The St. Louis Blues extended a training camp invitation to defenseman Scooter Vaughan. The undrafted American last played for the Blues’ AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves, netting 3G, 11A, and 56PIM in 68 games. In his AHL career he’s put up 21G and 25A in 190 games between the Chicago Wolves and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
This is St. Louis’s sixth PTO so far this offsesason, following T.J. Galiardi, Eric Nystrom, Chris Porter, Yan Stastny, and Mike Weber. St. Louis is known for its numerous invites—last year they had nine players on PTOs and signed three of them: Scott Gomez, Scottie Upshall, and Martin Havlat. Vaughan is not expected to earn an NHL contract, but a decent performance could garner a spot back with the Chicago Wolves.
The hard-nosed defenseman is known more for his gritty play than his scoring touch, and his veteran presence will provide guidance for the Blues’ young prospects. According to Hockeyfights.com, Vaughan participated in four fights last year, and eleven the year before. Even if Vaughan does not earn a contract, the exposure amongst NHL talent goes a long way to obtaining professional employment elsewhere in the AHL. If he does earn an NHL contract, it will be his first NHL opportunity.