The Washington Capitals swapped minor league defensemen with the St. Louis Blues on Monday morning.
The Capitals acquired defender Corey Schueneman, sending former Blues rearguard Calle Rosen in the other direction. Through seven games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, Rosen was tied for the team lead in scoring with seven points (1g, 6a).
Schueneman, 30, is a left-handed defenseman with six points (1g, 5a) in nine games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds this season. The former Western Michigan University standout has 35 games of NHL experience to his name, having played for both the Blues and the Montreal Canadiens.
In his four games with the Blues last season, Schueneman averaged 14:03 of time on ice per game and had four shots on goal. He has six career NHL points (2g, 4a), all coming with the Canadiens in 24 games during the 2021-22 campaign.
The two defensemen are signed to nearly identical one-year contracts, each earning the league minimum of $775k at the NHL level. In the AHL, Rosen, signed by the Capitals this past July, makes $525k compared to Schueneman’s $425k.
The deal comes as Rosen scored the overtime winner for Hershey against the Thunderbirds on Saturday night, putting away a great feed from top prospect Andrew Cristall.
In addition to that trade, the Bears acquired forward Sam Bitten from the Thunderbirds in exchange for future considerations. Bitten, 25, has zero points in four games this season. Last year, he tallied six points (2g, 4a) and added 101 penalty minutes to lead the team, adding seven fighting majors.
Here’s the press release from the Capitals:
Capitals Acquire Corey Schueneman from St. Louis
30-year-old defenseman has recorded 116 points in 316 career AHL games
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Corey Schueneman from the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Calle Rosen, senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today. Schueneman will report to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Schueneman, 30, has recorded six points (1g, 5a) in nine games with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) this season. Schueneman led Thunderbird defensemen and ranked fourth among all skaters in points. In addition, the 6’0”, 200-pound defenseman was the team’s only skater to appear in all nine games and have an even plus-minus rating.
The Milford, Michigan native played four NHL games with St. Louis in 2024-25, averaging 14:03 of ice time. In 63 games with Springfield, Schueneman recorded 20 points (4g, 16a). Schueneman ranked second among Springfield defensemen in plus-minus (+8) and shots (109) and fourth in assists and points. Schueneman added one goal in three Calder Cup Playoff games, which tied for the team lead.
During the 2023-24 season, Schueneman registered an AHL career-high 18 assists in 64 games with the Colorado Eagles, one season after establishing career highs in goals (6) and points (23) with the Laval Rocket in 2022-23. Schueneman also appeared in seven games with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2022-23 season and recorded one assist.
Schueneman, who went undrafted, played 21 games with Montreal in 2021-22, registering six points (2g, 4a). Schueneman also appeared in 32 games with Springfield, where he served as an alternate captain and recorded 12 points (4g, 7a).
Schueneman signed with the AHL’s Stockton Heat on March 23, 2019, after completing his collegiate career at Western Michigan University, where he was teammates with Capitals forward Ethen Frank. In four seasons with the Broncos, Schueneman recorded 82 points (14g, 68a) in 144 career games and served as team captain during his senior season in 2018-19.
In 316 career AHL games with Springfield, Colorado, Laval and Stockton, Schueneman has recorded 116 points (26g, 90a). Schueneman has registered seven points (2g, 5a) in 35 career NHL games with St. Louis and Montreal.
