Robert Bortuzzo was traded to the New York Islanders by the St. Louis Blues on Friday for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The defenseman has sat out 21 of the Blues’ 25 games this season and hasn’t scored a single point as St. Louis places an increased role on young defensemen. Tyler Tucker23, and Scott Perunovich25. Bortuzzo hasn’t played since November 18.
“Robert and I had been talking over the last month or so,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong told Bally Sports Midwest, “and he really wanted to get back on the ice and he wants to play again next year. And he knew he had to join a (new) team to get on the ice. … Where we are right now, we talked over the summer with him about the fact that we have Tucker, we have Perunovich, we have younger players we need to see play.
“…He’s a real gentleman off the ice and a person of great character, so that (trade) actually wasn’t too (difficult to pull off) because I think it’s obviously something that he wanted and which gives him an excellent opportunity.”
Selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round (78th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft, the 34-year-old has 74 points (20 goals, 54 assists) and is plus-41 in 537 regular season games. in 13 NHL games. seasons with the Penguins and Blues. He has four points (two goals, two assists) in 55 Stanley Cup Playoff games and won the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019.
Bortuzzo played 10 seasons with the Blues and is one of 16 players in their history to have spent at least that many seasons with them. He had 54 points (16 goals, 38 assists) in 424 regular season games and three points (two goals, one assist) in 47 playoff games for St. Louis after being traded from Pittsburgh on March 2, 2015.
Defender placed by New York Ryan Pulock on injured reserve Friday due to a lower-body injury suffered Thursday in a 7-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and is also without defensemen Adam Pelech (upper body, long-term IR) and Sébastien Aho (upper body, IR).
The Islanders (11-7-7), who are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for third in the Metropolitan Division, will host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, BSW).
The Blues (13-12-1) are sixth in the Central division and lost 5-2 to the Blue Jackets on Friday.
