Blues add organizational depth with signings

The St. Louis Blues, NHL affiliate of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, added some organizational depth Saturday, agreeing to one-year, two-way contracts with defenseman Chris Butler, forward Jacob Doty, defenseman Brad Hunt, forward Andrew Agozzino, forward Wade Megan, defenseman Morgan Ellis, forward Alex Friesen and forward Kenny Agostino.

The Blues also signed forward Conner Bleackley to a three-year entry-level contract.

Butler, a St. Louis native, returns for his third season with the organization. In 2015-16, he tallied four goals and 14 assists for 18 points in 46 AHL games with Chicago, and also skated in five NHL contests with the Blues.

A ninth-year pro out of the University of Denver, Butler has played 387 career NHL games with St. Louis, Calgary and Buffalo, totaling 13 goals and 71 assists for 84 points. He has seven goals and 32 assists in 87 AHL contests with Chicago and Portland.

Doty, 23, notched four goals and four assists and led all AHL rookies with 163 penalty minutes in 53 games with Chicago in 2015-16, his first full season in the AHL.

The native of Billings, Mont., made his AHL debut with the Wolves in 2014-15, notching two goals and four assists in 14 games.

Hunt, 27, notched 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points in 57 AHL games with Bakersfield last season, and also skated in seven NHL games with Edmonton.

Over four AHL seasons, Hunt has appeared in three AHL All-Star Classics (2013, 2015, 2016) and was a First Team AHL All-Star in 2014-15 and a Second Team selection in 2013-14. He has tallied 48 goals and 132 assists for 180 points in 264 AHL games with Bakersfield, Oklahoma City and Chicago, along with one goal and two assists in 21 NHL contests with Edmonton.

Agozzino, 25, notched 12 goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 41 games with San Antonio (AHL) along with two assists in nine NHL contests with Colorado in 2015-16.

The fifth-year pro has amassed 79 goals and 115 assists for 194 points in 268 AHL games with San Antonio, Lake Erie and Peoria, including a 30-goal campaign in 2014-15. He also appeared in the AHL All-Star Classic in 2013.

Megan, 25, established career highs in goals (14), assists (9), points (23), plus/minus (+10) and games played (75) with Portland in 2015-16, and also led the American Hockey League with seven shorthanded goals.

The fourth-year pro out of Boston University has totaled 34 goals and 20 assists for 54 points in 190 AHL games with Portland and San Antonio.

Ellis, 24, had a career year in 2015-16, finishing second among all AHL defensemen in goals (16) while adding 26 assists for 42 points in 73 games for St. John’s. Ellis, who played in the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic, also made his NHL debut with Montreal, appearing in three games.

A native of Ellerslie, P.E.I., Ellis has played 230 AHL games over four pro seasons, compiling 26 goals and 43 assists for 69 points.

Friesen, 25, also set career highs in 2015-16 with 14 goals, 17 assists and 31 points in 65 AHL games with Utica. The four-year pro also made his NHL debut with Vancouver, appearing in one game.

In 221 regular-season games with Utica and Chicago, Friesen has tallied 31 goals and 55 assists for 86 points. He also has five goals and seven assists in 27 postseason games, helping the Comets to the Calder Cup Finals in 2015.

Agostino, 24, recorded a team-leading 57 points (23 goals, 34 assists) in 65 AHL games with Stockton in 2015-16, his second pro season out of Yale University. He also skated in two NHL games with Calgary.

The native of Morristown, N.J., has 38 goals and 62 assists for 100 points in 132 career AHL contests with Stockton and Adirondack.

Bleackley, 20, was a fifth-round choice by St. Louis in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He played five seasons of junior hockey at Red Deer (WHL), notching 13 goals and 33 assists for 46 points in 55 games in 2015-16.