The St. Louis Blues began the season with an abundance of veteran defensemen, adding Ryan Suter to bolster their blue line as Stanley Cup winner Torey Krug remained out long-term and fellow veteran Nick Leddy dealt with his own health issues.

One defenseman whose status was uncertain heading into the season was Marco Scandella. The 15-year NHL veteran, who has been with the Blues since 2020, played in 65 games last year, tallying two goals and six assists while averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time.

After 784 NHL games, Scandella is reportedly retiring. According to a translated post by Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, despite having offers to play in Europe, Scandella has decided to step away from the game. NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period shared the news, adding his perspective on the situation.

Scandella, originally drafted in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild, made his NHL debut just two seasons later, playing in 20 games. He quickly became a mainstay on the Wild’s defense, appearing in at least 63 games in five consecutive seasons, a streak only interrupted by an injury that limited him to six games in the 2012-2013 season.

Before the 2017-2018 season, Scandella was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, where he had a strong first year, playing all 82 games and recording a career-high 17 assists and 22 points.

The 2019-2020 season was a whirlwind for Scandella, who started the year with the Sabres before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens, where he played 20 games before being sent to the Blues ahead of the 2020 trade deadline.