Scott Nichol has announced his retirement as a player. He has been brought on board by the Nashville Predators to serve as the club's director of player development. "Every year we sit down as a family and go over if we want to keep going," said Nichol, who would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency in July. "We loved our time in St. Louis, and as a player you always want to play no matter how old you are. But I thought it was time. Nashville approached me, and it was hard to pass it up. I wanted to stay in the game and this was the best chance to give back to the game that gave so much to me. I'll be part of a great organization and I can still tell all of my bad stories and bad jokes and hopefully people will still laugh." Nichol played with Nashville from 2005-06 through 2008-09. He spent the past two seasons with St. Louis and will retire with 662 games of NHL experience under his belt.

Scott Nichol (lower body) practiced Thursday and he hopes to return before the end of the regular season. "It's frustrating because it feels good and you want to push it, and then you have to take a step back," said Nichol, who has been out of commission since April 1 due to a lower-body injury. "So, I'm trying to be patient. But if you sit out too long it's kind of hard to jump on a moving train. So I'm hoping to get back soon."

Scott Nichol missed his third consecutive game with a lower body injury. Just an FYI in case he is on your roster.

Scott Nichol won't play Thursday because of "general soreness." He didn't take part in the team's morning practice. "He hasn't skated for two days, we'll see how he feels tomorrow," said coach Ken Hitchcock. "Hopefully he's back up and running by the weekend."

Scott Nichol has signed a one-year contract extension with St. Louis worth $650,000. "We are pleased to have Scott back in the fold for next year," said Blues GM Doug Armstrong in a statement. "His work ethic and professionalism are second to none and he serves as an excellent role model for our young core." In Nichol's first season with St. Louis in 2011-12, he registered eight points and 83 penalty minutes in 80 games. He also led the club with a 57.6 faceoff winning percentage. Nichol would've been eligible for unrestricted free agency on Sunday if he didn't re-up with the Blues.

Scott Nichol scored the lone goal for Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings Monday night. Playing in his 600th game tonight, Nichol scored his second goal of the season on a poor line change by the Wings. Nichol played 392 games in the minors before sticking in NHL. He shouldn't be on your fantasy radar.

Scott Nichol will be in the lineup on Thursday against Toronto after he left Tuesday's game versus Chicago in the first period and did not return. He suffered a head injury in the contest, but has been cleared to play. Nichol has one assist and 10 penalty minutes in 14 games this season, so he shouldn't be on your fantasy radar.

Scott Nichol returned to action on Saturday October 8.

Scott Nichol (shoulder) should play in a preseason game this week. The Blues are scheduled to play on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but the team hasn't decided when he'll play. "We'll wait and see," Blues coach Davis Payne said. "We'll announce that lineup tomorrow. We'd definitely like to see him in there as soon as possible, tomorrow being as soon as possible." Nichol has been recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. We'll keep you posted.

The one-way contract signed by Scott Nichol on Tuesday was worth $600,000 plus bonuses. Nichol has a chance to earn an extra $100,000 with the St. Louis Blues if he fulfills all the bonuses in his contract. Nichol had seven points and 50 penalty minutes in 2010-11 with the San Jose Sharks. He is a good bottom six forward who will add energy to the Blues lineup.