Blues Add More Depth at “D” with Syvret Signing
While it’s inevitable that the Blues will be plagued by injury at defense this year, as seems to be the case every year, the team will not be without plenty of organizational depth at the position. Earlier this week, as reported by Jeremy Rutherford of the P-D, the Blues signed D-man Danny Syvret to a one-year contract. Syvret signed a 2-way deal that will pay him $525,000 in the NHL and $200,000 if spends the season in Peoria. With so much depth at defense, Syvret is projected to play for the Rivermen this season, so it’s likely that he will be seeing more of that $200,000.
The 26 year-old defenseman, who was drafted by Edmonton in 2005, has spent time with both the Oilers’ and Ducks’ AHL teams. Last year he played for two organizations’ AHL affiliates in Syracuse (Anaheim) and Adirondack (Philadelphia). Over the course of the season he posted a total of 40 points in 59 games, averaging 0.68 PPG, with 10 goals and 30 assists. While he did see some NHL ice time with both the Ducks and Flyers, scoring one goal and adding one assist, he spent the majority of the season in the AHL, where the Blues see him contributing this season. Rivermen GM Kevin McDonald was quoted as saying he believes Syvret has “huge skills” and that he will fill an offensive void on the team’s blueline this year. McDonald believes he will be a great asset on the Rivermen’s PP, quarterbacking the first unit and adding another scoring potential scoring threat.
The Syvret signing will hopefully prove to be beneficial for the organization, as the Blues have experienced multiple injuries on the blueline over the past few seasons, last year in particular (Polak, Colaiacovo, Jackman). He has NHL experience, playing in a total of 59 games with the Oilers, Ducks and Flyers, and he fits the type of player that McDonald has been searching for to add to his squad. While the Blues already have their top seven D-men in place heading into camp, there seem to have been multiple opportunities for Rivermen D-men to suit up in the Blue Note over the past few seasons. Ian Cole will definitely push the top seven in training camp, and potentially catapult himself onto the opening night roster, but if he does end up in Peoria to start the season, it’ll only be a matter of time before he’s up in St. Louis. Having other players like Syvret in the organization who have NHL experience leading the AHL squad is beneficial because if – and what a terrible situation this would be for the team – a few of the top seven D go down during the season, it’s reassuring to Blues’ management that they can call up a D-man to fill in who is NHL ready and has seen significant ice time in the big league.
The Blues have a diverse group of blueliners, guys who can shut down other teams’ top lines (Jackman, Polak), efficient puck movers (Colaiacovo, Shattenkirk) and real offensive threats (Pietrangelo), but adding more depth is great for the organization, especially with a low-risk, low-cost signing. We know Syvret will be here for at least one year, but if he proves to be the blueline scorer that Peoria has been seeking, he can potentially find himself a home in Peoria for a few years to come.
