Oskar Sundqvist makes return to St. Louis, wearing yet another new jersey: Blues Extra

The trade deadline wasn’t until March 21 last season, and that’s when the Blues sent Sundqvist, defenseman Jake Walman and a second-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings for defensemen Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski.

“It feels like it’s been a long time, but at the same time it feels like it was kind of like yesterday driving down the highway,” Sundqvist said. “So it’s nice to be back. Very, very excited.”

With his girlfriend being from St. Louis, Sundqvist kept his house here after the trade to Detroit. And he drove over to see the place Tuesday night.

“I spend most of my summers here,” he said. “I catch up with some old teammates, too.”

So it’s not unusual to see Sundqvist at a Cardinals baseball game, or otherwise around town, during the hockey offseason. Now that St. Louis has an MLS team, you’ll probably see him in the stands watching City SC at some point.

“We’re going to try to go to one of those games this summer,” he said. “Very excited for that.”

Sundqvist may have kept his St. Louis address, but he changed his hockey address for the season straight season. That’s right, he was moved again at the trade deadline this, going from Detroit to Minnesota on March 3 for a fourth-round draft pick.

As such, he was in town Wednesday with the Minnesota Wild for their game with the Blues at Enterprise Center.

“It’s been super easy, coming in here to Minnesota,” Sundqvist said following the Wild’s morning skate. “All the guys have been very welcoming. It was an easier transition I would say to come here than Detroit.

“Kind of a different feel to the team. Coming here to a team that hasn’t lost (in regulation) in 13 games. So obviously it’s a feel-good situation. It was very easy to come into this locker room.”

Wednesday’s game marked his first contest in St. Louis since being shipped to Detroit last season. Even without the trade to Minnesota, he would’ve had a St. Louis homecoming this month because the Red Wings drop in at Enterprise Center on March 21.

But at least he had the stage to himself with the Wild in terms of homecomings. When the Red Wings come to town next week, it will be the first game in St. Louis for former Blues David Perron, Ville Husso and Walman. (Another former Blue, Robby Fabbri, also is on the team.)

No wonder that the hockey team from Motown is referred to as the Detroit Blues by some.

“It was nice, a lot of old St. Louis guys,” Sundqvist said. “I had a lot of fun with those guys this year. (Perron) hasn’t changed a bit. I love him. I loved having him on my team, and he’s a guy that I loved going to battle with.”

When Sundqvist arrived in Detroit last season, the Red Wings already were out of playoffs considerationg, so the energy level around the team wasn’t that high.

“It was more just trying to get the season over with,” he said.

This year the atmosphere was a lot different, with the Red Wings getting off to a quick start and in playoff contention much of the year. Detroit has since faded in the standings, so the trade to surging Minnesota came at a good time.

Entering Wednesday, Sundqvist had played four games with the Wild, garnering two assists.

“He’s added a lot to our group,” Minnesota coach Dean Evason said. “He’s so good defensively. But he has a skill set that can produce, that can create offensively. He’s fit in nicely with all our Swedish guys.

“Obviously we’ve added a guy that’s won a Stanley Cup, played in big pressure situations. Looking forward to him leading us when we get there (to the playoffs).”

Sundqvist, 28 and a native of Boden, Sweden, had seven goals and 14 assists in 52 games for the Red Wings this season. His best year production-wise remains the 2018-19 Stanley Cup season with the Blues: 14 goals, 17 assists, and one Stanley Cup ring.

“It’s stored away somewhere in a safety box,” Sundqvist said. “So I don’t really look at it that often. It’s in Sweden, actually.”