Blues forward Mathieu Joseph brings the mojo in more ways than one
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The Blues have plenty of new players on the roster this season. But after Thursday鈥檚 4-3 preseason overtime win over the Stars, did a new one show up?
In discussing his breakout exhibition game, Kasperi Kapanen spoke about his linemates Brayden Schenn and 鈥 MoJo. MoJo? That鈥檚 Mathieu Joseph, and the nickname was as 鈥渂rand new鈥 to him as it was to onlookers, he said.
鈥淢ost guys here call me Matty, but I don鈥檛 mind MoJo,鈥 Joseph said with a laugh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got a good mojo going. I like it.鈥
The story is fairly simple. Mathieu鈥檚 brother, Blues defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph, has a pretty straightforward nickname. Because of his initials, P.O. became known as PoJo. So it was only natural that Mathieu Joseph would become MoJo, as coined by defenseman Tyler Tucker and repeated by assistant coach Mike Weber.
Then Kapanen dropped it in his postgame interview, and now Mathieu Joseph has a new nickname to add to Joe, Matty, Jos, Matt or Joey, which he has accumulated in his six-year NHL career. It might also fit the style of game he plays, a punchy, fast game with moxie.
鈥淚 feel like it鈥檚 also another synonym (for grit),鈥 Joseph said.
After Thursday鈥檚 game against Dallas, Blues fans could be looking forward to more MoJo mojo. Joseph had a goal against the Stars, and was one-third of perhaps the best line on the ice with Kapanen and Schenn.
When Joseph, Schenn and Kapanen were on the ice at 5 on 5, the Blues held a 12-7 edge in shot attempts and a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal across 9:55 of ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Of course, St. 不良研究所导航网址 also outscored Dallas, 2-0, during that time. It would have been 3-0 if Ryan Suter鈥檚 goal wasn鈥檛 disallowed when officials ruled that Joseph interfered with Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger.
鈥淚 knew there was maybe contact,鈥 Joseph said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know if I was in the crease or not. I think good thing it happens in preseason.
鈥淚 feel like it would have sucked a little bit more in the regular season. I鈥檝e got to make myself a little bit smaller next time.鈥
On Joseph鈥檚 goal, his line took over after an extended offensive zone shift from Pavel Buchnevich鈥檚 line, and Schenn鈥檚 wall play to win a puck set up Joseph for a clean look in the slot.
鈥淪chenner won two or three battles in a row to get that puck to Kappy and I feel like that鈥檚 how our line was tonight,鈥 Joseph said. 鈥淲e were responsible defensively, and when we could hound pucks, we did. We created some offense.鈥
The line played together in a game for the first time on Thursday.
Throughout training camp, Joseph mostly played alongside Dylan Holloway and Radek Faksa.
鈥淭hey were outstanding (Thursday),鈥 Bannister said.
鈥淭hey did a lot of good things. They were very responsible tracking, getting above the puck, filling for their D and then in the offensive zone, they made good things happen.鈥
As the Blues conducted a late-camp line shuffle that mixed up all their combinations and resulted in a more balanced looking forward corps, their third line could take on added importance as a potential difference-maker. If the Blues want to become a playoff team again, they may need to develop a productive third line, and that could involve Joseph no matter who his other two linemates are.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of new guys,鈥 Joseph said. 鈥淚t takes time to get to your new systems and know your teammates and develop chemistry with guys, and see what works.鈥
The NHL group is done playing games after Thursday night鈥檚 preview, and their next chore will be opening the season on Tuesday in Seattle against the Kraken.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e kind of fired up,鈥 Joseph said.
鈥淵ou can see the start of the season coming up, and everyone鈥檚 definitely excited. Training camp is always kind of a grind, but also, it鈥檚 good that you get to know systems, know your teammates, spend some time with them.鈥
Blues extend AHL affiliation agreement with Springfield through 2030-31 season
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The Blues and AHL affiliate Springfield (Massachusetts) extended their affiliation agreement through the 2030-31 season, the parties announced Friday morning.
The Blues have used Springfield as their AHL club for the last three seasons, and the extension will keep the relationship for at least another seven seasons. In recent history, the Blues had AHL agreements with Utica (2020-21), San Antonio (2018-2020), Chicago (2013-17) and Peoria (2005-13).
With the AHL relationship secured long-term, and an ECHL affiliation announced this summer with Florida, the Blues have found stability in their development program.
Blues coach Drew Bannister worked in Springfield, Utica and San Antonio before becoming the Blues interim coach last December, and full-time coach over the summer. He praised the organization鈥檚 move to Springfield.
鈥淔or the development side for our players, we didn鈥檛 get what we needed (in San Antonio),鈥 Bannister said. 鈥淭he change going from Texas to Springfield really fast-tracked some of our players.鈥
In San Antonio, the team faced tougher travel schedules with fewer teams around, and many of their road games required a flight to get to. In Springfield (Massachusetts), the Thunderbirds are close to frequent foes Hartford (30 minutes), Providence (90 minutes) and Bridgeport (90 minutes). That meant 鈥渕ore time to practice, more skill days, more time off,鈥 Bannister said.
鈥淚n Texas, we were constantly in the air in an airplane,鈥 Bannister said. 鈥淥ur days off were travel days. It was tough, and that鈥檚 where I thought Springfield, the organization, the ownership there was outstanding. It was a real positive step for the development of our players.鈥
Blues recall group from AHL
St. 不良研究所导航网址 recalled eight players from Springfield on Friday afternoon so that they can play in Saturday鈥檚 preseason finale against the Blackhawks in Milwaukee.
The Blues brought back forwards Mackenzie MacEachern, Mathias Laferriere, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Dalibor Dvorsky, Hugh McGing and Dylan Peterson, plus defensemen Hunter Skinner and Samuel Johannesson after previously sending them to the AHL.
While it should be a relatively young group playing in Milwaukee, Bannister said there still remains time to influence the staff鈥檚 NHL evaluation of players.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say it鈥檚 complete,鈥 Bannister said. 鈥淚 still think there鈥檚 evaluating going on. I still think there鈥檚 players that want to prove themselves that they鈥檙e going to have an opportunity to prove themselves to find a place on our roster, in our lineup and tomorrow night鈥檚 another good night for them.鈥
For instance, it could be the final game for the three bubble defensemen (Scott Perunovich, Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Tyler Tucker) to separate themselves.
Extra letters
Blues prospect Jimmy Snuggerud was named one of four captains for the University of Minnesota, becoming the third St. 不良研究所导航网址 prospect to wear a 鈥淐鈥 this season. He joins defensemen Quinton Burns (Kingston, OHL) and Lukas Fischer (Sarnia, OHL).
St. 不良研究所导航网址 native Clayton Keller was named the first captain in Utah Hockey Club history on Friday. Keller is one of two NHL captains from St. 不良研究所导航网址, in addition to Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa).
鈥楢 different phase鈥: What's next for Blues, Doug Armstrong after piling up young assets
The blinds in the second-floor office are half-open. The light flicks on sometime before practice begins. The chair farthest from the door faces the window, its back to the desk. The architect watches his construction site come to life.
For most Blues practices, that鈥檚 how general manager Doug Armstrong consumes the action on the ice below him at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, peering over the benches to watch his coaches, his players 鈥 his projects. When he watched his club throughout training camp, there were different groups he could theoretically see.
There were the dwindling players who helped the Blues win their only Stanley Cup in 2019, holding onto the coastline in hopes of bridging one successful era to another. There were the veterans who were supposed to extend the contention window, now trying to avoid the blasphemous thought of missing the playoffs three years in a row.
There were the franchise cornerstones around whom Armstrong and the Blues chose to build instead of detonating, key cogs signed until the end of the decade. There were the kids 鈥 both drafted and offer-sheeted 鈥 offering the hope of something more promising in the years to come.
It鈥檚 a group in transition for Armstrong and the Blues. But if you ask Armstrong, perhaps it鈥檚 a different phase of the organization鈥檚 metamorphosis.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e never sure how you鈥檙e going to be able to do it, but we brought in good players with good pedigree that are in the league now,鈥 Armstrong said. 鈥淣ow, they鈥檙e ready to take off. I do think we鈥檙e in a different phase. I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing how it plays itself out.鈥
What exactly is the different phase?
Well, the Blues are past accumulating assets. They鈥檙e on to developing them and pushing the older wave to qualify for the postseason.
Over the summer, the Blues made their biggest splashes by bringing in defenseman Philip Broberg (No. 8 overall pick in 2019) and forward Dylan Holloway (No. 14 pick in 2020), prying them away from Edmonton with seldom-used offer sheets. The moves cost them a lot, in terms of salary (a combined $6,871,374 cap hit the next two seasons) and in terms of draft capital.
When accounting for the interconnected Kevin Hayes salary dump to Pittsburgh, the acquisition of Mathieu Joseph from Ottawa, the transaction to reacquire a draft pick from the Penguins, the offer sheet compensation to Edmonton and the ransom to quell the threat of Edmonton matching the offer sheets, the cost of doing business became 鈥 well, costly.
In? Broberg, Holloway, Joseph and a 2026 fifth-round pick. Out? A 2025 second-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick, a 2025 third-round pick, a 2028 third-round pick, prospect Paul Fischer and Hayes.
Add in that the Blues traded their 2025 fourth-rounder to Columbus for Alexandre Texier and their 2025 seventh-rounder to Detroit for Jakub Vrana and St. 不良研究所导航网址 has just three picks next summer: a first, a fifth and a sixth. It鈥檚 not a draft board indicative of a team that has missed the playoffs in two straight seasons.
鈥淲e have restocked the cupboard,鈥 Armstrong said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have a thin draft this year, the way it sits now. We don鈥檛 have a second, third or a fourth, but we also have young players at 22 or 23 that were former first-round picks. You have to give to get.鈥
Part of why Armstrong was comfortable parting with future assets is the number of pieces the Blues have gathered across the past year-plus, essentially since the 2023 trade deadline when St. 不良研究所导航网址 sold Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O鈥橰eilly, Ivan Barbashev, Niko Mikkola and Noel Acciari.
In adding Broberg, Holloway and picking defenseman Adam Jiricek at No. 16, the Blues now have 10 players drafted in the first round since 2019. Seven of those players 鈥 Broberg, Holloway, Jiricek, Zach Dean, Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg and Theo Lindstein 鈥 have been acquired in the past year and a half. Zack Bolduc, Jake Neighbours and Jimmy Snuggerud were already in the fold.
There鈥檚 reason to be excited about that.
Across the past six drafts, only Montreal (12) and Buffalo (11) have more former first-round picks in their system than the Blues (10). Across the past five drafts, only Chicago (10) has more than St. 不良研究所导航网址 (nine). Across the past four drafts, it鈥檚 just Chicago (nine) and Nashville (eight) that have more than the Blues鈥 seven.
You get the picture. The Blues have a prospect pool overflowing with future contributors.
But is that enough?
鈥淭he Blues have a lot of depth in their system,鈥 said Chris Peters, a draft and prospects analyst for FloHockey. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have a super-great high end where it鈥檚 going to be a lot of first-line players. Some of these guys could develop into that but not a lot of first line (players); there鈥檚 some good secondary scoring here. There鈥檚 probably a top-four defenseman here. Maybe there鈥檚 a (No.) 4, 5 defenseman here.
鈥淔rom right now, and development does not move in a straight line, it looks like they have a lot of mid-range guys that are going to help them in the middle of their lineup but maybe not in the top of their lineup.鈥
While the Blues have piled up first-rounders, they have not piled up highly drafted first-rounders. Only Broberg and Dvorsky were drafted in the top 10. On average, those 10 players were drafted at 19.8. Only eight teams have, on average, lower-drafted first-rounders currently in their system.
It makes for a lot of serviceable NHL players but maybe not difference-makers.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e lottery tickets, but how many of them have star as a ceiling?鈥 Peters said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e projecting them out, you at least have some idea of where they鈥檙e going to go. They have a lot of guys that project to contribute. Honestly, when you have more of those, you increase the odds that one of them is going to overshoot what you expected of them.鈥
The potential jackpots could be Dvorsky (thanks to his supreme skill) and Jiricek (whose evaluation was maybe stunted by his knee injury). But, Peters said, a lot of the other prospects are more known quantities with floors and ceilings a bit closer to each other.
鈥淚 think they did a really good job of getting guys that are going to play in the NHL,鈥 Peters said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot harder than it sounds. Just getting guys that鈥檒l be part of your roster is really difficult, especially at the number they have within their system. I think there鈥檚 a lot of guys where I鈥檓 like, 鈥楾hat guy is going to play.鈥欌
One Eastern Conference evaluator cautioned against the approach of picking up middle-of-the-lineup talent, which Broberg and Holloway could be considered at this point in their careers.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e adding at the middle or bottom of the lineup and hoping they鈥檙e moving up, as opposed to going a little bit more all-in and getting a first-line, top-pair guy that鈥檚 going to push guys down,鈥 they said.
Essentially, the Blues need some of those guys to play above their draft level. And then they need some of their later-round picks to hit as if they were top-end selections. That鈥檚 not unique to the Blues relative to the rest of the league.
The good news? The Blues have shown that they can find players who produce above their draft slot.
Robert Thomas was picked 20th in 2017. He鈥檚 fourth in his draft class in both games played and points.
Jordan Kyrou went 35th in 2016. He鈥檚 ninth in goals and 10th in points among his draft class.
Jake Neighbours was 26th in 2020. He鈥檚 eighth in goals scored in his draft class.
Toss in players like Tage Thompson or Vince Dunn and the Blues have a decent recent history of hitting on picks. Of course, the Blues have also missed big. Klim Kostin hasn鈥檛 panned out. Dominik Bokk never played an NHL game, but he helped the Blues acquire Justin Faulk.
And so there is another avenue for the Blues to pursue at this stage of their transition: trading from their prospect surplus to supplement the NHL roster.
鈥淭here鈥檚 probably a path given his history to move those players for the pieces that can get him there,鈥 an Eastern Conference evaluator said.
Bokk (in the Faulk trade) and Thompson (in the trade that brought O鈥橰eilly to St. 不良研究所导航网址) are the easy examples of Armstrong鈥檚 willingness to deal from his prospect pool to help build the NHL roster. Older examples include Erik Johnson鈥檚 trade to Colorado or swapping David Rundblad for the pick that became Tarasenko.
Armstrong could be given another opportunity to do so, and it wouldn鈥檛 be a new part of his playbook.
鈥淵ou have to accumulate as many puzzle pieces as you can, and then at some point, you have to start making the puzzle,鈥 Armstrong said. 鈥淚 go back to when I first got here, I thought Larry Pleau and John Davidson did a great job of acquiring a lot of young players, and then we moved some of those chess pieces around to build a team.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e getting in that team-building mode now. We expect to compete. If it鈥檚 not fitting in with our puzzle, we have to move pieces along to find better fits.鈥
So while the Blues may not have the choose-your-own-adventure assets like draft picks available, they do own about a dozen half-baked prospects in the pipeline. And other teams know Armstrong is open to wheeling and dealing.
鈥淎rmy is not shy,鈥 a Western Conference evaluator said. 鈥淗e is not shy. Even before the offer sheets, he was really aggressive.鈥
There are potential pitfalls along the way.
What if the Blues underperform and miss the playoffs again, resulting in next year鈥檚 draft capital becoming more valuable than anticipated? What if Snuggerud鈥檚 or Bolduc鈥檚 development stalls? What if Jiricek鈥檚 injury history is an ongoing concern? What if the former Oilers don鈥檛 adjust to bigger roles?
These are risks the Blues and Armstrong have to be willing to take in order to whip around a tight U-turn back into contention, and they鈥檝e put themselves in a position to win big on the right bets.
Armstrong compares the current state of the Blues to the teams in 2010-12, teams that were incubating a young nucleus that included Alex Pietrangelo, David Perron, Jaden Schwartz, T.J. Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk, Ian Cole, Chris Stewart and Tarasenko.
鈥淲e like the depth of our group now,鈥 Armstrong said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to try and add to that, but we鈥檙e at that point now where we were in 2010, 鈥11, 鈥12 where we鈥檝e accumulated assets.
鈥淣ow we have to build a team and I鈥檓 excited about the opportunity to build a team.鈥
With chance to prove he belongs in Blues lineup, Kasperi Kapanen shows out vs. Dallas
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If some selective amnesia came over Kasperi Kapanen, he wouldn鈥檛 mind it.
Of course, games like Thursday鈥檚 4-3 preseason overtime win over the Stars might help just as well. Kapanen had a goal and an assist against Dallas, potentially securing a spot in the season-opening lineup for the Blues and pushing a disappointing 2023-24 season further away.
鈥淧ersonally, (I鈥檇 like) to learn from last year,鈥 Kapanen said, 鈥渂ut to also kind of forget about it.鈥
On Thursday night, Kapanen was arguably the best player on the ice. He was around pucks on the forecheck. He was physical at times. He was using his speed. He was active in shooting pucks. With a chance to prove himself worthy of a role in St. 不良研究所导航网址, Kapanen delivered.
Philip Broberg also had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who were lifted when Jordan Kyrou scored 1:43 into overtime. Mathieu Joseph also scored for St. 不良研究所导航网址, and Jordan Binnington made 17 saves.
Kapanen entered camp on the bubble, and if he wasn鈥檛 to make the NHL roster, would have to face waivers for the first time since the Blues claimed him off waivers in Feb. 2023. At times during the preseason, Kapanen appeared on the outside looking in. When the Blues split into NHL and AHL groups, Kapanen was in the AHL group. Other times, he skated on an extra line.
Blues coach Drew Bannister said after Kapanen鈥檚 first preseason game that he wanted more out of the 28-year-old Finnish forward. Now, those messages have dissolved.
鈥淚 think he鈥檚 a player that maybe overthought things early on in the camp,鈥 Bannister said. 鈥淚 think now, he鈥檚 more focused on his strengths and I think we saw that last game where I felt like he was trying to make an impact. Today, obviously, he made an impact offensively with the play he made to Matty and obviously with the goal being around the net. I thought he played extremely well here today.鈥
Kapanen on the communication with Bannister: 鈥淛ust playing aggressive and using my speed. I think sometimes, I start to overthink and wonder what鈥檚 going to happen during my shift. I think can I get into a rhythm and let my instincts do the work. When I play like that, I think it shows and I鈥檓 just using my feet and trying to shoot and be around the net.鈥
On Thursday night, Kapanen helped form a line with Joseph and Brayden Schenn that contributed two goals. During Kapanen鈥檚 12:25 of ice time at 5 on 5, the Blues outshot the Stars 10-2, and had a 0.92-0.19 advantage in expected goals.
Kapanen picked up an assist on Joseph鈥檚 goal after Schenn won a wall battle with Mason Marchment. Kapanen scored on Broberg鈥檚 rebound to the side of the net, spinning a no-look backhand into the net.
That doesn't include Kapanen's almost-assist on a disallowed Ryan Suter goal in the second period, or Kapanen's miss of an open net in the first period.
鈥淚 thought we played a great game,鈥 Kapanen said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we spent too much time in our zone, which is always a plus. MoJo and Schenner are two great players, so I thought we had some good chemistry and it was a good game.鈥
Last season, Kapanen endured the worst season of his career since he became an NHL regular. He managed just six goals and 16 assists. Kapanen began the year in the top-six, and was a healthy scratch for two games down the stretch.
Kapanen was supposed to carry over his strong finish in the spring of 2023 (14 points in 23 games with St. 不良研究所导航网址), but instead failed to provide secondary scoring.
鈥淓verybody knows it wasn鈥檛 my best, and I know that,鈥 Kapanen said. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to hold myself to a higher standard. That鈥檚 hockey and that鈥檚 just sports in general. Sometimes, you have bad years and you鈥檝e got to forget about that and move on.鈥
For Kapanen, moving on is better when he has someone to talk to, he said. And that someone is his father Sami Kapanen, who played 831 career NHL games for the Whalers/Hurricanes and Flyers.
鈥淚f it bothers you like it bothered me a little bit, I think it鈥檚 important to talk to somebody about it,鈥 Kapanen said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a great guy that listens to me, my dad. Obviously, he鈥檚 been in the league for a while and knows the ups and downs of hockey. I just try to talk to him.
鈥淗onestly, I was happy to spend some time with my family and my friends back home. It was a long summer, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Try to play some golf, and mentally, be fresh coming into camp. I feel great right now.鈥
It also wasn鈥檛 always certain that Kapanen would be back in St. 不良研究所导航网址 this season. His contract expired at the end of last season, and the Blues appeared ready to let their unrestricted free agents walk. Instead, Kapanen signed a one-year contract worth $1 million on the first day of free agency to return to the Note.
Kapanen said 鈥淚 love being here, and I love being a Blue.鈥
So far, Kapanen appears to have earned a spot 鈥 jumping over Zack Bolduc in the process 鈥 on the opening day roster. But that鈥檚 not the end of Kapanen鈥檚 journey. Brandon Saad will return to the lineup after his wife gives birth. Oskar Sundqvist is recovering from knee surgery. Bolduc, and prospects Dalibor Dvorsky and Zach Dean will push.
If Kapanen has a spot now, a future one isn鈥檛 promised either.
鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to fight for a spot,鈥 Kapanen said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a ton of great players in this organization and I鈥檝e just been trying to find my way into the lineup. If I keep playing like that, I鈥檝e got a good chance.鈥
Photos: St. 不良研究所导航网址 Blues beat Dallas Stars 4-3 in overtime preseason match-up
'We stuck with it, then we got rewarded,' Blues coach Drew Bannister on win vs. Dallas
'I love being a Blue, and I take pride in that,' Kasperi Kapanen says
With a potential season-opening lineup, Blues beat Stars in preseason rehearsal
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Consider the dress rehearsal complete.
The Blues dressed what could be their season-opening lineup during a 4-3 preseason win over the Stars on Thursday night. Jordan Kyrou scored the game-winning goal for St. 不良研究所导航网址 with 3:17 remaining in overtime.
Kasperi Kapanen and Philip Broberg each had a goal and an assist, supporting Mathieu Joseph鈥檚 second-period goal and Jordan Binnington鈥檚 17 saves. Logan Stankoven (twice) and Evgenii Dadonov scored for the Stars.
Kapanen scored with 8:44 left in the third period, spinning a shot from a tight angle past a diving Jake Oettinger and into a mostly vacant net. Kapanen picked up a Broberg rebound off his 86 mph shot and twirled a no-look backhand to give the Blues a 3-1 lead.
Twenty-four seconds later, Stankoven scored to pull the Stars back within one goal. Stankoven scored again with the extra attacker with 39.7 seconds remaining in the third period to send the game into overtime.
The Blues have one more preseason game remaining on Saturday against the Blackhawks in Chicago, but that could game could feature more of an AHL lineup.
Broberg from the slot
Blues defenseman Broberg gave St. 不良研究所导航网址 a 2-1 lead just 83 seconds into the third period, one-timing a pass from Robert Thomas in the slot. Broberg found a soft spot in the middle of the Stars defense, sunk down to the slot between the two Stars forwards and opened up for Thomas to find him.
Broberg was one of the marquee offseason additions by the Blues, coming over from Edmonton via offer sheet along with Dylan Holloway.
While Holloway has impressed enough to earn a promotion to the top line with Thomas and Jake Neighbours, Broberg鈥檚 preseason has been slightly more uneven. Blues coach Drew Bannister lauded Broberg鈥檚 preseason debut in Utah as outstanding but mentioned that he looked like he was trying too hard on Tuesday against Columbus.
Broberg, who played just 12 games in the NHL last season, should be a fixture in the Blues鈥 top four defensemen thanks to his smooth skating, his 6-3 size and occasional offensive acumen.
Joseph picks a corner
Forward Joseph scored his first goal in a Blues sweater on Thursday night, whipping a shot from the slot past Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger. Joseph鈥檚 goal at 8:33 of the second period tied the game at 1-1 for the Blues, following Evgenii Dadonov鈥檚 first-period power-play goal for the Stars.
Blues captain Brayden Schenn set up Joseph鈥檚 goal by winning a wall battle with Mason Marchment, slipping the puck to Kapanen, who touched it to Joseph. Joseph finished far side.
The shift was set up by extended offensive zone time by the previous line on the ice: Alexandre Texier, Pavel Buchnevich and Kyrou. The Buchnevich line, aided by the long change, kept the Stars hemmed in their own zone before Schenn and Kapanen set up Joseph.
Kapanen would have had another assist on Ryan Suter鈥檚 disallowed goal, and he could have scored in the first period but flipped a rebound wide of an open net.
Suter scores ... or not
Defenseman Suter appeared to score against his former team on Thursday night, but the goal was wiped out after a successful goaltender interference challenge by Dallas assistant coach Steve Spott, who was coaching as Stars coach Pete DeBoer recovers from an appendectomy.
Suter鈥檚 change-up of a one-timer fluttered past Oettinger for a goal that would have given the Blues a 2-1 lead. Joseph was camped out at the net front and didn鈥檛 initiate contact with Oettinger but was in the crease and impeded Oettinger鈥檚 ability to make a save.
Suter signed in the summer with the Blues after he was bought out by the Stars. It was the second time in his career that Suter was bought out by a team in the Central Division (Minnesota), meaning he will be paid by three different teams in the division this season.
Suter is expected to play on the third pairing with Matthew Kessel.
Whatever the entity that has been the longtime Blues and Cardinals telecaster ends up being named, multiple sources told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday that the core Blues broadcast team is returning.
The club鈥檚 regular-season schedule begins on Tuesday, but as of Thursday afternoon 鈥 five days before the puck drops in a game that counts 鈥 there has been no official announcement about the team鈥檚 local television plans. That鈥檚 despite a federal bankruptcy judge in Houston last month approving a plan by Diamond Sports Group, parent company of Blues telecaster Bally Sports Midwest, that keeps its deal in place to televise the Note plus eight other NHL teams.
鈥淲e look forward to returning to Bally Sports for our regular season and first-round playoff broadcasts in 2024-25,鈥 Blues CEO Chris Zimmerman recently said, adding that the club is 鈥減rogressing towards being able to share full local broadcast details with our fans in advance of the regular season.鈥
That information still has not been announced, but multiple sources said the lineup again will feature John Kelly on play-by-play and Jamie Rivers providing commentary, with Bernie Federko, Andy Strickland, Scott Warmann, Alexa Datt as well as Joey Vitale in key support roles.
The long wait in announcing the TV lineup is highly unusual. But so is the situation with BSM owner Diamond, which has created a maze of bankruptcy uncertainty for the NHL, MLB and NBA teams in its portfolio for more than a year 鈥 including the surprise announcement this week that it could drop its Cardinals telecasts next season.
Name game
The reason for the delay with the Blues鈥 TV announcement, sources said, is because of uncertainty over what the network will be called. It switched from Fox Sports Midwest to Bally Sports Midwest about 3陆 years ago, selling the name to casino operator Bally鈥檚 Corp. with the idea to cash in on the growing sports-betting market.
But that deal is ending, and multiple reports say that sports betting behemoth FanDuel is poised to pay to have the Diamond regionals rebranded in that company鈥檚 name.
What now is BSM also retains the Blues鈥 streaming rights, which will be available without an extra fee to those who subscribe to a service that carries the network. The package also can be purchased 脿 la carte by those who do not, .
Many of the team鈥檚 exhibition games are being streamed by Victory+, a free direct-to-consumer service that the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks plan to use extensively this season. A source said the Blues鈥 foray with it has been experimental, with positive results.
There also is no change to the Blues鈥 radio lineup, with Chris Kerber (play-by-play), Vitale (analysis) and Alex Ferrario (studio host) back. All games again will be carried on WXOS (101.1 FM).
Getting started
The Blues鈥 first two games will be national network exclusives, so it鈥檚 still a while until the first locally produced telecast 鈥 Friday, Oct. 11 from Las Vegas.
The club plays in the league鈥檚 first game of the regular season, on Tuesday in Seattle, at the unconventional weekday start time of 3:30 p.m. (St. 不良研究所导航网址 time). It鈥檚 part of an opening day tripleheader to be shown on ESPN, a game to be followed by Boston-Florida at 6 p.m. and Chicago-Utah at 9. The nightcap will be the regular-season debut of the Utah Hockey Club, formerly the Arizona Coyotes.
It should be a busy day for Ray Ferraro, who finished his 18-season NHL playing career by being in 15 games for the Blues in the 2001-02 campaign. He鈥檚 set to serve as ESPN鈥檚 analyst for the game in Seattle, then fly to Salt Lake City to fill the same role for the network there that night.
The Blues鈥 second game, on Thursday in San Jose, is to be exclusively streamed by ESPN+ and Hulu. After their local-TV debut the next night in Vegas, they return to ESPN for their home opener 鈥 at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, against Minnesota. That ends a run of national exclusives for more than a month.
Here are the broadcaster assignments for the first three national productions:
Tuesday vs. Seattle, ESPN: Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Ray Ferraro (analyst), Stormy Buonantony (reporter), Dave Jackson (rules analyst).
Thursday vs. San Jose, ESPN+, Hulu: Monaco (play-by-play), Cassie Campbell-Pascall (analyst), Jackson (rules analyst).
Oct. 15 vs. Minnesota, ESPN: Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), AJ Mlezcko (analyst), Emily Kaplan (reporter), Jackson (rules analyst).
Drew Bannister says Zack Bolduc's preseason play has 'leveled off' for Blues
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What looked like a successful training camp bid for Zack Bolduc to make the opening day roster has tailed off as the Blues approach the season opener on Tuesday in Seattle.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Bolduc skated with the fifth forward line, a potential indication that he鈥檚 on the outside looking in as training camp winds down. Initially, it looked as if Bolduc was in line for a top-six role with the Blues, especially with the possibility that Brandon Saad misses the first road trip of the season awaiting the birth of his third child.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say his play has dipped,鈥 Blues coach Drew Bannister said of Bolduc. 鈥淚 think, right now, it鈥檚 kind of leveled off. We鈥檝e tried to put him in positions to have success and play up in the lineup in games, practices he鈥檚 been playing with top linemates. Put him on the power play. There鈥檚 a lot of good things with Boldy that he鈥檚 doing.
鈥淚 spoke about it before, the deficiencies in his game that we鈥檇 like more (progress), I haven鈥檛 seen a drastic improvement from game to game. But I see a lot of growth in his game at the same time. I think he鈥檚 a player that鈥檚 extremely close to being an everyday NHL player. He鈥檚 just got to find that next level in his game and his consistency in his game.鈥
Bolduc has played three preseason games and has zero points. He has 10 total shots on goal, including six last week in Columbus. On Wednesday and Thursday, Bolduc has skated with Saad and Zach Dean as extras.
鈥淲hen you have a player that鈥檚 21 and his play isn鈥檛 consistent at this level, then it鈥檚 hard to get him into the lineup,鈥 Bannister said. 鈥淲e have to be able to trust him and the way he plays to see a more consistent game. His assets that he can bring to the team are very valuable to us, but you still want to see a more well-rounded player. We ask that of all of our players on both sides of the puck. There鈥檚 certain areas of the game where it has gotten better, but it still needs to improve on his end.鈥
Bolduc, a first-round pick in 2021, split time last season between AHL affiliate Springfield (Massachusetts) and St. 不良研究所导航网址. When he was recalled to the NHL, he had nine points in 25 games, including when he had five points in the final five games of the season.
In Bolduc鈥檚 place in the lineup was Kasperi Kapanen, who previously looked to be on the wrong side of the roster bubble. Kapanen was on the right wing of captain Brayden Schenn and Mathieu Joseph during morning skate on Thursday.
On Tuesday against Columbus, Kapanen had two shots on goal and two hits during his 12:32 of ice time. Kapanen has one goal in his three preseason games.
鈥淚 thought Kappy was engaged a lot more than he was in the previous two games that he played in,鈥 Bannister said. 鈥淚 saw somebody that was trying to make a difference. He was physical. Although he didn鈥檛 get on the scoresheet, a lot of offense didn鈥檛 happen, but I saw a player that was trying to make his mark in the game by different ways and his ability to use his speed, a physical aspect.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just looking for players to make impacts, and it鈥檚 not always going to be offensively on the scoresheet. There鈥檚 other ways you can impact the game in a positive way, and I thought he made an impression on me that he tried to impact that game.鈥
Broberg at the point?
When the Blues practiced their power-play units on Thursday morning, it was defenseman Philip Broberg who was at the point on the second unit. Broberg was there instead of other options like Ryan Suter, Nick Leddy or Colton Parayko.
Broberg has rarely used on the power play in Edmonton, averaging about 14 seconds of power play time per game during his first three NHL seasons. Last season in the AHL with Bakersfield, Broberg had 16 power-play assists.
That ranked fifth among AHL defensemen, and he played about 10 fewer games than the players in front of him.
鈥淚鈥檝e talked to people externally about his play,鈥 Bannister said. 鈥淗e did run the power play at the American League level and ran their top unit and had success. I think this is a great opportunity for him. It鈥檚 a great opportunity for us to him in that situation and how he does.鈥
The rest of the second unit was Dylan Holloway (net front), Schenn (flank), Kapanen (bumper) and Alexandre Texier (flank).