The Blues鈥 Nikita Alexandrov celebrates after scoring a goal in the third period of a game against the Flames on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, at Enterprise Center.
The Blues signed forward Nikita Alexandrov to a one-year, two-way contract on Monday, a contract available to the team after it sent players back to their junior teams last week.
Alexandrov was one of the last remaining unsigned restricted free agents across the NHL and was technically attending training camp on a professional tryout. The deal will pay him the league minimum $775,000 in the NHL and $150,000 in the AHL.
Alexandrov, 24, had zero goals and two assists in 23 NHL games last season. He was also a healthy scratch for 59 games.
After signing Alexandrov on Monday, the Blues placed him on waivers. If Alexandrov clears, he will likely be assigned to Springfield (Massachusetts).
The Blues could not sign Alexandrov to a contract earlier because they had the maximum 50 contracts signed. Technically, the organization had 54 players under contract, but Theo Lindstein, Otto Stenberg, Dalibor Dvorsky and Quinton Burns did not count toward the 50-contract limit because they are teenagers who were last assigned to European or junior teams.
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When the Blues Juraj Pekarcik (Moncton in the QMJHL) and Jakub Stancl (Kelowna in the WHL) were among the players cut on Tuesday, St. 不良研究所导航网址 again had space to sign Alexandrov to a contract. Adam Jiricek will also be exempt from the limit when he is assigned to Brantford in the OHL as expected, and Dvorsky won鈥檛 be exempt any longer now that he鈥檚 with AHL affiliate Springfield.
Alexandrov is battling for a job in the Blues鈥 bottom six during training camp but had zero points in two preseason games.
Assessing Dvorsky鈥檚 camp
When Springfield opened training camp on Monday morning, the roster featured a marquee name in Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in last year鈥檚 draft and 19-year-old NHL hopeful. Dvorsky played in three preseason games before he was sent down and did not register a point.
鈥淭hese are young hockey players,鈥 Blues coach Drew Bannister said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l dictate when they鈥檙e ready to play. Certainly, we鈥檙e not in a situation to force them just because of who they or where they were drafted. He鈥檚 19 years old 鈥 that鈥檚 just the reality. Coming from junior to the NHL, that鈥檚 a big leap. It鈥檚 a big leap even to go to the American League from junior hockey.
鈥淗e鈥檒l dictate when he鈥檚 ready to play. That could be two months or a year from now. We do know that he鈥檚 a really good hockey player. He鈥檚 going to be a big part of our future here. We鈥檙e not going to let him down.鈥
In Springfield, Dvorsky figures to receive top-six minutes and plenty of time on the power play.
More assigned to Springfield
The Blues sent forwards Mackenzie MacEachern, Hugh McGing and Mathias Laferriere, and defenseman Hunter Skinner to AHL affiliate Springfield on Monday after they cleared waivers.
Pending the outcome of Alexandrov鈥檚 waivers status, the Blues鈥 training camp roster now sits at 33 players, even though that figure still includes injured players such as Torey Krug, Adam Jiricek, Oskar Sundqvist and Simon Robertsson.
- Two former Blues forwards were released from their professional tryouts on Monday, as Vancouver let Sammy Blais go and Edmonton cut Mike Hoffman loose.
