate, but he will go down as half of one of the best father-son duos to play in the NHL. His father, Thomas Steen, played 950 games with the Winnipeg Jets and tallied 817 points of his own while also earning Selke votes for that focus on defense. When Alex Steen scored his 600th point during the 2018-19 season, they became just the fourth father-son duo to each record at least that number, behind Gordie Howe/Mark Howe, Bobby Hull/Brett Hull, and Peter Stastny/Paul Stastny. Quite the great company to be in.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Morning Notes: Return To Play, Wahlstrom, Miller

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The NHL and NHLPA continue to work towards finalizing an agreement on the upcoming season, though it doesn’t appear as though any announcement will come today. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets that there is “hope” that something will be done in the “coming days.” We’re getting a lot closer to that January 13th start date that has been reported and players from all around the world are starting to make their way back to North America.

  • Oliver Wahlstrom is one of those players, recalled from his loan in Sweden by the New York Islanders. The 20-year-old Wahlstrom had eight points in ten games for AIK of the second tier but returns to North America with his eyes set on an NHL roster spot. Selected 11th overall in 2018, Wahlstrom made his NHL debut last year with nine appearances but failed to record a single point. With the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL he had 22 points in 45 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues have found a replacement for former AGM Bill Armstrong, who left this offseason to take over the Arizona Coyotes. Ryan Miller (no, not that Ryan Miller) has been promoted to assistant general manager from his position as director of hockey operations. Miller had already been intimately involved with almost every move the Blues have made over the last several years but now, as the press release puts it, “he’s getting the title to go with it.”

Doug Armstrong Expected To Be Named Canada's GM For 2022 Olympics

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  • Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is expected to be asked to serve as Canada’s GM for the 2022 Olympics, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic in the latest TSN Insider Trading. He was at the helm for Canada in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey which was the last best-on-best tournament with the NHL not participating in the 2018 Olympics.  An official announcement isn’t likely to come for a while until further plans for NHL participation in the 2022 Games is solidified.

Maxim Lapierre Announces Retirement

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Maxim Lapierre, who played 614 games over his NHL career for five different teams, has announced his retirement, according to a report from NHL.com.

The 35-year-old forward played 10 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins. He was known as a  physical bottom-six player who spent his first five seasons with the Canadiens. His best season was back in 2008-09 when he scored 15 goals. He was a major factor in the playoffs for the 2010-11 Vancouver Canucks team. He was acquired at the trade deadline and produced three goals and 66 penalty minutes to help the Canucks come within one game of winning a Stanley Cup Championship. His last NHL season was with the Penguins during the 2014-15 season. In total, Lapierre scored 65 goals and 139 points and 586 penalty minutes.

After his contract in Pittsburgh ran out, Lapierre, a Montreal native, signed a one-year deal to play for Modo in the SHL overseas. He then followed that up playing four years for Lugano of the NLA. Last season, he joined the Berlin Polar Bears in the DEL. He did help Team Canada to the bronze medal in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

Alex Steen Won't Be Ready For The Start Of The Season

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