Blues Add Danny Syvret for Peoria

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Danny Syvret to a one-year, two-way deal as reported by Dave Eminian of the Journal Star. The addition provides needed talent for the Rivermen following the departure of Nathan Oystrick.

Drafted in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by Edmonton, Syvret was most recently a member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization but also spent a brief period with Anaheim as well as time with the Edmonton.

The blueliner has skated in 59 games at the NHL level between the 2005-06 and 2010-11 seasons, scoring three goals and four assists to go along with a (-14) plus/minus rating. However, Syvret’s NHL stats really don’t give the signing justice nor give a true scope of what he is capable of.

Syvret has spent a large amount of time skating in the OHL (198 games) as well as the AHL (331 games). Over that time he chipped in 122 points in the OHL and an extremely impressive 169 points at the AHL level. The saying is used a bit too much these days but Syvret is an offensively-minded defenseman that should become one of the new faces on Peoria’s power play unit.

At 26, Syvret brings talent and leadership to the Rivermen. With the London Knights of the OHL, Syvret served as team captain of a squad that not only won the 2005 Memorial Cup but also set numerous records as one of most impressive and successful amateur teams.

When looking further into Syvret’s skill set, Hockey’s Future states that he has strong skating ability and makes good, smart passes. His positioning and intelligence make up for his relatively small stature and he makes smart plays in his own end.

This signing is likely the last addition to the St. Louis organization barring any major surprises and fills a needed void left behind by Oystrick. Peoria will feature several new faces in addition to Syvret, the most notable perhaps being Jonathan Cheechoo and Brett Sterling all of whom will likely feature on the Rivermen power play.