Blues, Dunn come to terms on one-year contract

Defenseman to get $1.875 million, was a restricted 

free agent; 2020-21 training camp roster announced

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The lone remaining defensive domino fell for the Blues as they usher out 2020.

The team announced on Thursday that they've agreed to terms with restricted free agent defenseman Vince Dunn on a one-year contract worth $1.875 million. 

Vince Dunn

The 24-year-old Dunn, a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, finished with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 71 games last season, the only defenseman to play in all 71 games. In 224 NHL games, Dunn has 82 points (26 goals, 56 assists).

With Dunn, who had no arbitration rights but will have them after the upcoming season, on board, the Blues are $3.050 million over the salary cap ceiling of $81.5 million, and with forward Mike Hoffman, who was signed to a professional tryout contract on Sunday, yet to sign, the Blues will look to make the cap space available when they place Alexander Steen and his $5.75 million cap hit on long-term injured-reserve, and when Tarasenko, who is coming off surgery on his left shoulder, to likely go on LTIR at the start of the season, the Blues will have enough cap space to sign Hoffman to a contract.

Dunn is coming off an entry-level contract that paid him an average annual value of $888,333, with a $722.5 million cap hit. He was due a raise but probably came in under what the Blues could have been viewing to pay him heading into this past season.

Dunn, who had what was considered a breakout season in 2018-19 with 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 78 games, will have plenty of motivation heading into a new season after having a subpar-playoff season; he missed all of the Return to Play Plan training camp stemming from COVID-19.

* Blues announce camp roster -- The Blues also announced on Thursday they will have 40 players in training camp when players report on Sunday for physicals and fitness testing. 

They will be on the ice Monday at Tuesday at Centene Community Ice Center and scrimmage at Enterprise Center Wednesday at 7 p.m. The season-opener is Jan. 13 at Colorado.

Due to COVID-19 regulations, training camp will be closed to the public.

A couple notable omissions from this year's camp roster include forwards Klim Kostin, Alexey Toropchenko and Nikita Alexandrov.

The Blues announced Tuesday that Toropchenko and Alexandrov, who were playing for Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League and KooKoo in the Finnish Liiga League respectively, were loaned to their respective clubs for the season.

Toropchenko, 21, a fourth-round pick in 2017, has eight points (six goals, two assists) in 25 games this season for Kunlun. Alexandrov, 20, is a second-round pick in 2019.

The 21-year-old Kostin, a first-round pick in 2017, has a goal and four assists in 23 games while on load for Avangard Omsk of the KHL, and it the Blues were set to bring him back from Russia, but Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Kostin will have to stay in Russia for the time being.

"Hard to get a visa now, so having him continuing to play as we wait is the best option," Armstrong said via text.

The AHL has a contingency plan to begin their season Feb. 5, so in a perfect world, the Blues would like to get Kostin back to the states in a timely manner before that.

2020-21 St. Louis Blues training camp roster: 
Forwards (23)                                                Defensemen (13)
9 - Sammy Blais                                             4 - Carl Gunnarsson
10 - Brayden Schenn (A)                                6 - Marco Scandella
12 - Zach Sanford                                          29 - Vince Dunn
13 - Kyle Clifford                                            36 - Steven Santini
17 - Jaden Schwartz                                      39 - Mitch Reinke
18 - Robert Thomas                                       41- Robert Bortuzzo
21 - Tyler Bozak                                             46 - Jake Walman
25 - Jordan Kyrou                                          47 - Torey Krug
26 - Nathan Walker                                        48 - Scott Perunovich
28 - Mackenzie MacEachern                         55 - Colton Parayko (A)
33 - Sam Anas                                                 72 - Justin Faulk
49 - Ivan Barbashev                                       75 - Tyler Tucker
51 - Nolan Stevens                                        77 - Niko Mikkola
53 - Austin Poganski                                      
56 - Hugh McGing                                          Goaltenders (4)
57 - David Perron                                           1 - Joel Hofer
61 - Jacob de la Rose                                   32 - Jon Gillies
63 - Jake Neighbours                                    35 - Ville Husso
68 - Mike Hoffman                                         50 - Jordan Binnington
70 - Oskar Sundqvist                                     
81 - Curtis McKenzie                                     Injured
83 - Tanner Kaspick                                      91 - Vladimir Tarasenko (A)
90 - Ryan O’Reilly (C)