Blues sign two draft picks and one college free agent to entry-level deals
The Blues signed three players to two-year, entry-level contracts Sunday, and two of them could be in position to support St. Louis in its playoff pursuit.
Defenseman Mitch Reinke and forward Nolan Stevens will report to St. Louis this week and will be eligible to join the Blues in the regular season. Forward Austin Poganski will report to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL on an amateur tryout this week.
Reinke, 22, scored 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) in 35 games with Michigan Tech this season. The 5-foot-11, 182-pound defenseman helped the Huskies capture the WCHA championship for the second straight season. He totaled 44 points (nine goals, 35 assists) in 76 career collegiate games. The Blues signed Reinke as a college free agent.
Stevens, 21, was selected by the Blues in the fifth round (125th overall) of the 2016 draft. He played four seasons at Northeastern, collecting 42 points, including 24 goals (tied for fifth among all NCAA players) in 38 games as a senior last season. The 6-2, 195-pound forward totaled 118 points (57 goals, 61 assists) in 132 collegiate games overall. Stevens helped Team USA win gold at the 2013-14 U-18 World Junior Championships.
Poganski, 22, was a fourth-round draft pick (110th overall) by the Blues in 2014. His entry-level contract will begin with the 2018-19 season. He played four seasons at North Dakota, where the 6-2, 210-pounder tallied 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 40 games in 2017-18 and 84 points (37 goals, 47 assists) in 162 collegiate games overall. Poganski helped North Dakota win the NCAA championship in 2015-16.
