Blues place Buchnevich on IR, make a free agent signing to replace him

The St. Louis Blues announced today that forward Pavel Buchnevich has been played on Injured Reserve (IR) after missing the past few games with a suspected concussion. The 27 year old forward was injured in the Blues' season opener after taking a hard hit to the head.

In an effort to fill in the roster spot left by Buchnevich's injury, the Blues have announced that they've signed free agent forward Tyler Pitlick to a one year contract.

From the Blues' press release announcement:

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the team has signed forward Tyler Pitlick to a one-year, one-way contract worth $750,000.

In addition, the Blues placed forward Pavel Buchnevich on injured reserve.

Pitlick, 30, came to the Blues organization on a professional tryout ahead of 2022 training camp. Originally drafted by Edmonton in the second round (No. 31 overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound forward is a veteran of eight NHL seasons, including stints with Edmonton, Dallas, Philadelphia, Arizona, Calgary, and Montreal.

Overall, the Minneapolis, Minnesota native has produced 89 points (48 goals, 41 assists) and 84 penalty minutes in 325 career NHL regular-season games.

Pitlick split 2021-22 between Calgary and Montreal, posting five points (one goal, four assists) and six penalty minutes in 39 regular-season games overall.

Buchnevich, 27, was acquired by the Blues via trade from the New York Rangers on July 23, 2021. In 74 regular-season appearances as a Blue, the Cherepovets, Russia native has tallied 78 points (31 goals, 47 assists) and 34 penalty minutes.

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As stated above, Pitlick joined the Blues as a training camp invite on a professional tryout (PTO) contract. He has played eight seasons in the NHL including stints with the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens. Surely, he won't be expected to produce at the rate that Buchnevich has over the course of his time with the Blues, but he's a solid depth forward who can provide the team with some stability on the third and/or fourth line.