Blues sign T.J. Oshie to five year deal - avoids arbitration

St. Louis Blue fans can rest easy, now that the Blue have signed "one" of their leading scorers former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie to a new five year deal. Last season, Oshie tied for the team lead with 54 points.

With the signing, Oshie also avoids having to go to an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for Friday.  According to Andy Strickland, beat writer for the St Louis Blues, Oshie's salary is worth 4.175 a season for five years for 20.875 million dollars. That's a pretty healthy raise for Oshie who had signed a one year deal last summer that paid him $2,350,000.

Schmaltz drafted 25th and LaDue 181

Two future Fighting Sioux defensemen Jordan Schmaltz 25th over all St Louis and Paul Ladue 181st Los Angeles Kings were drafted in the 2012 Entry Draft.

This is what Jordan Schmaltz had to say in his post draft interview - notice when he is asked where he is going to play next season, Schmaltz said that, "North Dakota is the best path for me and it's going to help me develop."

This is what the Los Angeles Kings official web page had to say about Paul Ladue.

With the 181st pick in the sixth round the Kings selected defenseman Paul Ladue. Ladue, who will turn 20 on Sept. 6, played the 2011-12 season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, recording 34 points (9-25=34), 27 penalty minutes and a plus-36 rating in 56 games. The 6-1, 186-pound native of Bemidji, Minn. led all USHL defensemen in plus-minus (second overall), while ranking tied for sixth among league defensemen in points.

T.J. Oshie scores his 10th of the season.

Former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie scored his 10th goal of the season for the St. Louis Blues.Oshie has points in four of his last five games for the Blues (3g-2a—5pts). Oshie is currently tied for the team lead in scoring with Alexander Steen,

Jaroslav Halak's mask honor's Pavol Demitra

s/t to In Goal Magazine. St Louis Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak's mask will honor the memory of his former Slovakian teammate Pavol Demitra who was killed last week when his KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team flight crashed after take off.

Related articles

• Blues playoff chances will hinge on Jaroslav Halak (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Thousands attend Demitra memorial (canada.com)
• Thousands attend Pavol Demitra memorial (canada.com)
• Slovakia mourns Russia plane crash victim (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• R.I.P. Pavol Demitra (adrianatalkstoyou.wordpress.com)