St. Louis Blues Sign Dmitrij Jaskin To ELC

Jaskin and Moncton teammate Yannick Veilleux to join Peoria Rivermen in time for Friday's game with Rockford.

By Brian Weidler, "Game Time" Prospect Department

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The Blues took another step today towards bolstering the roster of their AHL affiliate, signing 2011 second-round pick (41st overall) Dmitrij Jaskin to a three-year entry-level contract.

The team will burn the first year of Jaskin's new contract right away by assigning him directly to Peoria for the balance of the season.

Jaskin becomes the latest member of "The Magnificent Seven" (a group of seven top prospects poised to turn pro) to find his way to Peoria this spring. Finnish defenseman Jani Hakanpää crossed the Atlantic after his SM-Liiga season was completed, and made his debut with the Rivermen on St. Patrick's Day. And the Rivermen also announced today that Jaskin's QMJHL teammate, left wing and power-play specialist (23 PPG out of 36 total goals scored this year) Yannick Veilleux, would also be joining the Rivermen on an amateur tryout (ATO) contract, in order to "slide" his ELC to begin next season.

The other members of "The Magnificent Seven" are all still involved in the major junior playoffs, and will likely not find their way to the AHL until next season. In alphabetical order, they are: goaltender Jordan Binnington (Owen Sound/OHL), defenseman Joel Edmundson (Kamloops/WHL), right wing Ty Rattie (Portland/WHL) and forward Ryan Tesink (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL).

Junior defenseman Nick Walters (Brandon/WHL) is also currently in Peoria on an ATO contract, but will be returning to the 'Dub for his last year of junior eligibility in 2013-14.