Blues Activate Philip Broberg Off IR, Assign Corey Schueneman

The St. Louis Blues have activated defenseman Philip Broberg from injured reserve, and he is set to rejoin the lineup on Saturday. Broberg has been sidelined for the past 12 games after suffering a lower-body injury in an awkward collision with Mitch Marner during a win over Toronto on November 2nd.

Broberg had been a standout for the Blues early in the season. He was a late addition to the roster before the season began, after St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong successfully poached Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers through offer sheets. Broberg made an immediate impact, recording a point in each of his first six games with the Blues. His strong play, coupled with injuries to Nick Leddy and Torey Krug, helped him earn a top-line role, where he averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per game before his injury. At the time of his injury, Broberg had accumulated nine points in 12 games, putting him on pace for 53 points over a full 70-game season.

This season marks a turnaround for the 23-year-old Broberg, who had previously been labeled as one of the biggest disappointments from the 2019 NHL Draft, where Edmonton selected him eighth overall. After being drafted, Broberg spent two seasons with Skelleftea AIK in Sweden before joining the Oilers in 2021-22. He began that season in the AHL but was called up to the NHL after recording 10 points in 14 games. Although he registered an assist in his NHL debut, Broberg struggled throughout his time in Edmonton, tallying just 13 points in 81 NHL games across three seasons while frequently shuffling between the NHL and AHL. His performance in St. Louis has been a pleasant surprise, especially after such a challenging start to his career. Broberg will aim to maintain his strong form after nearly a month-long absence and under a new coaching staff. Jim Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister as head coach on November 25th, and Montgomery has guided the Blues to a perfect 2-0-0 record, with an impressive 8-to-2 goal differential.

In a corresponding move, the Blues have reassigned veteran defenseman Corey Schueneman to the AHL. Schueneman, who did not score in his four games with the Blues, recorded four shots on goal and seven blocked shots but remained largely unnoticed in his limited playing time. He has returned to the minors, where he has already notched five points in 13 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds. A seven-year veteran of the AHL, Schueneman has accumulated 95 points in 257 career AHL games and has also appeared in 31 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens, tallying seven points during the 2021-2022 seasons.