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Klim Kostin Assigned To Avangard Omsk

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The St. Louis Blues have found a landing spot for Klim Kostin as he waits for the next NHL season to get underway. The young forward will return to the KHL for the time being, joining Avangard Omsk on a short-term assignment. Kostin will be able to return to North America for training camp with St. Louis, whenever that takes place.

Kostin, 21, was the 31st selection in the 2017 NHL draft, a pick the Blues received (along with Oskar Sundqvist) when they traded Ryan Reaves to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Immediately the powerful winger showed why the team had invested in him, scoring six goals and 28 points in the AHL as a teenager while also dominating the competition at the World Juniors with Russia. Kostin returned to the AHL in 2018-19 and put up ten goals and 24 points while recording more than 100 penalty minutes, but it was a bit of a disappointment given his early hype.

This year though, things were different. The 6’3″ winger ended up scoring 13 goals and 30 points in just 48 games with the San Antonio Rampage, while also making his NHL debut and scoring for the Blues. While there is still plenty of work to be done, the progress Kostin has made since being drafted is encouraging.

With two years remaining on his entry-level contract, the 2020-21 season is an important one for Kostin if he wants to establish himself as an NHL player before reaching restricted free agency. Getting some playing time in the KHL, where he actually debuted in 2017 before even being drafted, will only help him continue his development and come to North America ready to compete for a roster spot with the Blues.

NHL Announces First And Second All-Star Teams, All-Rookie Team

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Following the announcements of the final five NHL regular season awards, the league also revealed their three all-league rosters: the First-Team All-Stars, the Second-Team All-Stars, and the All-Rookie Team. Below are the 2019-20 honorees:

First All-Star Team (link)

G: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D: Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D: John Carlson, Washington Capitals
LW: Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
C: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
RW: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

The 2020 First-Team All-Stars are a historic group, the first time since the inaugural all-league honors in 1930-31 that all six honorees are first-time members of the team. Unsurprisingly, this team also covers most of the league’s major awards with Draisaitl taking home the Hart, Ted Lindsay, and Art Ross, Josi winning the Norris, Hellebuyck winning the Vezina, and Pastrnak earning the Rocket Richard.

Second All-Star Team (link)

G: Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
D: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
LW: Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
C: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
RW: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

The President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins finish with a league-best three players on All-Star rosters. Their division rival, and current Stanley Cup finalist, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the only other team with more than one inclusion on the all-star rosters. Noticeably absent from either all-star teams are future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. This is just the third time since 2005-06 that at least one of the pair have not been on a postseason All-Star team, while they have both have been selected in the same year eight times in the past 15 years.

All-Rookie Team (link)

G: Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets
D: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
D: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
F: Victor Olofsson, Buffalo Sabres
F: Dominik Kubalik, Chicago Blackhawks
F: Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

The rookie elite, led by Calder Trophy-winner Makar, is an older group than usual. Merzlikins, Olofsson, and Kubalik, all 25 or older, played in Europe for a considerable amount of time before jumping to North America as a polished product, while Makar and Hughes each played a pair of seasons in the NCAA and Suzuki aged out of juniors before turning pro. Nevertheless, the first-year pros were all impressive and still have many  quality years ahead of them.

More On Alex Pietrangelo’s Pending Free Agency

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When news surfaced over the weekend that talks had broken off between the St. Louis Blues and captain Alex Pietrangelo, speculation exploded all over the hockey world trying to figure out where the star defenseman will play next season. Almost every team in the league could use a Norris-level right-handed defenseman who can play in all situations, but the list that could actually fit him into their salary cap structure doesn’t appear to be nearly as high.

That won’t stop fans from trying to find a way (as evidenced by CapFriendly’s Toronto Maple Leafs page getting a surge of traffic) and it won’t stop discussion over what Pietrangelo’s presence would mean to a team looking to change their defensive identity. Toronto, a team that has struggled for ages on the defensive side of the puck, also happens to be where Pietrangelo grew up and is getting plenty of press as a potential destination. Today, Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest spoke with Carlo Colaiacovo on TSN radio and gave his thoughts on whether playing in Toronto could excite Pietrangelo:

I think it one-hundred percent does. 

You talk about pulling at the heart strings and the idea of playing there? I think that one-hundred percent exists. Now whether or not they can meet his demands–and again, Toronto is going to be competing with other teams to get his services.

You look at the signing bonus Toronto has paid at some of these other guys including Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. The Blues don’t need to pay that kind of signing bonus money. When we talk about bonus money, he’s not looking for that level of bonus money from a team like St. Louis. But from a team like Toronto? Knowing they can afford to pay that? They’re going to have to pay bonus money in that range.

The entire interview is quite fascinating, given it takes place between someone who covers the Blues closely and someone who is close with Pietrangelo (Colaiacovo also played in St. Louis and was in his wedding party). Still, even with a lot of things pointing to the Maple Leafs entering the race for the pending free agent, it will be a difficult task for them to pull off.

Toronto isn’t in quite as dire of a cap situation as some seem to think, with more than $6MM in space and only two important restricted free agents to sign, but that doesn’t mean adding Pietrangelo is even a good idea. The team already has so much money tied up in the very top-end of their roster that adding another $8MM+ cap hit (the very low-end of what he’s expected to receive on his next deal) could potentially weaken their depth even further.

Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star argued against moving one of the team’s other top players in his latest column and Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has never indicated a willingness to listen on names like Mitch Marner or Morgan Rielly. More likely, a move to land Pietrangelo would come at the expense of some names lower in the lineup like Andreas Johnsson or Alexander Kerfoot.

Past the Maple Leafs, there will be several other teams picking up the phone to contact Pietrangelo and Newport Sports on October 9th. In fact, Strickland suggested today that there actually may be some excitement from the defenseman to see what is out there for him.

I don’t think it truly comes down to the money. It does come down to how the deal is structured. At the end of the day I truly believe that Alex Pietrangelo, the idea of going elsewhere, of entering free agency, I think that excites him. I think he is interested in seeing what else is out there.

There is now less than three weeks until Pietrangelo and the rest of the class can start talking to new teams, when free agency opens on October 9.

Armstrong: Tarasenko's Surgery Went Well, Expected To Be Re-Evaluated In February

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  • Blues GM Doug Armstrong told Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Vladimir Tarasenko’s shoulder surgery went well and that they believe the initial recovery timeline is intact. That would have him being evaluated sometime in February with a return coming after that.  Even if next season is delayed from the planned December 1st start date (a likely scenario at this point), it appears as if the winger will still miss some time.  Armstrong also added that “a couple” of other players underwent minor procedures although he declined to mention who or what needed to be done.

Talks Break Off Between Blues And Alex Pietrangelo

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While progress on a long-term deal between the Blues and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo wasn’t being made, some still expected that the two sides would find a way to get a deal done in spite of their salary cap situation.  However, that doesn’t appear to be the case now as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that talks have broken off between the two sides and that the team has advised their captain to test free agency next month.

The 30-year-old is coming off of another fine year that saw him collect 16 goals (a career high) and 36 assists in 70 games before the pandemic shut down the rest of the regular season.  Had the season played out, he easily would have set a new benchmark in points as well as he was two shy of his 54-point campaign in 2017-18.  He logged over 24 minutes a game for the ninth straight year and was a fixture on both special teams units.  In a league where there aren’t many all-around number one defensemen, Pietrangelo is one of them.

It’s that fact that still makes it surprising that he’s set to head to the open market.  While the Blues don’t have the cap space to keep him without making other moves first, they’re the ones that put themselves in that situation after handing Justin Faulk a seven-year, $45.5MM extension upon acquiring him last September while Marco Scandella received a four-year, $13.1MM deal in the early weeks of the pandemic.  Had they not made those moves, they would have had more flexibility in talks with Pietrangelo, albeit with multiple important roster spots to fill.  Now, they have more than $76MM in commitments for 2020-21 already.

While the salary cap will remain flat next season at $81.5MM, it shouldn’t affect Pietrangelo’s market all that much.  Top players are still expected to receive big-ticket contracts and defensemen of his caliber rarely make it to the open market.  Accordingly, there will be plenty of suitors for his services (even if puts them into cap trouble) and he’ll be well-positioned to get significantly more than the $6.5MM he has played under for the last seven years.  Earlier this week, it was reported that Toronto, Vegas, and Florida could all be in the mix although each of those teams would be hard-pressed to make a deal work under their respective salary cap situations.

Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the last offer from St. Louis to Pietrangelo’s camp carried a $7.7MM AAV but did not provide any breakdown with regards to salary/signing bonus structure.  While that’s still a decent-sized raise and would make him the highest-paid player on the team, it’s seemingly well below what he could get in free agency.  That price tag wouldn’t even put him among the top ten in cap hits for blueliners league-wide.  It’s safe to assume that whatever deal he signs will put him among that group.

For St. Louis, their focus will now have to turn to the trade market.  While there can be no conditions attached to a trade contingent on them signing a contract, a team can still trade something for Pietrangelo’s negotiating rights, similar to what Montreal did for Joel Edmundson last weekend.  While a draft pick or prospect is far below his actual value, it’s still better than nothing which is where things appear to be headed now following this news.  In the meantime, other teams will be very intrigued as it looks like a number one defender is set to reach the open market next month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

St. Louis Blues Hire Jim Montgomery

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The St. Louis Blues have added a former Central Division rival to their coaching staff, hiring former Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery as an assistant for the 2020-21 season. Montgomery has signed a two-year contract with the Blues to join head coach Craig Berube’s staff, replacing the outgoing Marc Savard who recently stepped away from the coaching ranks.

Montgomery was fired by the Stars in December 2019 for “unprofessional conduct” and later issued a public apology and entered an inpatient residential program for alcohol abuse. He was replaced by interim coach Rick Bowness, who now has the Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals and is likely looking at an extension with the team if he decides to return as head coach.

A much-celebrated head coach at the University of Denver, Montgomery entered the NHL as the new bench boss of the Stars in 2018 and led them to a 43-32-7 record in his first year. The Stars actually came within a goal of the Western Conference Finals that season, losing in overtime to the eventual champion Blues.

That second-round series isn’t his only interaction with the St. Louis organization though. In fact, Montgomery started his NHL playing career with the Blues in 1993 and played 67 of his 122 career games for the team. He’ll now join them to try and get his coaching career back on track.

Latest On Alex Pietrangelo’s Free Agency

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While an early look at the free agent pool each year often results in wild speculation and amazement at the talent potentially available, by the time the offseason actually rolls around there isn’t a lot to actually choose from. Top names are given huge extensions to stay put or dealt to a contender at the deadline who uses their three-plus months to re-sign the star. That’s why it has always seemed like Alex Pietrangelo’s availability was a bit of a pipe dream for every team other than the St. Louis Blues.

The captain of the reigning Stanley Cup champions, in his prime at age-30, coming off a season where he logged more than 24 minutes a night. It was hard to imagine the Blues letting that go in free agency, but as we now stand in mid-September, Pietrangelo doesn’t have a contract for next season.

Speaking to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Pietrangelo called it “a little disappointing” that nothing had been done to this point, and explained “there hasn’t been much in terms of progress” on a new contract. While neither side has ruled anything out—LeBrun even suggests that the Blues will be making another offer soon—the star defenseman has already discussed next steps with his wife should he end up on the open market in a few weeks.

There is no doubt that Pietrangelo is still a game-changing force in the NHL. The Blues captain scored double-digit goals (16) for the fourth straight season and registered 52 points in 70 games. Those 24 minutes a night included more than three on the powerplay and almost two on the penalty kill, coming in as one of the most effective players on the team in both situations. His playoff track record is outstanding, with a league-leading 16 assists last year and another strong performance in the 2020 restart. While he may not be running around hitting opponents, his 6’3″ frame is still more than enough to battle physically when required.

There is a lot to like in Pietrangelo, but that all-around game will also deserve a hefty paycheck wherever he lands. That is likely the sticking point in St. Louis, given the flat salary cap and the fact that the team has already committed $76MM to next season’s roster. Expensive extensions for Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn have eaten up a lot of the room left by Pietrangelo’s expiring contract, though there are obvious ways to create enough money to bring the captain back, if they want to.

Instead, it seems more and more likely by the day that Pietrangelo will be a free agent on October 9th, with LeBrun speculating that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers could all be in the mix given their respective situations. The connection to Toronto has been discussed constantly (Pietrangelo is from King City, just north of Toronto and once played minor hockey with John Tavares), but the Maple Leafs would have to battle a long list of suitors for the 30-year-old’s services.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

St. Louis Blues Re-Sign Jacob De La Rose

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The St. Louis Blues will be bringing back a depth forward, announcing today that they have re-signed Jacob de La Rose for one season. The deal will pay him $700K for 2020-21.

Now 25 years old, it’s clear that de La Rose is never going to score much at the NHL level. In 229 NHL games, the big center has recorded just 13 goals and 37 points, including just nine last season in a year split between St. Louis and the Detroit Red Wings. He came to the Blues as the return for Robby Fabbri, but was never expected to fill the same kind of middle-six role in St. Louis.

Instead, he’ll serve as some fourth-line depth and a big body that can contribute to head coach Craig Berube’s physical grind-it-out style. de La Rose does require waivers to go to the minor leagues, but it seems unlikely that he’d be claimed at this point in his career given there isn’t much upside left.

Vladimir Tarasenko Undergoes Third Shoulder Surgery

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Sep 9: Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest reports that Tarasenko has undergone successful surgery with no complications. Now the tough part begins as the Blues sniper will begin his rehab in an attempt to return to action.

Aug 26: The evaluation is complete and it’s not good news for Vladimir Tarasenko. The St. Louis Blues forward will undergo another shoulder surgery next week and will not be re-evaluated for five months.

Tarasenko, 28, missed almost the entire 2019-20 season after suffering a major shoulder injury at the end of October. He played just ten games, but was able to work hard enough to recover in time for the return to play format. Unfortunately, after just four scoreless games in the bubble, Tarasenko returned to St. Louis for examination. This result puts the start of the 2020-21 season into question and may raise even more about his playing future.

There’s no doubt that when healthy, Tarasenko is one of the league’s top goal-scorers. Over a five-year span before this season he tallied 182 goals in 395 games, a total topped by only Alex Ovechkin (236 goals) and John Tavares (183). His pure power and lethal wrist shot have made him one of the most feared players in the league when the puck is on his stick.

Tarasenko has three years remaining on his current contract which carries a $7.5MM cap hit through the end of the 2022-23 season. He has a full no-trade clause.

Marc Savard Will Not Return To Blues’ Coaching Staff

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The St. Louis Blues will be looking for a new assistant coach, announcing today that Marc Savard will not return to the team for next season. Savard will instead return to Ontario to be with his family after just one season behind the bench. Blues GM Doug Armstrong released a statement on the move:

Marc has decided to step away and will not coach in the National Hockey League in 2020-21. I want to thank Marc for his work with our coaches and players during his time in St. Louis and wish him nothing but the best.

Savard, 43, joined the Blues a little over a year ago as a powerplay coach and helped St. Louis to the third-best success rate with the man-advantage this season. A dynamic playmaker during his career, Savard was forced from the NHL due to chronic concussion issues in 2011 after scoring 706 points in 807 games.

This was his first stint as an NHL coach, but perhaps Savard will return down the road at some point.

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