Utah Hockey Club defenseman Robert Bortuzzo suffered an undisclosed injury in Wednesday's matchup against Anaheim. He left the 5-4 overtime loss in the third period after logging 10:02 of ice time. While in the game, Bortuzzo recorded one block and two penalty minutes with a minus-two rating. He was making his season debut in Sean Durzi's (upper body) absence. It looks like Utah could be down another d-man before Saturday's action against Boston, with Patrik Koch likely being the next man up at the back. The 27-year-old Slovakia native has previously played in only one NHL game. He logged 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 63 AHL appearances last season.
The St. Louis Blues have traded defenseman Robert Bortuzzo to the New York Islanders in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick. The hard-nosed blueliner has appeared in just four games for the Blues this season, amassing seven penalty minutes, four hits, and three blocked shots while being held off of the scoresheet in that time. He was also used sparingly in the 2022-23 season as he appeared in only 43 contests, tallying two goals, five points, and 29 penalty minutes in that time. A veteran of 537 NHL contests, the right-shot defenseman has recorded 20 goals, 74 points, and 491 penalty minutes while averaging 14:11 of ice time per game between the Penguins and Blues.
St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo sustained a lower-body injury Saturday versus Montreal and it's unclear if he is able to play in Sunday's game against Minnesota. He took just five shifts on Saturday and left after logging 3:05 of ice time. Bortuzzo's absence would be another blow for the Blues defense, with Torey Krug (lower body) and Nick Leddy (upper body) already hurt. Bortuzzo has next to no fantasy value, but the 33-year-old is regarded as the team's best penalty killer and things could become very rough without him against a Minnesota team that has a 24.4-percent power play.
Robert Bortuzzo
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