Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Blues reveal roster for Traverse City

Thompson, Kostin, Walman, Kyrou 
headline group of prospects to play Sept. 8-12

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues annunced their roster on Tuesday for the 2017 NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Mich., which will take place Sept. 8-12.

Among some of the highlighted players include forwards Tage Thompson, Jordan Kyrou and Klim Kostin. Defenseman Jake Walman will anchor the blue line.

The Blues are part of an eight-team field that will find them in the Ted Lindsay Division with Columbus, Dallas and Minnesota. The Gordie Howe Division will consist of Carolina, Chicago, Detroit and the New York Rangers.

The Blues will play on Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. against the Wild, Sept. 9 against the Stars at 6 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. against the Blue Jackets.

The tournament will conclude on Sept. 12 with the seventh place, fifth place and third place games and conclude with the championship game competing for the Matthew Wuest Memorial Cup.

All games will be streamed on FOX Sports Go and DetroitRedWings.com.

Blues roster:

Forwards: Connor Bleackley (67), Filip Helt (86), Tanner Kaspick (83), Klim Kostin (37), Nikolaj Krag-Christensen (58), Jordan Kyrou (72), Mackenzie MacEachern (62), Hayden McCool (89), Greg Meireles (76), Adam Musil (54), Robert Thomas (36), Tage Thompson (33), Alexey Toropchencko (65)

Defensemen: Sean Allen (81), Trenton Bourque (63), Charles-Edouard D'Astous (74), Michael McKee (84), Niko Mikkola (77), David Noel (60), Dmitrii Sergeev (68), Thomas Vannelli (47), Jake Walman (46)

Goalies: Evan Fitzpatrick (85), Stephen Dhillon (90)

2017 NHL PROSPECT TOURNAMENT
Sept. 8-12, Traverse City, Mich.
Gordie Howe Division Ted Lindsay Division
Carolina                         Columbus
Chicago                          Dallas
Detroit                            Minnesota
NY Rangers                   St. Louis

Friday, Sept. 8
2:30 p.m. Columbus vs. Dallas
3:00 p.m. St. Louis vs. Minnesota
6:00 p.m. Chicago vs. NY Rangers
6:30 p.m. Detroit vs. Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 9
2:30 p.m. Carolina vs. NY Rangers
3:00 p.m. Chicago vs. Detroit
6:00 p.m. Dallas vs. St. Louis
6:30 p.m. Minnesota vs. Columbus
Monday, Sept. 11
2:00 p.m. St. Louis vs. Columbus
2:30 p.m. Dallas vs. Minnesota
5:30 p.m. Carolina vs. Chicago
6:00 p.m. NY Rangers vs. Detroit
Tuesday, Sept. 12
2:00 p.m. 7th place game 4th Lindsay vs. 4th Howe
2:30 p.m. 5th place game 3rd Howe vs. 3rd Lindsay
5:30 p.m. 3rd place game 2nd Lindsay vs. 2nd Howe
6:00 p.m. Championship Game 1st Howe vs. 1st Lindsay

Friday, August 25, 2017

Shoulder injury something Berglund equipped to deal with

Center who is seventh on the Blues' all-time games played list injured 
opposite shoulder in 2015, understands to patiently rehab accordingly

By LOU KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- Patrik Berglund was so excited at what the Blues roster would look like moving forward into his 10th NHL season after an offseason of minimal improvements with more of a youthful infusion, he got off to an early start on the training regimen to get ready.

But then it happened.

Again.

Another shoulder injury. 
(St. Louis Blues photo)
Patrik Berglund (left) celebrates a goal with Jaden Schwartz in Game 5 of the
Western Conference Final in 2016 for the Blues against San Jose.

This time, pushing an exercise sled during a training session in his homeland Sweden, Berglund dislocated his left shoulder that required surgery and sidelined him for up to five months and he is not expected back until sometime in December.

It's not what the 29-year-old who has played all 637 NHL games with the Bluenote on his chest and beginning a new five-year, $19.25 million contract signed on February 24 had in mind.

Especially after being given a solid role and identity under Mike Yeo when Yeo took over for Ken Hitchcock.

But instead of skating with fellow teammates and NHL players during informal skates at the Ice Zone inside St. Louis Outlet Mall these days, Berglund finds himself in warmup clothes rehabbing a second shoulder injury.

"Obviously a really tough break. I don't think anyone wants to go through an injury and rehabbing and all that," Berglund said Thursday. "An unfortunate accident, too, but you've got to just move forward, try to get healthy and that's all you can do.

"It's a tough sport. You get banged up obviously, but especially for me, I've injured both shoulders. Hopefully when we get this one back in shape, at least they will be pretty solid hopefully."

Berglund, who had 23 goals and 11 assists in 82 games last season and has 296 points (151 goals, 145 assists) in his career, has been rehabbing in St. Louis, and will continue to do so until he's healthy.

"I've been here already for a couple of weeks," Berglund said. "I've started the rehab process. Even in that process, you've got some good days where you feel you can do some solid work and you also got days where it just doesn't feel very good. It goes up and down.

"... So far, so good. You're just rehabbing and listening to your body telling you what to do. You can't just push it too hard. It's fresh in my mind from the other one (sustained at the end of the 2014-15 regular season). You've got to listen to your body and basically take it one day at a time. That's all you can do."

Yeo was utilizing Berglund in important situations, including both sides of the special teams and critical ice times late in games with the two points in the balance. It was a big reason why Berglund was motivated to get a leg up on summer training and come in hopping at an accelerated rate from the start.

"It was really exciting to play for him," Berglund said of Yeo. "I was hoping to have a good summer, get in shape and get better and better. Not only be in shape, but develop to get better and stronger, faster and work on the areas you think you need to improve. It was definitely a tough blow. I barely got two weeks to work on stuff. "

Berglund was expected to be penciled in as the third-line center when the season opens Oct. 4 in Pittsburgh. Now the competition will open up to a slew of younger players and perhaps veteran Vladimir Sobotka, who gets more ice to get re-acclimated with the North American ice surface again after spending three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League before returning to St. Louis for the last game of the regular season and the playoffs.
(St. Louis Blues photo)
Blues center Patrik Berglund (21) looks for a rebound in the 2017 NHL
Winter Classic on Jan. 2 against Chicago. Berglund will be sidelined until
December with a separated left shoulder sustained during offseason training.

"I think it's a really good balance," Berglund said of the team, which added Brayden Schenn from Philadelphia via trade for Jori Lehtera and two first-round picks. "I'm very excited about this year. I think we're looking really good. As the year keeps going on too, we're getting more and more obviously experienced and in playoff situations and so on. Hopefully we learn from that and keep building and keep moving forward."

Berglund, if all goes according to plan, will at some point this season pass Garry Unger for sixth on the all-time games played list in franchise history. Unger sits at 662. Getting to Bernie Federko's all-time record of 927 will be quite the chore, and one that apparently is a jinx every time it's brought up.

"I guess so. It wasn't a very good start to it," Berglund said. "Hopefully I still have a lot of games left to play and hopefully I can get there one day."

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Parayko's obscure route to NHL didn't deter his determination

Defenseman was hidden gem before Blues found a special player 
who struck it big with five-year, $27.5 million contract this summer

By LOU KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- When he put pen to paper and officially completed something that gives him security on the job and certainly financially, Blues defenseman Colton Parayko could finally exhale.

And smile.

He did it.

From the banks of the Sturgeon River, a city that touches the outskirts of Edmonton called St. Albert, Alberta, playing in bantam AAA, then minor midget AAA and midget AA before heading to Fort McMurray to play for the Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League before playing college hockey at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Parayko's ascension to the NHL was quick, brisk and impressive despite some of the more obscure venues taken.
(St. Louis Blues photo)
Blues defenseman Colton Parayko is part of the team's
long-term future after signing a five-year, $27.5 million
contract on July 20.

And when the 24-year-old St. Albert native signed his brand new five-year, $27.5 million ($5.5 million average annual value) contract, it was a chance to reflect on what it took to get to where he is and how he was able to accomplish it.

"No, it's pretty exciting. It's actually really special," Parayko said Wednesday after an informal skate at the Ice Zone with fellow Blues teammates and various NHL players from around the league. "You kind of say that and I almost get goosebumps just thinking about it just because it was definitely not the most efficient path to get here, but at the end of the day, it's one of those things where it's just that much more rewarding that it all happened. It's not even just for myself, it's for my family and my friends and you can just kind of see and hear the vibe when you talk to them and how excited they are."

Of course when Parayko signed that contract on July 20, parents Tom and Karen Parayko along with brother Bryce and sisters Kennedy and Kendra were elated with joy. But Parayko's first phone call was to none other than his grandfather who has not missed a game either personally or through a television set, Tom Parayko.  

"My grandpa came to every single game while I was growing up," Colton said. "He was there every single game wearing his fur hat and I still remember it. He was the first guy I called and it was pretty special. I think my grandma (Carol) was there and I think she started crying. He was just so thrilled, too. Things just like that are opportunities you can't really pass up. It was such a cool experience to have something like that."

Parayko was a restricted free agent after completing a two-year, $1.85 million entry-level contract last season and went into the summer with his first bout of contract negotiations. Of course, agent Gerry Johannson would work on things from Parayko's behalf, but in many cases where things don't get done and the case goes to arbitration, which Parayko's was set to do on the morning of July 20, there's the notion that when cases do hit arbitration, it can get downright ugly at times. But not in this case.

"There was no secret: I wanted to be here, I love playing here," Parayko said. "Since Day 1 I've been drafted, they've been nothing but great and such a great organization, as soon as you step in here, you realize how great it is. 

"The whole process, it was something that, for a first-time guy, you've got to step back and kind of look at all aspects. It's very exciting obviously. It's an exciting time, not only for myself, but for family and friends and things like that. You've got to look at the big picture and try to take it for what it is. Obviously, it was one of those things where we didn't want to rush into anything. We just wanted to make sure that we both got what we wanted and make sure that we thought we had the right fit. Other than that, the process was extremely good. Obviously you kind of hear what arbitration is and it was just a way for me that I made it to camp almost and things like that. The process itself, I thought it worked out really well and the way that it was handled and everything, it was good. ... It was something I personally didn't take negatively at all."

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong echoed those sentiments.

"Arbitration wasn't a big issue if we had gone just because he's three years away from unrestricted free agency," Armstrong said. "It wasn't something that we were walking him right through the door or taking another opportunity to get a long-term deal. The process of going wasn't an issue for us or for Colton. 

"When we talked (at that time), Colton and I and (Blues assistant GM) Marty Brodeur had a good opportunity to do that and sort of try and describe what we're building and what we're planning."

The case obviously never made it to court, and Parayko was busy with another day Wednesday, ahead of the start of training camp opening on Sept. 15, getting himself prepared for what matters most.

"To make us a better team," Parayko said.

Parayko is coming off a season with four goals and 31 assists (a career-high 35 points) in 81 games; he represented Team North American at the World Cup of Hockey and then Canada at the World Championship. And with Parayko, who has 68 points (13 goals, 55 assists) in 160 games and goes from a player with an annual average value of $858,750 to $5.5 million this season, it means there will be more responsibilities and ones he's looking forward to meeting head-on moving forward.

"I obviously want to come and be a better player and be a big part of it obviously," Parayko said. "But at the same time, I don't want to get outside of my game and try to do things that aren't part of me. You've just got to find a medium that's going to make the team better and also make you efficient. 

"The main goal is to obviously have the best team and hopefully I can help solidify that and just kind of do my job and make it easy for others. I obviously don't want to get out of my element and get out of things I do my best. I've got to focus on doing those and try to do that every single night obviously more consistent and make sure I continue to play good."

Parayko was a bit of an under-the-radar gem that former scout Marshall Davidson, brother of former Blues president John Davidson, founded and steered the franchise in the right path in drafting the tall, lanky 6-foot-6, 266-pound right-handed shot.

And after a stint with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League at the end of the 2014-15 season where he had four goals and three assists in 17 games, Parayko impressed the franchise so much that he would never look back away from the NHL and will begin his third season this year and will likely be paired with Joel Edmundson again.

"He's a player that I think we complement each other well in different ways," Parayko said of Edmundson. "He's easy to play with and you kind of know what he's about and he's easy to read off of. I think we really started to find our stride there. I'm excited for us." 

Parayko who averaged 21:12 ice time last season, is an example of what the Blues are trying to accomplish: winning with a team build with a younger core and homegrown players.

"Having (Jaden) Schwartz signed with some term and (Vladimir) Tarasenko and Jake Allen and to have (Parayko) under some term, he'll be a part of a core group of guys that we can continue to grow with," Armstrong said.

It's something is hungry for and whatever role the Blues need him to excel at, he's ready, willing and able.

"It's exciting to be a part of that because you look at last year how we had an extremely good team, I think we're only going to get better this year with a little bit more experience," Parayko said. "A lot of us younger guys are getting a lot more experience. The only way to get experience is by being out there and being put in those different situations. As we continue to grow and get older, it's only going to be better. I'm excited to be a part of this and move forward.
(St. Louis Blues photo)
Blues defenseman Colton Parayko (55) defends against Blackhawks center
Artem Anisimov during the 2017 NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2.

"I think it's one of those things where you've got to take it and almost run with it. I think that the more minutes you get, the more situations you play in, the more comfortable you become. You just start to become more dominant as an overall player. I think that kind of almost goes for anyone. The more you feel confident, the more coaches and teammates feel confident in you. That shows a lot and means a lot. If you get that opportunity, you've just got to make sure you make the most of it and do your best to succeed in that situation.

"People talk about my goal, whatever, points. I don't look at that. I feel way more comfortable out there. I think defensively, I've started to grow a lot with just different things around the ice, whether it be d-zone, defending the rush, just the little things that don't show up in the stat sheet that are really important. I think I've been good."

Now about getting grandma and grandpa to a game at Scottrade Center ... 

They're trying to; it's tough for them," Parayko said. "But they watch every single game. They love it. My grandpa, I don't even know when he would have missed a game was."

Parayko can afford to buy the grandparents another year's worth of NHL Center Ice as a backup plan.

Schedule for 2017 NHL Prospect Tournament

Blues prospects to participate in eight-team field 
from Sept. 8-12, will play Wild, Stars, Blue Jackets

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues will once again take part in the NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Mich. from Sept. 8-12.

The Blues are part of an eight-team field that will find them in the Ted Lindsay Division with Columbus, Dallas and Minnesota. The Gordie Howe Division will consist of Carolina, Chicago, Detroit and the New York Rangers.

The Blues will play on Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. against the Wild, Sept. 9 against the Stars at 6 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. against the Blue Jackets.

The Blues have yet to formalize their roster, which should be released soon.

The tournament will conclude on Sept. 12 with the seventh place, fifth place and third place games and conclude with the championship game competing for the Matthew Wuest Memorial Cup.

All games will be streamed on FOX Sports Go and DetroitRedWings.com.

2017 NHL PROSPECT TOURNAMENT
Sept. 8-12, Traverse City, Mich.
Gordie Howe Division Ted Lindsay Division
Carolina                      Columbus
Chicago                       Dallas
Detroit                         Minnesota
NY Rangers St. Louis

Friday, Sept. 8
2:30 p.m. Columbus vs. Dallas
3:00 p.m. St. Louis vs. Minnesota
6:00 p.m. Chicago vs. NY Rangers
6:30 p.m. Detroit vs. Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 9
2:30 p.m. Carolina vs. NY Rangers
3:00 p.m. Chicago vs. Detroit
6:00 p.m. Dallas vs. St. Louis
6:30 p.m. Minnesota vs. Columbus
Monday, Sept. 11
2:00 p.m. St. Louis vs. Columbus
2:30 p.m. Dallas vs. Minnesota
5:30 p.m. Carolina vs. Chicago
6:00 p.m. NY Rangers vs. Detroit
Tuesday, Sept. 12
2:00 p.m. 7th place game 4th Lindsay vs. 4th Howe
2:30 p.m. 5th place game 3rd Howe vs. 3rd Lindsay
5:30 p.m. 3rd place game 2nd Lindsay vs. 2nd Howe
6:00 p.m. Championship Game 1st Howe vs. 1st Lindsay

Friday, August 18, 2017

Reaves ready to give Penguins anything they need

Lifelong Blue, traded to Pittsburgh on June 23, 
excited about move after initial shock of trade

By LOU KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- A Friday morning at the Ice Zone inside St. Louis Outlet Mall looked very familiar for Ryan Reaves as it has for the past seven seasons.

There was Reaves, on the ice during an informal skate with Blues players and local skaters for other NHL teams and college teams, working out, taking part in drills and scrimmages as if nothing has changed.

But in fact, it has changed. All one had to do was look at the logo to notice something never seen before: Reaves wearing a logo other than the Bluenote.
(St. Louis Blues photo)
Ryan Reaves (right), here shown checking Minnesota's
Christian Folin during the first round of the playoffs
in April, is ready to join the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Reaves was his usual jovial self, joking and laughing with what are now ex-teammates, but the colors black and gold made up his attire rather than the blue and white.


It was the full-circle look of what was a trade on June 23 that sent Reaves to the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins along with a 2017 second-round pick for the Penguins' first-round pick (No. 31, which the Blues used to select forward Klim Kostin) and forward Oskar Sundqvist.

Reaves, 30, is still in St. Louis getting his pre-training camp work in before making the trek east-northeastward to Pennsylvania and to the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs, where he'll be the new sheriff in town to protect the well-being of superstars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and others. 

But the sight of Reaves, still a fan favorite who was drafted by the Blues in the fifth round of the 2005 NHL Draft and spent his entire seven-year NHL career in St. Louis, wearing a Penguins practice jersey cemented the finality of his Blues career.

"It was funny, because somebody told me gold and black isn't your color," Reaves said Friday. "But everybody forgets that I came from the (Brandon) Wheat Kings (of the Western Hockey League), which is gold and black. I think I look good in these colors.

"... You go from playing with the Tarasenkos and the Steens here and now I get to go play with Crosby, Malkin and that Guentzel kid (Jake Guentzel) is starting to light it up. I'm definitely excited. I'm obviously very honored and humbled that a team that good and that's won the last two years wanted me on their team and traded for me. I'm excited to do whatever they need me to do to help them win a third one."

Reaves, who had a career-high in goals last season with seven, tied a career-high in assists with six and set a career-high in points with 13, said he had to get through the initial process of no longer being a Blue, and that was not easy initially.

"The first night was a lot of processing and the next morning was a little more emotional just because I talked to a lot of the boys," said Reaves, who was tipped off by friend and former Blue Chris Stewart of the Penguins' interest before having what he called a brief conversation with Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. "I talked to a lot of them that first night, but obviously the guys in Europe hadn't heard the news yet, so I talked to a lot of them the next morning. The second day, it was tough, but the days have been getting better and at this point, I'm very excited to get down there and get going.

"I don't know if it's just that I've spent my whole career here (in St. Louis). I think more so that I've been here for so long, I have roots here now. You make a lot of friends inside and outside the organization. You create a fan base for yourself. There's a lot of tough things about leaving the organization for 7-10 years, but that's the business part. I always said I've never been traded in any league, but eventually the business side was going to catch up to me."

The Penguins targeted Reaves with a purpose: to get the 6-foot-1, 225-pound winger there to police the lineup in case the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Kris Letang, Phil Kessel and a slew of other talents get the rough treatment by the opponent, as was evidenced during the Penguins' second-round playoff series this past season against the Washington Capitals, one in which Crosby sustained another concussion.

"Sometimes you look at trades and sometimes it's dumping salary, sometimes it's just getting rid of a player," Reaves said. "I think the feeling was however I can go in there and help, they wanted me that they traded for me. I'm excited. I don't think this is a getting-rid-of-me kind of move. It's something they thought they needed in their lineup and I'm excited to bring it."

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford told reporters after the trade that this is who he wanted and with that sole purpose in mind.

"We're getting a little bit tired of getting beat up game after game," Rutherford said.

Reaves will be taking his wife Alanna and daughter to Pittsburgh and sometimes, uprooting a young family can be difficult. But not in this case.

"My wife hasn't shown any signs about feeling down about the trade or anything," Reaves said. "I think that's the hardest thing about leaving is how close the whole organization is and the wives. But Pittsburgh's been really good to her. They sent her a nice little booklet of everything that's in the city, daycares, restaurants, everywhere to get her hair and nails done. She talked to the GM's wife. I think she feels just as excited as I am. 
(St. Louis Blues photo)
Ryan Reaves (75), here fighting friend and former teammate Chris Stewart
last season in Minnesota, could be called upon to do more of the same
this season with Pittsburgh after being traded to the Penguins. 

"I talked to Crosby a couple times, a couple texts from a few of the other guys. I think that's the main reason I want to go down there early is to meet all the guys and let them know what I'm about and see what they're about. Get used to them early."

And in what couldn't have been a better script, Reaves' first NHL game with the Penguins will be on opening night, Oct. 4, against ... you guessed it: the Blues. And he'll be teammates again with former Blue Ian Cole.

"You can't write that. It's going to be a weird and emotional first game for me," Reaves said. "I think obviously we're going to be raising the banner, but I wasn't part of that team and then looking across the ice, that was a team I was a part of. I'm kind of in the middle for the pregame skate, but once that puck drops, I hope everyone in that Bluenote has their head up."

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Agent: Blues sign Prosser to solidify depth

Former Wild defenseman spent brief time in St. Louis in 2014 before being 
reclaimed on waivers by Minnesota; Kraft Hockeyville game to be televised


By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues solidified their depth on the blue line, signing veteran defenseman Nate Prosser to a two-year contract.

Nate Prosser
The Blues have yet to announce the signing, but Prosser's agent, Ben Hankinson, confirmed in a tweet that Prosser, who was with the Blues very briefly during training camp in 2014 after signing a one-year, two-way contract, was headed to St. Louis.

Terms of the contract were undisclosed.

Prosser, 31, is a veteran of eight NHL seasons (all with the Wild) will be reunited with Blues and former Wild coach Mike Yeo.

Prosser has played in 302 NHL regular-season and postseason games; he has seven goals and 31 assists in 282 regular-season games and another two assists in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Prosser's addition gives the Blues seven veteran defensemen and 23 rostered players under contract and gives him a shot at becomig the team's seventh defenseman.

* Kraft Hockeyville details revealed -- The Blues' preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 24 will now be held in Cranberry Township, Pa. at 7 p.m. on NBCSN.

The game was originally slated for in Belle Vernon, Pa., which was the winner of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2017 to be played at Rostraver Ice Garden.  

The game will now be played at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.