2017–18 St. Louis Blues season
| 2017–18 St. Louis Blues | |
|---|---|
| 2017–18 record | 0–0–0 |
| Home record | 0–0–0 |
| Road record | 0–0–0 |
| Goals for | 0 |
| Goals against | 0 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Doug Armstrong |
| Coach | Mike Yeo |
| Captain | Alex Pietrangelo |
| Alternate captains |
Paul Stastny Alexander Steen Vladimir Tarasenko |
| Arena | Scottrade Center |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Tulsa Oilers (ECHL) |
The 2017–18 St. Louis Blues season will be the 51st season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 5, 1967.[1]
Off-season
The Blues made a decision to change the goalie coach on May 9, 2017, allowing Martin Brodeur to concentrate on his front office duties. Brodeur will lead the search for a new goalie coach.[2]
All the other assistant coaches were let go on May 16. St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced that Ray Bennett, Steve Thomas, Rick Wilson and Ty Conklin will not return to the Blues' coaching staff next season.[3]
Doug Armstrong announced on May 16 that the Blues had ended their minor league affiliation with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. The Wolves then became the first affiliate of the NHL expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Blues would partner with the Golden Knights in sending prospects to the Wolves.[4] The Blues will continue to look into having their own affiliate for the 2018–19 season.[5]
Doug Armstrong announced on May 24, that Darryl Sydor, 45, has been named assistant coach, signing a three-year contract. He spent last season as an assistant with the American Hockey League's (AHL) Chicago Wolves, helping the club finish first in the Central Division in the regular season and reach the second round of the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs. Prior to that one season, he served as an assistant on Blues Head Coach Mike Yeo's staff during his five-season stint with the Minnesota Wild. Before beginning his coaching career, Sydor, the seventh overall draft pick to the Los Angeles Kings in 1990, appeared in 1,291 NHL regular season games across 18 seasons. The Edmonton, Alberta native played his final NHL season in St. Louis in 2009-2010.[6]
On May 25, GM Armstrong announced that former Blues' player Steve Ott, 34, was signed for three years as an assistant coach.[7]
On June 2, GM Armstrong announced that recently (Oct. 2016) retired Blues' defenseman Barret Jackman, 36, signed as their new development coach. Jackman said that as the team's development coach, he would primarily be working with prospects and draft picks, whether they're playing at the college, junior or American Hockey League Level. He was drafted by the Blues in the first round (17th overall) in 1999, ranks second on the club's all-time games played list with 803 games, trailing only Bernie Federko with 927.[8]
On June 15, GM Armstrong finished his coaching changes, hiring Craig Berube, 51, as associate coach, Daniel Tkaczuk, 38, as an assistant / skills coach, and David Alexander, 35, as the team's goalie coach.[9] The collection of Yeo (43), Berube (51), Sydor (45), Tkaczuk (38), Ott (34), and Alexander (35) completes a youthful coaching staff, a shift from last year's staff which included Rick Wilson (66), Ray Bennett (55), and Steve Thomas (53). Berube increases the average age of the staff and adds to the experience. He was behind Philadelphia's bench for two seasons as its head coach (2013-15), after spending parts of seven as an assistant. He also played 1,054 games in the league, with Philadelphia, Washington, Calgary, Toronto and the New York Islanders. He took over the Blues' American Hockey League affiliate last season. In one year, he led the Chicago Wolves to a record of 44-19-13 for 101 points, a 27-point improvement over 2015-16. Tkaczuk was the sixth overall pick of the Calgary Flames in 1997, but the center played just 19 games in the NHL. His pro career ended in 2011, and he began coaching in the Ontario Hockey League beginning in 2012. All three coaches were popular with the minor-league players in Chicago last season, particularly Berube. Alexander's hiring was welcome news to Allen, as both are natives of New Brunswick, and met when the Blues goalie was just 14.[10]
The Blues lost David Perron (LW) in the expansion draft for the new Vegas Golden Knights team on June 21. An established team could only lose one unprotected player during the draft to an expansion team.[11] The Blues released their list of seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie, but Perron was not protected. All first and second-year professional players were exempt from the expansion draft, so players such as Robby Fabbri and Colton Parayko, who just completed their second seasons, did not have to be protected and did not count towards the Blues' protected list.[12]
Patrik Berglund (C) had successful shoulder surgery on June 27, to repair his left shoulder he dislocated during a training session in Sweden. He is expected to be out until sometime in December. 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).[13]
Roster
St. Louis Blues team information, 2017-18
Update as of July 20, 2017.[14]
Transactions
The Blues has been involved in the following transactions:
Trades
| Date | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| June 23, 2017 | To Philadelphia Flyers Jori Lehtera (C) 27th overall pick in 1st-round in 2017 Conditional pick in 2018 |
To St. Louis Blues Brayden Schenn (C) |
[15] |
| June 23, 2017 | To Pittsburgh Penguins Ryan Reaves (RW) 51st overall pick in 2nd-round in 2017 |
To St. Louis Blues Oskar Sundqvist (C) 31st overall pick in 1st-round in 2017 |
[16] |
Free agents acquired
|
Free agents lost
|
Claimed via waivers
|
Lost via waivers or expansion draft
|
Lost via retirement
|
Player signings
|
Draft picks
Below are the St. Louis Blues' selections at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, to be held on June 23–24, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago.
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team (League) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Robert Thomas, 17 | C |  Canada |
London Knights (OHL) |
| 1 | 31[a] | Klim Kostin, 18 | RW |  Russia |
Dynamo Moscow (KHL) |
| 4 | 113 | Alexei Toropchenko | RW | Russia |
HK MVD Balashikha (MHL) |
| 5 | 130[b] | David Noel | D | Canada |
Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) |
| 6 | 175 | Trenton Bourque | D | Canada |
Owen Sound Attack (OHL) |
| 7 | 206 | Anton Andersson | D |  Sweden |
Lulea HF (J20 SuperElit) |
- Notes
- [a] The Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick went to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on June 23, 2017, that sent Ryan Reaves and a second-round pick in 2017 (51st overall) to Pittsburgh in exchange for Oskar Sundqvist and this pick.[35]
- The St. Louis Blues' second-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the result of a trade on June 23, 2017, that sent Oskar Sundqvist and a first-round pick in 2017 (31st overall) to St. Louis in exchange for Ryan Reaves and this pick.[35]
- The St. Louis Blues’ third-round pick went to the Arizona Coyotes as the result of a trade on June 24, 2017, that sent Calgary's third-round pick in 2017 (78th overall) to Edmonton in exchange for Vancouver's fifth-round pick in 2017 (126th overall) and this pick.[36]
- Edmonton previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on October 7, 2016, that sent Nail Yakupov to St. Louis in exchange for Zach Pochiro and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[37] The condition – Edmonton will receive a third-round pick in 2017 if Yakupov scores 14 or fewer goals in the 2016–17 season[37] – was converted on April 9, 2017, when Yakupov finished the season with 3 goals.
- [b] The Buffalo Sabres' fifth-round pick went to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on July 2, 2016, that sent Anders Nilsson to Buffalo in exchange for this pick.[38]
- The St. Louis Blues' fifth-round pick went to the Chicago Blackhawks as the result of a trade on June 25, 2016, that sent a Florida's fifth-round pick in 2016 to St. Louis in exchange for this pick.[39]
References
- ↑ National Hockey League (2013). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2014. Diamond Sports Data, Inc. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-894801-26-3.
- ↑ "Brodeur to lead search for new goalie coach". NHL.com. May 10, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues announce changes to coaching staff". NHL.com. May 16, 2017.
- ↑ "Armstrong statement on AHL affiliation". NHL.com. May 16, 2017.
- ↑ "5 things to know about the Blues' AHL arrangement". NHL.com. May 16, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues Name Sydor Assistant Coach". NHL.com. May 24, 2017.
- ↑ "Steve Ott returns as Assistant Coach". NHL.com. May 25, 2017.
- ↑ "Jackman rejoins Blues as development coach". NHL.com. June 2, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues add three to coaching staff". NHL.com. June 15, 2017.
- ↑ "Berube named Blues' associate coach; new goalie coach 'perfect match' for Allen". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 15, 2017.
- ↑ "Confirmed: Blues lose Perron to Vegas in expansion draft". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 21, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues release protected list for expansion draft". NHL.com. June 18, 2017.
- ↑ "Berglund undergoes successful surgery on left shoulder". NHL.com. June 28, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues Roster". St. Louis Blues. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues acquire Schenn from Flyers". NHL.com. June 23, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues acquire Sundqvist, pick from Penguins". NHL.com. June 23, 2017.
- 1 2 "Blues sign 3 players at start of free agency". nhl.com. July 1, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues sign Prosser to two-year, two-way deal". nhl.com. August 8, 2017.
- ↑ "Ellis to play in Sweden". JournalPioneer.com. June 1, 2017.
- ↑ "SIGNED: DOTY LOOKING TO BRING PHYSICAL ASPECT". BraeheadClan.com. June 28, 2017.
- ↑ "Bruins Bolster Depth with Three Signings on First Day of Free Agency". nhl.com. July 1, 2017.
- ↑ "Avalanche Signs Agozzino, Warsofsky, Cannata". nhl.com. July 1, 2017.
- ↑ "PRESS RELEASE: Oilers sign seven". NHL. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ↑ "Wild Agrees to Terms with Forwards Ferraro, O'Reilly". nhl.com. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ↑ "Oilers sign Malone". NHL. July 3, 2017.
- ↑ "Avalanche Signs Nail Yakupov". NHL. July 4, 2017.
- ↑ "Syracuse Crunch sign defenseman Reid McNeill to AHL contract". Syracuse Crunch. July 20, 2017.
- ↑ "Golden Knights select Perron in expansion draft". NHL.com. June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues sign Wade Megan to two-way deal". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues sign Butler to two-year, two-way deal". NHL.com. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ↑ "Blues sign Paajarvi to one-year deal". nhl.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ↑ "St. Louis Blues sign Oskar Sundqvist to one-year deal". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ↑ "Kostin Signs Three Year, Entry-Level Contract". nhl.com. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ↑ "Parayko agrees to five-year, $27.5 million deal". nhl.com. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- 1 2 "Ryan Reaves traded to Penguins by Blues". June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ↑ "Coyotes Add Eight Players to Mix on Draft's Second Day". June 24, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- 1 2 Korac, Louie (October 7, 2016). "Nail Yakupov traded to Blues by Oilers". Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Sabres acquire G Nilsson from Blues for pick". July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Blackhawks select nine players at 2016 NHL Draft". June 25, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.