5 questions with De La Rose

CALGARY - Just minutes after the final buzzer sounded on a 5-2 Blues' win against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, General Manager Doug Armstrong finalized a trade that brought Jacob de la Rose to the Blues in exchange for Robby Fabbri.
De la Rose, 24, brings some size and can play any forward position. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound native of Arvika, Sweden has played in 195 career games with the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings, posting 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists). He also captured a gold medal with Team Sweden at the 2018 World Championships.
De la Rose arrived in Calgary on Thursday night and was on the ice with his new teammates during Friday's practice at the Saddledome. We caught up with him after practice.

BLUES: How did you hear about the trade and what were your thoughts when you learned you were going to St. Louis?
DE LA ROSE: They called me after the game in New York. I wasn't playing that game, so I figured something was going on. I'm happy to be here and I'm coming to a really good team that had success last year and is doing really good this year. I'm really excited to do everything I can to make sure to show them they made the right decision.
BLUES: Until now, you've only played in the Eastern Conference, so Blues fans haven't gotten a chance to see you play all that often. What can you tell them about the player they're getting?
DE LA ROSE: I actually haven't played in St .Louis in forever. I've been hurt the last two years (when we've played the Blues). I think I'm a hard-working player who is good defensively, takes a lot of defensive responsibility. I try to use my size and be hard to play against.

BLUES: In your first practice with the Blues, you were skating in Alexander Steen's spot with Tyler Bozak and Sammy Blais. Looking at the team, where do you think you fit in?
DE LA ROSE: I can't say I've studied the roster that closely, so (I don't know). Just try to bring my game and bring something to this team wherever they need me.
BLUES: Are you familiar with any of your new teammates?
DE LA ROSE: I played with Oskar Sundqvist at World Juniors five or six years ago now. We played a lot growing up on the national teams, too, so I know him really well. The other (Swedish) guys like (Alexander Steen, Carl Gunnarsson), they are a bit older than us. But I've only heard good things about them.
BLUES: Tell us something we couldn't learn by typing 'Jacob de la Rose' into Google.
DE LA ROSE: My family is the only family in the world with the name de la Rose.