Steen Named Player Personnel Consultant For Sweden's Olympic Team
- Sweden’s hockey federation revealed today that future Blues GM Alex Steen has been named as a Player Personnel Consultant for their entry into next year’s Olympics. Steen will be taking over for Doug Armstrong as GM in St. Louis after this season. Meanwhile, Blackhawks assistant coach Anders Sorensen will have that title for the Swedes in that tournament while Panthers assistant Myles Fee will serve as their video coach.
Alex Steen Named To Sweden Management For 2026 Olympics
- The St. Louis Blues announced that special assistant to GM Doug Armstrong (and future GM) Alex Steen has been named to the management team of Sweden in advance of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy. According to a press release, Steen “will assist with scouting and roster selection” for his native Sweden. The move is notable in part due to the fact that Steen’s boss, Blues GM Doug Armstrong, has long been the top management figure for Hockey Canada’s men’s teams and will continue in that role for the 2026 Olympics. Sweden is among the top contenders to win a gold medal at the upcoming Olympics, alongside Canada and the United States.
Erik Johnson Announces Retirement
The former first-overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft has hung up his skates after 17 seasons in the NHL. According to an announcement from the Colorado Avalanche, defenseman Erik Johnson has retired.
Although the Bloomington, MN native spent much of his career in Denver, that’s not where it began. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2006 and joined the team for the 2007-08 season after one year at the University of Minnesota.
Despite finishing 12th in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy, Johnson had a quality first year in St. Louis, scoring five goals and 33 points in 69 games, averaging 18:11 of ice time per game. It became clear that the Blues could confidently play Johnson in their top four, but his development and role with the team changed significantly the following season. Just three days into training camp, the following season, it was revealed that Johnson tore his ACL and MCL, costing him the entire 2008-09 season.
Still, the then-21-year-old returned for his junior season, scoring 10 goals and 39 points in 79 games, averaging 21:22 of ice time per game. Unfortunately, the Blues failed to make the postseason due to a lack of scoring from their top six, after qualifying the year before. Regardless, the team extended Johnson to a two-year, $5.2MM pact, as well as making him one of the team’s assistant captains for the 2010-11 campaign.
Another knee injury would cost him the rest of his tenure in St. Louis. The Blues traded Johnson to the Avalanche in mid-February, with Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk being the two main pieces going back to St. Louis. He would not wear another jersey for the next 13 years.
From the 2010-11 season to the 2022-23 campaign, Johnson was a mainstay on the Avalanche’s blue line. Even through some truly punishing seasons in Denver, Johnson stuck it out, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2022.
He didn’t add much on the offensive side of the puck with Colorado, scoring 65 goals and 236 points in 695 games from 2011 to 2023. Still, he was more than effective on the defensive side of the puck, averaging a 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per night.
As his usage decreased through the latter part of his career with the Avalanche, Johnson opted to leave as a free agent following the 2022-23 campaign, signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres. He was subsequently traded to the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2023-24 deadline, sticking around until the 2024-25 deadline when he was moved back to Colorado.
Throughout his 17-year career, Johnson finished with 95 goals and 348 points in 1,023 games played, with an additional five goals and 13 points in 58 postseason contests. Outside of having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, Johnson also owns an Olympic Silver Medal from the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
In the announcement from the Avalanche, Johnson wrote, “To the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and most of all the Colorado Avalanche: thank you for the opportunities and memories, especially the 2022 Stanley Cup. To my teammates, coaches, and staff: your support, camaraderie, and dedication shaped my career. To the fans: your passion made every moment unforgettable. To my family and friends: your unconditional love and support carried me through. Hockey has been my life, and I’m grateful for every second. I’m excited for what’s next and will always cherish this journey.”
We at PHR congratulate Johnson on an incredible career and wish him the best in his next chapter.
Photo courtesy of Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/28/25
The countdown to the NHL season has reached single-digits. Teams will kickoff in just nine days, with the preseason set to last just six more days. That will put the pressure on every team to begin finalize their opening night roster – and quickly expand the list of exciting names on the waiver wire. Each team’s current roster can be found at our Training Camp Roster Tracker. Here is the list of today’s cuts:
Anaheim Ducks (per team announcement)
F Justin Bailey (to AHL San Diego)
D Jeremie Biakabutuka (to AHL San Diego)
D Nikolas Brouillard (to AHL San Diego)
G Vyacheslav Buteyets (to AHL San Diego)
F Judd Caulfield (to AHL San Diego)
G Calle Clang (to AHL San Diego)
F Nathan Gaucher (to AHL San Diego)
F Nico Myatovic (to AHL San Diego)
F Sasha Pastujov (to AHL San Diego)
F Matthew Phillips (to AHL San Diego)
F Yegor Sidorov (to AHL San Diego)
D Konnor Smith (to AHL San Diego)
G Tomas Suchanek (to AHL San Diego)
D Noah Warren (to AHL San Diego)
F Jaxsen Wiebe (to AHL San Diego)
C Jan Mysak (placed on waivers with intent to reassign to AHL San Diego)
Boston Bruins (per team announcement)
F Joey Abate (to AHL Providence)
G Luke Cavallin (to AHL Providence)
F Ty Cheveldayoff (to AHL Providence)
D Jackson Edward (to AHL Providence)
D Colin Felix (to AHL Providence)
D Ty Gallagher (to AHL Providence)
D Loke Johansson (to AHL Providence)
F Jake Schmaltz (to AHL Providence)
D Max Wanner (to AHL Providence)
G Simon Zajicek (to AHL Providence)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team announcement)
G Amir Miftakhov (to AHL Chicago)
G Ruslan Khazheyev (to AHL Chicago)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team announcement)
G Stanislav Berezhnoy (to AHL Rockford)
F Jackson Cates (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)
F Gavin Hayes (to AHL Rockford)
F Martin Misiak (to AHL Rockford)
Colorado Avalanche (per team announcement)
D Ronnie Attard (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Colorado)
F Chase Bradley (to AHL Colorado)
D Alex Gagne (to AHL Colorado)
F Cooper Gay (to AHL Colorado)
G Kyle Keyser (to AHL Colorado)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team announcement)
F Luca Del Bel Belluz (to AHL Cleveland)
F James Malatesta (to AHL Cleveland)
F Max McCue (to AHL Cleveland)
F Luca Pinelli (to AHL Cleveland)
D Corson Ceulemans (to AHL Cleveland)
D Stanislav Svozil (to AHL Cleveland)
G Nolan Lalonde (to AHL Cleveland)
F Hudson Fasching (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Cleveland)
F Brendan Gaunce (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Cleveland)
F Mikael Pyyhtia (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Cleveland)
F Oiva Keskinen (to Tappara, Liiga)
D Brendan Smith (released from PTO)
Dallas Stars (per team announcement)
F Francesco Arcuri (to AHL Texas)
D Tristan Bertucci (to AHL Texas)
F Justin Ertel (to AHL Texas)
F Emil Hemming (to AHL Texas)
G Ben Kraws (to AHL Texas)
D Christian Kyrou (to AHL Texas)
F Ayrton Martino (to AHL Texas)
F Angus MacDonnell (to AHL Texas)
D Connor Punnett (to AHL Texas)
F Harrison Scott (to AHL Texas)
F Matthew Seminoff (to AHL Texas)
D Trey Taylor (to AHL Texas)
G Arno Tiefensee (to AHL Texas)
D Gavin White (to AHL Texas)
D Tommy Bergsland (released from ATO to AHL Texas)
F Sean Chisholm (released from ATO to AHL Texas)
D Aidan Hreschuk (released from ATO to AHL Texas)
F Artem Shlaine (released from ATO to AHL Texas)
F Jack Becker (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
G Antoine Bibeau (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
F Cross Hanas (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
D Michael Karow (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
D Kyle Looft (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
F Curtis MacKenzie (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
F Kaleb Pearson (released from PTO to AHL Texas)
Los Angeles Kings (per team announcement)
F Jacob Doty (to AHL Ontario)
F Jack Hughes (to AHL Ontario)
F Kenta Isogai (to AHL Ontario)
Minnesota Wild (per team announcement)
F Bradley Marek (to AHL Iowa)
F Riley Heidt (to AHL Iowa)
D Kyle Masters (to AHL Iowa)
D Jack Peart (to AHL Iowa)
F Elliot Desnoyers (to AHL Iowa)
F Jean-Luc Foudy (to AHL Iowa)
F Mark Liwiski (to AHL Iowa)
F Ryan Sandelin (to AHL Iowa)
D Mike Koster (to AHL Iowa)
D Will Zmolek (to AHL Iowa)
Montreal Canadiens (per team announcement)
F Vincent Arseneau (to AHL Laval)
F Alex Belzile (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Laval)
D Nathan Clurman (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Laval)
F Lucas Condotta (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Laval)
F Laurent Dauphin (to AHL Laval)
F Jared Davidson (to AHL Laval)
D Marc Del Gaizo (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Laval)
F Will Dineen (to AHL Laval)
F Joe Dunlap (to AHL Laval)
F Mark Estapa (to AHL Laval)
F Sean Farrell (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Laval)
G Jacob Fowler (to AHL Laval)
G Benjamin Gaudreau (to AHL Laval)
F Egor Guriunov (to AHL Laval)
D Joshua Jacobs (to AHL Laval)
G Hunter Jones (to AHL Laval)
F Riley Kidney (to AHL Laval)
D Darick Louis-Jean (to AHL Laval)
G Kevin Mandolese (to AHL Laval)
D Charles Martin (to AHL Laval)
F Filip Mesar (to AHL Laval)
F Israel Mianscum (to AHL Laval)
D Ryan O’Rourke (to AHL Laval)
D Tobie Paquette-Bisson (to AHL Laval)
F Vinzenz Rohrer (to Zurich, NL)
F Joshua Roy (to AHL Laval)
F Xavier Simoneau (to AHL Laval)
F Tyler Thorpe (to AHL Laval)
F Luke Tuch (to AHL Laval)
D Wyatte Wylie (to AHL Laval)
San Jose Sharks (per team announcement)
F Carson Wetsch (to WHL Kelowna)
D Haoxi (Simon) Wang (to OHL Oshawa)
St. Louis Blues (per team announcement)
F Nikita Alexandrov (to AHL Springfield)
F Samuel Bitten (to AHL Springfield)
F Hugh McGing (to AHL Springfield)
F Matthew Peca (to AHL Springfield)
F Juraj Pekarcik (to AHL Springfield)
F Dylan Peterson (to AHL Springfield)
F Simon Robertsson (to AHL Springfield)
F Sam Stange (to AHL Springfield)
F Jakub Stancl (to AHL Springfield)
F Nikita Susev (to AHL Springfield)
F Chris Wagner (to AHL Springfield)
D Michael Buchinger (to AHL Springfield)
D Quinton Burns (to AHL Springfield)
D Marc-Andre Gaudet (to AHL Springfield)
D Samuel Johannesson (to AHL Springfield)
D Anthony Kehrer (to AHL Springfield)
G Will Cranley (to AHL Springfield)
G Vadim Zherenko (to AHL Springfield)
F Justin Carbonneau (to QMJHL Blainville)
D Adam Jiricek (to OHL Brantford)
Tampa Bay Lightning (per team announcement)
F Tristan Allard (to AHL Syracuse)
F Cooper Flinton (to AHL Syracuse)
F Brendan Furry (to AHL Syracuse)
F Ethan Gauthier (to AHL Syracuse)
F Niko Huuhtanen (to AHL Syracuse)
F Spencer Kersten (to AHL Syracuse)
F Connor Kurth (to AHL Syracuse)
F Lucas Mercuri (to AHL Syracuse)
F Reece Newkirk (to AHL Syracuse)
F Milo Roelens (to AHL Syracuse)
F Gabriel Szturc (to AHL Syracuse)
D Charle-Edouard D’Astous (to AHL Syracuse)
D Dyllan Gill (to AHL Syracuse)
D Maxim Groshev (to AHL Syracuse)
D Chris Harpur (to AHL Syracuse)
D Tommy Miller (to AHL Syracuse)
D Matteo Petroniro (to AHL Syracuse)
G Harrison Meneghin (to AHL Syracuse)
G Ryan Fanti (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Syracuse)
F Scott Sabourin (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Syracuse)
D Steven Santini (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Syracuse)
D Simon Lundmark (placed on waivers with the intent to reassign to AHL Syracuse)
Toronto Maple Leafs (per team announcement)
F Miroslav Holinka (to WHL Edmonton)
Winnipeg Jets (per announcement from AHL Manitoba)
D Dylan Anhorn (released from PTO to AHL Manitoba)
F Jacob Julien (to AHL Manitoba)
G Isaac Poulter (to AHL Manitoba)
F Fabian Wagner (to AHL Manitoba)
Blues, Cam Fowler Agree To Three Year Extension
A pending free agent, defenseman Cam Fowler has signed a three-year extension with the St. Louis Blues, per team announcement.
Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the deal is set at a $6.1MM AAV, with Jeremy Rutherford of the Athletic adding that it is a flat contract with no variation year-to-year. It will take Fowler through his age 36 season, and comes in above the projected value of $5.4MM, according to AFP Analytics.
Fowler, 33, was acquired last December in exchange for fringe prospect Jérémie Biakabutuka and a 2027 second-round pick, in a deal that was not totally expected given the Blues’ stock of veteran left handed defensemen. However, it proved to be fruitful, as Fowler was a great fit wearing the Note, with 36 points in 51 games, and a +19, filling the void left from Torey Krug and his likely career-ending injury.
After a season in which the Blues exceeded expectations, pushing the President’s Trophy winning Winnipeg Jets to the brink in the first round of the playoffs, change on the blue line has been a point of emphasis. Out went Nick Leddy and Ryan Suter, allowing for a larger role for Philip Broberg, along with the acquisition of promising young defender Logan Mailloux.
Now with Fowler locked up as well, the Blues have built up a formidable core on both ends, which are all signed for the foreseeable future. The veteran offensive defenseman will continue to lead the Blues powerplay attack, and will be leaned on to mentor Broberg, Mailloux, as well as emerging youngster Matthew Kessel and eventually, top prospect Adam Jiricek.
Having fallen into their laps at 12th overall during the 2010 NHL Draft, Fowler quickly became a vital member of the Ducks throughout the 2010s. Making the team right out of camp as a rookie, the smooth-skating defenseman notched 40 points, and never looked back, having never played a game in the AHL. Fowler earned an eight-year extension worth $6.5MM per season in 2017. The Windsor, Ontario native continued to produce through thick and thin for Anaheim for fifteen seasons. Finally after 17 games in the black and orange last season, and with the contract nearing an end, Anaheim made the difficult decision to deal their second-longest tenured player, retaining $2.5MM per year in the process.
Although a slight decrease in annual value, Fowler’s resurgence undoubtedly heightened his value at 33-years-old, and the Blues are surely relieved to reach an agreement on their key defenseman before the season has begun.
Lucic Could Be Back At Practice On Monday
- The Blues expect winger Milan Lucic to be back to full practice on Monday, relays Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’s currently listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, a tough spot to be in for someone who is on a PTO in camp and is trying to make the team. Lucic last played in 2023-24 (where he suited up just four times) and is hoping to land a spot on the fourth line in St. Louis. He’ll need to get some more preseason action under his belt to have a shot at accomplishing that objective.
Waivers: 9/27/25
As training camp cuts continue to occur, there will be an uptick in waiver placements over the next week and a half. Today is a particularly busy day on the wire with PuckPedia reporting that 20 players are now on waivers. Meanwhile, all of yesterday’s players cleared, per PuckPedia.
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Columbus Blue Jackets
D Dysin Mayo
F Hunter McKown
G Zachary Sawchenko
F Owen Sillinger
Colorado Avalanche
F Alex Barre-Boulet
F Tye Felhaber
F Jason Polin
F T.J. Tynan
Edmonton Oilers
D Josh Brown
F James Hamblin
F Roby Jarventie
New York Islanders
St. Louis Blues
F Nikita Alexandrov
F Hugh McGing
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Travis Boyd
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx
F Vinni Lettieri
Vegas Golden Knights
For the most part, this is a group of veteran players who have cleared waivers multiple times in the past and should expect to do so here as well. That said, Lettieri has gotten into 72 NHL games over the last two seasons and could be appealing to a team looking for some extra depth down the middle. Alexandrov didn’t see any action with St. Louis last season but averaged just over a point per game with AHL Springfield last season and has 51 career NHL appearances under his belt. Boyd was a full-time NHL player as recently as 2022-23 and is one game shy of 300 for his career but has settled in as more of an AHL veteran since then.
At this time of year, it’s sometimes the younger players who might garner some attention and there are some on this list who could draw a look. Cormier and Poirier are only 23 and have shown some offensive upside in the past at both the QMJHL and AHL levels. Jarventie was once a prospect with some upside before an injury derailed his 2024-25 campaign but if there’s a team that thinks he has fully recovered, he could garner attention as well.
These players will be on waivers until 1 PM CT on Sunday.
Injury Notes: Eller, Lucic, Zuccarello, Sturm
Lars Eller told reporters today, including Bruce Garrioch of TSN, that he had abdominal surgery last July, from an ailment that had been lingering since last November. Despite the injury, the veteran center managed to skate in 80 regular season games between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, notching 22 points, subsequently earning a one-year, $1.25MM contract with the Ottawa Senators, his fifth NHL club.
As per Garrioch, there is yet to be a decision on when Eller will debut for the Sens, soon to add to his Danish-leading 1,116 career NHL regular season games, but it appears he is on the right track.
Other injury updates from across the NHL:
- St. Louis Blues Head Coach Jim Montgomery told reporters, including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, that Milan Lucic is day-to-day with a groin injury. The former star is vying to extend his career, having missed the 2024-25 season before being signed to a professional tryout from the Blues on August 19, the latest of several past notable players to sign such tryouts with the organization. Lucic was unable to skate today, and as mentioned by Montgomery, the ailment is unfortunate timing as he fights to earn a spot.
- Michael Russo of The Athletic noted a pair of back injuries affecting the Minnesota Wild. 38-year-old star Mats Zuccarello remains sidelined, and per Russo, there is no further update at this time. Previously, it has been raised that surgery is a possibility. Meanwhile, Nico Sturm, who signed a two-year deal to return to the Wild, will be held out for 4-5 days preemptively, due to a back injury sustained in a team scrimmage.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/22/25
Several teams participated in their first or second preseason contest yesterday. The intense camp battles will persist throughout the week, but many teams will also begin making cuts to their rosters. This will involve players who were highly unlikely to make their respective NHL clubs’ opening night roster or those who are just getting a few days of experience in a professional environment. The remaining players can be found on our Training Camp Rosters page.
Calgary Flames (per team announcement)
D Mace’o Phillips (to Green Bay, USHL)
Colorado Avalanche (per team announcement)
F Max Curran (to Edmonton, WHL)
D Linus Funck (to London, OHL)
F Christian Humphreys (to Kitchener, OHL)
Dallas Stars (per team announcement)
D Anthony Cristoforo (released from ATO)
F Brandon Gorzynski (to Calgary, WHL)
D Niilopekka Muhonen (loaned to Medicine Hat, WHL)
F Charlie Paquette (to Guelph, OHL)
F Cameron Schmidt (to Vancouver, WHL)
F Dawson Sharkey (to Newfoundland, QMJHL)
Edmonton Oilers (per team announcement)
F Tommy Lafreniere (to Kamloops, WHL)
F David Lewandowski (to Saskatoon, WHL)
Los Angeles Kings (per team announcement)
F Jan Chovan (to Sudbury, OHL)
F Jimmy Lombardi (to Flint, OHL)
D Nate Corbet (to Kelowna, WHL)
G Carter George (to Owen Sound, OHL)
Minnesota Wild (per team announcement)
F Lirim Amidovski (to North Bay, OHL)
F Adam Benak (to Brantford, OHL)
F Carter Klippenstein (to Brandon, WHL)
F Ryan McGuire (released from PTO)
G William Rousseau (released from PTO)
F Matthew Sop (released from PTO)
D Rowan Topp (released from ATO)
D Jordan Tourigny (released from ATO)
G Chase Wutzke (to Red Deer, WHL)
Nashville Predators (per team announcement)
D Hayden Barch (released from ATO)
F Hiroki Gojsic (to Kelowna, WHL)
D Alex Huang (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
F Alex Kostov (released from ATO)
G Jakub Milota (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
F Viktor Nörringer (to Muskegon, USHL)
New York Islanders (per team announcement)
G Burke Hood (to Vancouver, WHL)
F Tomas Poletin (to Kelowna, WHL)
F Luca Romano (to Kitchener, OHL)
San Jose Sharks (per team announcement)
F Max Heise (to Prince Albert, WHL)
F Teddy Mutryn (to Moncton, QMJHL)
D Jack Bar (released from tryout)
D John Gormley (to San Jose, AHL)
D Artem Guryev (to San Jose, AHL)
G Joshua Ravensbergen (to Prince George, WHL)
G Christian Kirsch (to Kitchener, OHL)
Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)
D Alexis Bernier (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
D Jakub Fibigr (to Brampton, OHL)
D Blake Fiddler (to Edmonton, WHL)
F Julius Miettinen (to Everett, WHL)
F Jake O’Brien (to Brantford, OHL)
D Will Reynolds (to Newfoundland, QMJHL)
St. Louis Blues (per team announcement)
F Antoine Dorion (to Quebec, QMJHL)
D Lukas Fischer (to Sarnia, OHL)
F Adam Jecho (to Edmonton, WHL)
G Matthew Koprowski (released from ATO)
D William McIsaac (to Spokane, WHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team announcement)
D Peteris Bulans (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
D Mazden Leslie (to Kelowna, WHL)
G Jordan Papirny (to Henderson, AHL)
F Mateo Nobert (to Blainville, QMJHL)
D Bronson Ride (to North Bay, OHL)
D Carter Sotheran (to Portland, WHL)
F Andreas Straka (to Quebec, QMJHL)
F Alex Weiermair (to Portland, WHL)
Winnipeg Jets (per NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton)
F Jacob Cloutier (to Saginaw, OHL)
D Edison Engle (to Brantford, OHL)
D Ethan Frisch (released from PTO)
F Kevin He (to Niagara, OHL)
F Owen Martin (to Spokane, WHL)
G Alex Worthington (released from PTO)
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Latest On Blues Training Camp Forward Competition
Out of that group, the clear “odd one out” appears to be Lucic, who is playing in camp on a PTO. According to Rutherford, the Blues believe Lucic could help in a few specific areas they’d like to improve, namely “physicality and sticking up for teammates.” But Rutherford reports that Lucic’s start to camp has been “nondescript” and that those areas where he can make his mark aren’t really things that factor into a practice setting. With just four NHL games played since 2022-23, Lucic faces a steep uphill battle to win a roster spot, especially since Rutherford noted that two of his main competitors, Joseph and Texier, were “two of the more noticeable forwards” in the early portion of camp in St. Louis.