The Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues made a trade towards the end of Round One of the 2017 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The Penguins traded the 31st overall pick and forward Oskar Sundqvist to the Blues in exchange for forward Ryan Reaves and the 51st pick in the draft.
#Pens acquire Ryan Reaves and a 2017 2nd-round pick (51st) from St. Louis for Oskar Sundqvist and a 2017 1st-round pick (31st). -MC
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) June 24, 2017
Ryan Reaves Shipped Off to Pittsburgh
The Penguins acquired Ryan Reaves, the 6’1″, 225 winger who solidified himself as a solid bottom line player with the Blues. Reaves, 30, was drafted 156th overall by the Blues in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He would spend seven seasons in the NHL as a member of the Blues, first coming on to the scene in 2010. In 419 career regular season games with St. Louis, Reaves netted 27 goals and added 24 assists. The 30 year old is known for his hard-nosed, gritty style of play, an aspect Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford said his team needs more of. In the 2016-17 season, Reaves skated in 80 games, scoring seven times and notching six assists. In 36 career playoff games, he has one lone point- a goal. The Penguins also received the 51st pick in the 2017 draft; a second round selection.
Oskar Sundqvist Going to St. Louis
In return for Ryan Reaves, the Blues received Oskar Sundqvist, an up and coming centerman. The 23 year old was drafted 81st overall by the Penguins in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Sundqvist has only played 28 games in a Penguins uniform thus far, tallying four points (one goal, three assists). From 2012 until 2015, Sundqvist remained in his native country Sweden. In 2015-16, he played for the Penguins’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. He played in 45 games in the AHL, scoring five times and adding 12 helpers. He would then proceed to jump in and out of the Pittsburgh Penguis lineup throughout 2016 and 2017.
St. Louis also got the 31st pick in the 2017 draft, the final one of the first round, where they went on to select Klim Kostin.
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