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Former Blues Defenseman Retiring After 15 Seasons

After 15 seasons in the NHL, a former St. Louis Blues defender is reportedly calling it a career.

Jacob Punturi

Dec 27, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Marco Scandella (6) shoots and scores against the Dallas Stars during the second period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Dec 27, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Marco Scandella (6) shoots and scores against the Dallas Stars during the second period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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The St. Louis Blues entered the season with a glut of veteran defensemen. They brought in Ryan Suter to fill out their blue line with Stanley Cup winner Torey Krug out long-term and fellow veteran Nick Leddy dealing with his own health issues.

One defenseman that the Blues were unsure of entering the year was Marco Scandella. The 15-year NHL veteran has been with the St. Louis organization since the 2020. Last year he played in 65 games for the Blues, posting two goals and six assists while averaging a bit under 13 minutes of ice-time.

After 784 NHL games, Scandella is reportedly stepping away from the game and retiring. In a translated post from Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, he reported that Scandella was calling it a career despite having outstanding offers to play in Europe. NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period shared the tweet and added his input on the situation.

Scandella was originally drafted in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. The former 55th overall pick made the NHL just two seasons after his draft year, playing in 20 games during his debut season.

Following his rookie campaign, he became a fixture on the Wild blueline, playing in at least 63 games in each of the next five seasons. It would have been six seasons in a row if an injury didn't limit him to just six games during the 2012-2013 season.

Before the 2017-2018 season, the Wild shipped Scandella to the Buffalo Sabres. He would impress during year one in Buffalo, playing in all 82 games and finishing with a career-high 17 assists and 22 points.

The 2019-2020 season was a whirwhind for Scandella. He began the year with the Sabres, playing in 31 games. Then he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, playing in just 20 games before they sent him to the Blues prior to the 2020 Trade Deadline.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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