Veteran Blues Defenseman Steps Away from the Ice, Concluding an Accomplished 15-Year NHL Career
The St. Louis Blues started the season with an excess of experienced defensemen. Ryan Suter was added to bolster their defense while Torey Krug is out injured and Nick Leddy is facing health problems.
The Blues had doubts about Marco Scandella coming into the year. The NHL veteran with 15 years of experience has been part of the St. Louis organization since 2020. He appeared in 65 matches for the Blues last year, scoring two goals and providing six assists with an average ice time of just under 13 minutes.
After playing 784 NHL games, Scandella is said to be leaving the game and retiring. According to a post by Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, Scandella decided to retire even though he had lucrative offers to play in Europe. NHL expert David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reposted the tweet and provided his commentary on the matter.
Scandella was initially selected in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. The player selected 55th overall in the draft joined the NHL only two seasons later, participating in 20 games in his first season.
After his first year in the league, he became a regular part of the Wild’s defense, appearing in a minimum of 63 games each year for the next five seasons. If it weren’t for an injury, he would have completed six consecutive seasons, but he only played six games in the 2012-2013 season.
Prior to the 2017-2018 season, the Wild traded Scandella to the Buffalo Sabres. He made a strong impression in his first year in Buffalo, participating in every one of the 82 games and ending the season with his highest number of assists at 17 and points at 22.
Scandella experienced a turbulent 2019-2020 season. He started the year with the Sabres, appearing in 31 games. After being traded to the Montreal Canadiens, he played in only 20 games before being traded to the Blues before the 2020 trade deadline.
Scandella appeared in 130 matches for the Blues, tallying 6 goals and 18 assists. During the 2021-2022 season, he had his most successful year with the Blues, accumulating 14 points. Scandella’s career was defined by various injuries like finger, head, and groin injuries. Scandella has played in a total of 784 games throughout his career, scoring 170 points in those games. Additionally, he has scored 42 points in 96 AHL games.
Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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