Forward Beau Bennett has signed a one-year, $650,000 contract with the St. Louis Blues. Bennett was not qualified by the New Jersey Devils, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Blues sign Beau Bennett to a one-year contract worth $650,000.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) July 1, 2017
Beau Bennett Signs with the St. Louis Blues
Bennett was drafted 20th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Drafted out of the Penticton program, Bennett joined the University of Denver Pioneers. He scored 25 points in 37 games in his freshman season. His sophomore year was riddled with injuries, a common theme in Bennett’s career. He was limited to just 13 games, in which he scored 10 points. Following the season he signed an entry-level contract with Pittsburgh.
Bennett split the 2012-13 season, his first as a professional, with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL and Pittsburgh. He scored 28 points in 39 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but was impressive in his 26 game stint in the NHL. Bennett scored just three goals but totalled 14 points in his rookie season.
Then came the injuries. Bennett was limited to just 21 games in the NHL after suffering a broken wrist early in the year. He missed four months after requiring surgery. He ended the year with seven points in the NHL, as well as one assist in three games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The following year, Bennett spent nearly the entire season in the NHL. He played two games in the AHL, recording five assists. However, his numbers in the NHL were lacklustre. In 49 games, Bennett only scored four goals and 12 points. He recorded 12 points again in 2015-16 in an injury-plagued 33 game season.
Last summer, Bennett was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a third round pick. He subsequently signed a one-year, $725,000 extension with the Devils. The 25-year-old scored just eight goals and 19 points in 65 games with New Jersey in 2016-17.
The production was not enough to keep him around, as the Devils did not tender him a qualifying offer. A career riddled with injuries, Bennett has been unable to stay healthy enough to find consistency in the NHL. Bennett’s injuries have cost him what began as a promising career, but he is still a decent depth option.
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