The St. Louis Blues continue their busy offseason, this time signing bottom-six forward Jordan Nolan to a one-year two-way contract according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Nolan will earn $650K at the NHL level.
Nolan, 29, spent last season with the Buffalo Sabres and registered eight points in 69 games as a physical presence on the fourth line. The Blues should be very familiar with him though from his days with the Los Angeles Kings, where he racked up nearly 600 hits and made his mark on the Western Conference. The 6’3″ winger has just 50 points in his career, but is added depth to a Blues team that will try to compete for the Stanley Cup this season.
St. Louis recently acquired Ryan O’Reilly and signed Chad Johnson, who both spent last season with the Sabres and would have some insight for the management team on the type of locker room presence Nolan brings. Though he’s not expected to play a big role for the Blues this season, he likely could spend the year in the minor leagues ready to make the jump if needed. Waiver eligible, he’d be at risk of claim from one of the other teams in the league but seems an unlikely target for most. The Blues are entering a new AHL partnership with the San Antonio Rampage, and will want to have several players with NHL experience on their minor league squad.