Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced the club has signed forward Klim Kostin to a three-year entry-level contract. Kostin, 18, was drafted 31st overall by the Blues at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The 6'3, 196-pound forward spent 2016-17 playing professionally in Russia, including an eight-game stint with the Kontinental Hockey League's (KHL) Dynamo Moskva. In 2015-16, Kostin tallied 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 30 games with HK MVD Balashikha. Internationally, the Penza, Russia, native captained Team Russia at both the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2016 U-18 World Junior Championships. At the 2015 Hockey Challenge, Kostin posted five points (two goals, three assists) in six tournament games, leading Russia to the silver medal.
Brayden Schenn is headed to the St. Louis Blues. The 25-year-old center became a Blue on after general manager Doug Armstrong dealt Jori Lehtera, the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft and a conditional draft choice in 2018.
"We're certainly excited to have Brayden join the group," Armstrong said. :He's got a three-year contract, the last couple years have been his best years and we think he's entering the prime of his career. He's a multi-use player, he can play all three positions and we'll probably start him out at center. He's certainly a guy we can use in the Top 6 and certainly could help our power play. He's a guy we're excited to have."
Schenn played in 79 games for the Flyers last season, scoring 25 goals and 30 assists (55 points). He has scored 20 or more goals in three of the last four seasons and has posted 55 points or more in back-to-back seasons. Schenn was a big catalyst for the Flyers on the power-play last season, scoring 17 of his 25 goals with the man-advantage.
"He's got huge character," Armstrong said. "That was one of the things that attracted us to him. I know people that have worked with him with the Flyers - Craig Berube has worked with him - then I also know people that have worked with him in Hockey Canada. One thing that always comes back is he's a team-first guy. We lost a lot of character in another trade today, and I'm not sure we would have (traded Ryan Reaves) without knowing Schenn was coming back."
In 433 career NHL regular season games, Schenn has scored 109 goals and 139 assists (248 points). Shortly after acquiring Schenn, the Blues also acquired center Oskar Sundqvist and the 31st overall pick in the draft from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Reaves and the 51st overall pick.
After trading one of their first-round picks (No. 27) to the Philadelphia Flyers in a deal that brought center Brayden Schenn to St. Louis, the Blues acquired another one by making a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blues acquired 23-year-old center Oskar Sundqvist, along with the 31st overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, in exchange for forward Ryan Reaves and their second-round pick (No. 51 overall).
"Working with Ryan from the Peoria days and watching him come up, and mature on and off the ice... that was a real difficult one for me personally," Armstrong said. "Getting the opportunity to get pick 31, get a player that we were excited to have, plus another young center ice man… just made it to the point where we had to do it."
Sundqvist made his NHL debut with the Penguins in the 2015-16 season and has played in 18 games for Pittsburgh, registering one goal and three assists. A native of Boden, Sweden, Sundqvist was a third-round pick of Pittsburgh back in 2012. In 63 games with the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton in the American Hockey League, he registered 20 goals and 26 assists (46 points). At 6-foot-3, Sundqvist will give the Blues plenty of size down the middle.
The Blues made six selections overall at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, including forwards Robert Thomas (20th), Klim Kostin (31st), and Alexey Toropchenko (113th), as well as defensemen David Noel (130th), Trenton Bourque (175th), and Anton Andersson (206th). Thomas, 17, played his second season with the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) London Knights in 2016-17. The 6'0, 188-pound forward ranked third on the club with 66 points (16 goals, 50 assists) in 66 regular season games. Thomas also appeared in 14 postseason games, ranking second on the team with 12 points (three goals, nine assists). In 2015-16, his OHL rookie campaign, Thomas logged 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 40 regular season games and five points (one goal, four assists) in 15 postseason games, helping the Knights win both the OHL Championship and the CHL Memorial Cup. Internationally, the Aurora, Ontario, native led Team Canada White to the gold medal at the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Thomas was ranked 22nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Kostin, 18, spent 2016-17 playing professionally in Russia, including an eight-game stint with the Kontinental Hockey League's (KHL) Dynamo Moskva. In 2015-16, the 6'3, 196-pound forward tallied 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 30 games with HK MVD Balashikha. The Penza, Russia, native also captained Team Russia at both the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2016 U-18 World Junior Championships. At the 2015 Hockey Challenge, Kostin posted five points (two goals, three assists) in six tournament games, leading Russia to the silver medal. Kostin was ranked first among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Toropchenko, 17, spent the majority of the 2016-17 season as an assistant captain with HK MVD Balashikha in Russia's junior league. The 6'3, 187-pound forward collected 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) and 50 penalty minutes in 45 regular season games, earning a selection to the league's All-Star Game. The Moscow, Russia, native also posted two assists in seven games with Team Russia at the 2017 U-18 World Junior Championships, helping the club earn the bronze medal. In 2015-16, Toropchenko recorded 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 30 regular season games with Dynamo Moscow's U-17 club. He was also a teammate of Kostin on HK MVD Balashikha, tallying three points (one goal, two assists) in 21 regular season games. Toropchenko was ranked 21st among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Noel, 18, split last season between Chicoutimi and Val-d'Or of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The 6'1, 172-pound defenseman tallied 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) and six penalty minutes in 29 regular season games with Val-d'Or, as well as 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) and 23 penalty minutes in 36 regular season games with Chicoutimi. Noel also made 10 playoff appearances with Val-d'Or, recording eight points (two goals, six assists). Internationally, the Quebec native represented Canada at the 2017 U-18 World Junior Championships, dressing in four tournament games. Noel was ranked 136th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Bourque, 19, dressed in 67 games with the OHL's Owen Sound Attack last season, tallying 11 assists and 36 penalty minutes. The 6'2, 201-pound defenseman also appeared in 17 postseason games, recording two assists and 10 penalty minutes. The Burlington, Ontario, native has spent the past three seasons in the OHL, including stints with Owen Sound and the Sudbury Wolves. Overall, Bourque has accumulated 20 assists and 78 penalty minutes in 153 career OHL regular season games. He was ranked 154th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Andersson, 18, split last season between Lulea's U-20 and U-18 clubs in the Swedish junior leagues. The 6'4, 216-pound defenseman posted three points (two goals, one assist) in 13 games with the U-20 team, as well as 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 19 games with the U-18 club. In 2015-16, Andersson dressed in 24 games with the U-18 team, recording12 points (four goals, eight assists).
The Blues extended qualifying offers to five of its restricted free agents. Colton Parayko, Magnus Paajarvi, Oskar Sundqvist, Petteri Lindbohm and Jordan Binnington each received qualifying offers from the team. Teams must extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents to retain their negotiating rights - without an offer, the players would become unrestricted free agents on July 1. In addition, the Blues also re-signed forward Wade Megan to a one-year, two-way contract.
Parayko, 24, appeared in 81 regular season games for the Blues last season, posting a career-high 35 points (four goals, 31 assists), as well as 32 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-6, 226-pound defenseman has collected 68 points (13 goals, 55 assists), 61 penalty minutes, and a plus-35 rating in 160 career NHL regular season games across two seasons. The St. Albert, Alberta, native was originally drafted by the Blues in the third round (86th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Paajarvi, 26, recorded 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 32 regular season games with the Blues and 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 26 regular season games with the Wolves in 2016-17. In addition, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound forward tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in eight postseason games with the Blues. Overall, the Norrkopoing, Sweden, native has amassed 93 points (43 goals, 50 assists) and 60 penalty minutes in 308 career NHL regular season games. Paajarvi was originally acquired by the Blues via trade from the Edmonton Oilers on July 10, 2013.
Sundqvist, 23, was acquired by the Blues along with a first-round pick from Pittsburgh at the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago. The Boden, Sweden native has registered one goal and three assists in 28 career regular season games.
Lindbohm, 23, dressed in 52 regular season games for the Wolves last season, tallying 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) and 54 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman also dressed in seven regular-season games for the Blues, serving four penalty minutes. Drafted by the Blues in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Helsinki, Finland native has posted three points (two goals, one assist) in 40 career NHL regular season games and 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 148 career AHL regular season games.
Binnington, 23, posted a 16-7-3 record along with a .911 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average with the Wolves in 2016-17. The 6-foot-2, 177-pound goaltender also made two postseason appearances, logging a 1.86 goals-against average and a .950 save-percentage. The Richmond Hill, Ontario native made his NHL debut on Jan. 14, 2016 vs. Carolina, making three saves in 13 minutes of play. Drafted by the Blues in the third round (88th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Binnington has compiled a 59-41-12 record in 120 career AHL appearances.
Megan, 26, appeared in 73 regular season games for the American Hockey League's (AHL) Chicago Wolves last season, leading the league overall with 33 goals and slotting fourth overall with 66 points. For his efforts, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward was named to the AHL's First All-Star Team. The Canton, New York, native also made his NHL debut with the Blues on Dec. 22 in Tampa Bay, scoring his first career goal on his first career shot. Overall, Megan has appeared in 263 career AHL games, amassing 120 points (67 goals, 53 assists) and 172 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Patrik Berglund had successful surgery in June to repair a dislocated left shoulder he sustained during his offseason training program in Sweden. Berglund is expected to be sidelined until December.
"It certainly will move someone else in the middle," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "Right now you can go with (Paul) Stastny, (Brayden) Schenn or have the option to go to (Vladimir) Sobotka back in there. (Ivan) Barbashev has played there, the young player we got from Pittsburgh - Oskar Sundqvist - he can play in there. There are some internal options and we'll explore those."
Armstrong also said he could evaluate free agency on July 1.
"We're always looking to see if we can get creative maybe," he said. "We're talking to some potential free agents, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up that there will be a lot of change to this roster."
Berglund's surgery was performed by Blues Orthopedic Surgeons Dr. Rick Wright, Dr. Matt Matava and Dr. Matthew Smith at the Washington University Orthopedic Center. Last season, Berglund posted a career high in goals (23) and finished with 34 points in 82 games played. For his career, the 29-year-old Vasteras, Sweden native has played in 637 regular-season games, scoring 151 goals and 145 assists (296 points).
Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the Blues have re-signed defenseman Chris Butler to a two-year, two-way contract. Butler, 30, appeared in 72 regular season games for the American Hockey League's (AHL) Chicago Wolves in 2016-17, recording 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) and 46 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 196-pound defenseman also tallied six points (one goal, five assists) and four penalty minutes in nine postseason games. A native of St. Louis, Butler has dressed in 388 career NHL regular season games, amassing 84 points (13 goals, 71 assists) and 185 penalty minutes.
Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the Blues have re-signed forward Magnus Paajarvi to a one-year, one-way contract worth $800,000. Paajarvi, 26, split last season between the Blues and the American Hockey League's (AHL) Chicago Wolves. With St. Louis, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward dressed in 32 regular season games, posting 13 points (eight goals, five assists) and six penalty minutes. Paajarvi also tallied three points (one goal, two assists) and two penalty minutes in eight postseason games. Overall, the Norrkoping, Sweden, native has appeared in 308 career NHL regular season games, collecting 93 points (43 goals, 50 assists) and 60 penalty minutes. Paajarvi was originally acquired by the Blues via trade from the Edmonton Oilers on July 10, 2013.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong signed two unrestricted free agents and one restricted free agent to new contracts shortly after NHL free agency opened. Unrestricted free agent forward Chris Thorburn will join the Blues after signing a two-year deal worth $1.8 million. In addition, unrestricted free agent forward Beau Bennett will also join the club on a one-year deal worth $650,000.
Oskar Sundqvist, a restricted free agent who the Blues acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins last week along with a first-round draft pick, has agreed to a one-year deal worth $650,000.
Thorburn, 34, brings plenty of grit, heart, toughness and a crash-and-bang style of play along with him. He also never shies away from a good scrap or when one of his teammates needs defending.
"We brought in Chris Thorburn to solidify our bottom-six group after losing Ryan Reaves," Armstrong said in an exclusive interview for stlouisblues.com on Saturday. "Our research says he has unbelievable character... When you have your teammates' backs all the time like Thorburn, you gain that instant respect. He's a big man - about 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds. He's a good fit for what we needed."
Thorburn has played in 12 NHL seasons - 10 of which were spent with the Winnipeg Jets franchise. Last season, he played in 64 games, scoring four points (three goals and one assist) to go along with 95 minutes. In a career that has spanned 750 regular season games, he has 127 points (52 goals, 75 assists) and 908 penalty minutes.
Bennett, 25, is a solid bottom-six forward that is coming off the most productive season of his career with the New Jersey Devils. Bennett posted career highs in goals (8), assists (11) and points (19) in 2016-17. A former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins (No. 20 overall), the 6-foot-2, 195-pound forward helped Pittsburgh capture a Stanley Cup championship in 2016. In 194 career regular season games, Bennett has scored 24 goals and 40 assists (64 points).
"When I look at our depth right now, we're giving a lot of younger players a lot of opportunity," Armstrong said of Bennett. "Underneath that, the players that will be in the American Hockey League have very minimal to no NHL experience. We want to make sure - as injuries are part of the game - that we have some experienced players that can help us out as necessary."
Sundqvist, 23, appeared in 63 regular season games for Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the American Hockey League last season, finishing third on the club with 20 goals and 46 points overall. He dressed in 10 regular season games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, registering two penalty minutes. Overall, the Boden, Sweden native has played in 28 career regular season games, recording four points (one goal, three assists).
"We're hoping, with the (Patrik) Berglund injury, he can step right in and get a good look at that third-line center spot," Armstrong said of Sundqvist. "If not, he'll certainly be in our group of 14 to start the season. Like a lot of guys, they have to push and prod to find a spot on our roster.
"His offense came last year in the American Hockey League, and he's another big man," Armstrong added. "Very detail oriented, which we like - a 200-foot player. We hope the offense transfers from what he did in the American League to the NHL, but right now we just want to get him in here and become a dependable player for us."
The Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced that defenseman Colton Parayko has elected for salary arbitration. Parayko elected salary arbitration under section 12.2 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). His hearing will take place between July 20 and August 4. In the meantime, Armstrong and the Blues will continue to work on a long-term contract extension for Parayko. All arbitration hearings are decided by a neutral third party within 48 hours of the beginning of the case. Parayko, 24, collected 35 points, including four goals and 31 assists, in 81 regular season games last season. The 6'6, 226-pound blueliner also produced five points, including two goals and three assists, in 11 postseason games.
Colton Parayko isn't going anywhere. Just minutes before an arbitration hearing was supposed to begin on Thursday, the 24-year-old defenseman reached an agreement on a new five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Blues that will keep him in St. Louis through the 2021-22 season.
"I'm beyond excited to reach a new long-term deal to stay in St. Louis," Parayko told stlouisblues.com. "St. Louis has become my home, and this is where I want to be. I'm looking forward to the next five years and can't wait to get back on the ice in September."
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said his top offseason priority was to reach a new deal with Parayko, who in just two seasons has become one of the Blues' most consistent and reliable defensemen. Now, that deal is done.
"With Parayko and Alex (Pietrangelo), (Joel) Edmundson and (Jay Bouwmeester), our top-four is solidified," Armstrong said. "And I think it can compete against any top-four in the League.
"There's a saying that an NHL defenseman doesn't really define himself until about 250 or 300 games," Armstrong added. "He's around 160, so there's still some growth there, some definition going into his game, but he's got all the tools to be a very good player over time, and we're very excited to have him part of our group."
Last season, Parayko played in 81 regular season games, posting a career-high in points with 35 (four goals, 31 assists). For his career, the 6-foot-6, 226-pound defenseman has collected 68 points (13 goals and 55 assists) and a plus-35 rating in 160 regular season games.
"I think we knew we had a special player with what we saw last year," Armstrong said of Parayko's rookie season. "The World Cup of Hockey brought him more national attention…and the World Championships, he went over there and became a big player for Team Canada immediately. It shows that in his age bracket, he's one of the better players."
In 31 playoff appearances, Parayko has four goals, eight assists and a plus-7 rating. A native of St. Albert, Alberta, Parayko was originally drafted by the Blues in the third round (86th overall) in 2012.
"Playing in St. Louis, in front of all those fans who support us on and off the ice - there's no better place to be."
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