The St. Louis Blues have signed depth forward Mathias Laferriere to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The deal will carry a league-minimum $775K cap hit. Laferriere was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1st, following the end of his three-year entry-level contract signed in 2019.
Laferriere took a bit of a lateral step this season, posting seven goals and 25 points in 68 games with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. His scoring came one point shy of his career-high posted in 18 fewer games last season. It’s been a slow start to the 23-year-old’s pro career, totaling just 60 points across his first 174 games in the AHL. Laferriere originally joined the Blues through the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, amidst a QMJHL career that stretched across 238 games. He proceeded his draft selection with a career-high 28 goals and 74 points in 68 games with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, though it’d mark his only time breaking the 50-point mark across his five seasons in the league.
Despite the measly regular season scoring, Laferriere showed an impressive ability to show up when it mattered during his juniors career – posting 19 points across the last 20 playoff games of his CHL career. The intangibles that earned him those postseason points are now earning him a serviceable role with the Springfield Thunderbirds. But on a one-year deal, his focus next season will be much more on maintaining that role than it will be rivaling the Blues lineup. Still, an NHL contract will make him eligible for a call-up should St. Louis need the depth. That will put him in competition with players like Zachary Bolduc, Zach Dean, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Juraj Pekarcik for St. Louis’ fringe lineup roles.