Pius Suter changed teams and immediately has a new job.
Second-line center.
It appears that Suter, signed as a free agent over the summer by the Blues, will get the first chance at centering the second line with wingers Dylan Holloway and Jordan Kyrou. Last season, Brayden Schenn helped form one of the league’s most dangerous lines with Holloway and Kyrou in the second half of the season.
Suter played last season in Vancouver, then signed a two-year contract with the Blues worth an average of $4.125 million a season.
“I like the player a lot,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “Whether that translates to him playing between Kyrou and Holloway, I’m not sure. We know what it looks like with Schenn. We know that that was a line that produced extremely well for us. We’re seeing it with Suter. The good thing is when you have two veteran centers like Suter and Schenn, wherever they’re going to play, they’re going to play for the team.”
It’s expected that Suter and Schenn could bounce back and forth between the second and third lines throughout the season, depending on matchups or how the team is playing. But it’s notable that Suter skated with Holloway and Kyrou during Tuesday’s practice, when the Blues unveiled plenty of potential NHL line combinations and defensive pairings.
“Those are two very skilled players, got a lot of speed, make things happen, and I just try to open ways and find that hot pocket to score those goals,” Suter said. “Just let them play, make their plays. They’ve got so much speed and hold on to pucks really well, so just find those little things.”
Suter turned in a career season last year with the Canucks as he scored 25 goals and chipped in 21 assists. Prior to last season, Suter had never gone past 37 points in a season.
While Suter slides into the No. 2 center role (as of now) in St. Louis, he does have some experience in that spot with Vancouver. After J.T. Miller was traded from Vancouver to New York, Suter’s ice time rose as he assumed more responsibility. He went from averaging 16:30 of ice time with Miller in Vancouver to 19:38 of ice time after the trade.
That included a productive March in which Suter had 15 points in 15 games, highlighted by three multipoint games in five days.
“Just finding that spot in the middle of the ice, reading off guys, being around the net and just hold on to pucks,” Suter said. “I think that really helps, gives you second chances.”
Suter will play on the penalty kill for St. Louis and figures to be part of the late-game group that is counted on to close out games, as his well-rounded game should make him amenable to different game situations.
“You can tell on the penalty kill, he’s going to make our penalty kill better,” Montgomery said. “His stick is always in the right spot. He knows where he has to be. Even though he’s probably never been called the fastest guy in the world, he hits holes at the right time. We’ve seen that for years with the Ryan O’Reillys and the Patrice Bergerons: people that aren’t fast but they never got caught on breakaways because they know where the puck’s going before anybody else.”
Snuggerud leaves early
Blues forward Jimmy Snuggerud left practice early Wednesday morning after crashing hard into the boards behind the net. When Snuggerud hit the boards, it caused a loud thud in the practice rink, and he then stayed on the ice for a few minutes while medical staff and teammates gathered around him.
Snuggerud skated off the ice on his own and walked with a limp back to the dressing room.
After practice, Montgomery said Snuggerud was fine, and “anything serious has been eliminated and he’s day to day right now.
“Think of it as getting in a bad car accident, hit from behind, something like that,” Montgomery said. “Because he went in hard to the boards. … I went over and he’s really out of breath. I’m like ‘Are you out of breath, or are you hurting?’ He couldn’t answer because he was so out of breath. Fortunately, it seems like that’s what it was. You go in and you just can’t breathe, you try and find your air and you can’t.”
Snuggerud skated Tuesday on the top line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, a potential starting spot for the young forward.
No Lucic
Forward Milan Lucic did not practice Wednesday after injuring his groin during practice on Tuesday. Lucic, 37, is in Blues camp on a professional tryout looking to sign an NHL contract. Montgomery said Lucic also remains day to day.
“He’s walking around fine. It’s a matter of being able to push out there,” Montgomery said.
Lucic played in the Blues’ preseason game Sunday in Columbus. There are four more preseason games for Lucic to potentially play in and earn a spot on the St. Louis roster.
“It’s an unfortunate time for him and us for the evaluation process to see if he can make the club,” Montgomery said. “If he’s really day to day and he’s back to play next week, he’ll get into games and we’ll see if he can make the team.”
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Matthew DeFranks | Post-Dispatch
Hockey reporter
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