On the St. Louis Blues …
Andy Strickland: Blues GM Doug Armstrong said that one of their top three defenseman prospects will make their opening day roster next season – Vince Dunn, Jordan Schmaltz and Jake Walman.
On the St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights …
Andy Strickland: Forward Nail Yakupov said he has no plans to return to Russian next year and is expecting to play in the NHL.
Pierre LeBrun: Wonder if it will be for the Vegas Golden Knights as the Blues are unlikely to protect him in the expansion draft.
Tom Timmermann: The Blues would need to qualify Yakupov at $2.5 million, which is unlikely.
Jim Matheson: Think the Golden Knights should select the 23-year old forward. He has the offensive ability, just needs to work on his play when he doesn’t have the puck.
Aivis Kalnins: The KHL is still an option for Yakupov. There is KHL deal waiting for him if he wants to return to Russia.
On the Colorado Avalanche …
Dan Milstein: After getting his KHL release, a two-year entry-level contract with the Avs is in the works for defenseman Andrei Mironov.
Adrian Dater of BSN Denver: Milstein says that Mironov is taking a big pay cut to leave the KHL for the NHL.
“He had one year left on his deal and would have made a lot more had he stayed there instead of Colorado,” said Dan Milstein, the Michigan-based agent for Mironov, who has agreed to a two-year, entry-level contract with the Avs that will be made official once the NHL league office approves the transfer agreement with the KHL. “But he very much wanted to do this, to play for the Avalanche and be in the NHL.”
Mironov would take an even further pay cut if he is sent to the AHL, but they do not expect that to happen. After the World Championships, Mironov will return to Russia to get his Visa paperwork, then move to Denver.