Blues Rumors

St. Louis Blues Sign James Neal, Michael Frolik To PTOs

September 17, 2021 at 1:34 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 32 Comments

The St. Louis Blues have brought in a ton of veteran experience in one day, signing James Neal and Michael Frolik to professional tryouts. Both players will join the Blues for training camp as they look for NHL contracts.

Neal, 34, was once one of the most consistent goal scorers in the league, posting seasons of at least 21 goals for the first ten years of his career. Things changed in 2018-19 when he signed a five-year, $28.75MM contract with the Calgary Flames, as suddenly his goal scoring dried up and he was pushed further and further down the lineup.

After two up and down years with the Edmonton Oilers, Neal’s contract was bought out in July. He will still earn nearly $2MM from the Oilers in each of the next four years, meaning whatever he was to make on another NHL contract would just be a bonus. Though his overall play has obviously declined, Neal did actually score 24 goals in 84 games for the Oilers over those two seasons, 13 of them coming on the powerplay. If there’s any of that juice left, perhaps the Blues could use him as a sort of specialist to replace some of the scoring that left in the offseason, or that which could still be moved out.

Frolik, 33, is a bit of a different story. He was never a pure goal scorer, far from it in fact as he hasn’t recorded a 20-goal season since his sophomore year in 2009-10. Instead, he grew into a defensively capable support player who could be relied on for somewhere around 40 points a year. That offense disappeared over the last few years though and Frolik was limited almost entirely to the taxi squad for the Montreal Canadiens in 2020-21. In eight games, he failed to record a single point.

It’s hard to believe he’ll ever be an impact player again, but you could certainly do worse than Frolik if you’re looking for depth to keep on hand in case of injury. Having a player like him in camp prepares for that situation, given the Blues don’t have a huge number of young players pushing (or ready) for playing time.

As with any tryout agreement, it’s also important to remember that this does not mean the Blues have exclusive rights to these players. Any NHL team can still sign them if they wish, meaning this is a showcase to the whole league.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Tyler Bozak Signs With St. Louis Blues

September 14, 2021 at 10:08 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 6 Comments

Why not return to the place where you won it all? Tyler Bozak has re-signed with the St. Louis Blues, inking a one-year contract. The deal is worth a base salary of $750K but also includes performance bonuses. Those bonuses, based on games played and playoff success, can increase Bozak’s salary to $2MM, according to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest. CapFriendly reports the deal includes a no-trade clause through March 6, 2022, and tweets the full bonus structure:

10 GP: $750K
41 GP: $250K
Winning round 1: $100K
Winning round 2: $150K

Bozak, 35, was actually listed 35th on our list of the Top 50 UFAs, where we predicted he would sign a one-year, bonus-laden deal. It seemed likely, given the dearth of real center options available, that Bozak would be able to secure more than the league minimum for his base salary. Perhaps he could have, had he not returned to St. Louis, where the Blues are currently tapped out when it comes to the salary cap ceiling. The team is pushing right up against the upper limit but still has Robert Thomas to sign, which will put them over for the start of the season.

Oskar Sundqvist will likely open the year on long-term injured reserve, opening some cap flexibility and a lineup spot for Bozak, who is coming in on a very reasonable deal. Though his bonuses will likely bring him higher than the league minimum of $750K, those can actually be carried to next season’s cap as an overage if necessary. His very low base salary gives the Blues as much flexibility as possible, not to mention brings back a valuable veteran centerman.

Bozak may not be the player that recorded 55 points in 2016-17, but he’s still one of the best faceoff men in the league, winning 56.8% of his draws last season. He will offer the team excellent depth down the middle as they look to rebound from a disappointing 2020-21, where they were pummeled by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. With new faces like Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad adding a new dimension to the forward group, the team has built quite the diverse lineup. Adding Bozak for a smaller cap hit (initially) than Kyle Clifford and Mackenzie MacEachern only helps things.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: St. Louis Blues

September 11, 2021 at 10:45 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 6 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2021-22 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

St. Louis Blues

Current Cap Hit: $79,968,849 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None projected to play with some regularity at the NHL level this coming season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Robert Bortuzzo ($1.375MM, UFA)
F Kyle Clifford ($1MM, UFA)
G Ville Husso ($750K, UFA)
F Mackenzie MacEachern ($900K, UFA)
D Niko Mikkola ($788K, RFA)
F David Perron ($4MM, UFA)
F Zach Sanford ($2MM, UFA)
D Jake Walman ($725K, RFA)

Some players just fit on a certain team and that appears to be the case for Perron who has vastly outperformed his contract in this, his third go-around with the organization. He cracked the point per game mark last season for the first time in his career and a repeat performance would set him up for a considerable raise if he opted to test free agency. Given that he has already come back twice though, it’s also understandable to think that he may take a little less to stay where he’s comfortable. Sanford has been a capable depth scorer the last few seasons and after seeing that market bounce back a bit for unrestricted free agents this summer, he should be able to land a small raise. If they have to spend more to retain Perron though, some of that money may come from Sanford’s expiring deal. Clifford had a limited role last season and a similar showing will have him looking at playing for the minimum salary in 2022-23. MacEachern has been a depth piece and will need to establish himself as a regular to have a shot at a nominal raise moving forward; his spot will likely need to go to someone making the minimum beyond this season.

Bortuzzo has had a limited role the last few seasons and while they may want to keep him around in that same role, it’s hard to see him getting more on his next deal as players logging the minutes he does often sign for the minimum or close to it. Mikkola will have a chance to push for a regular spot on the third pairing but as he hasn’t produced much even in the minors, a minor pay bump is likelier than a big jump. Walman will be battling Mikkola for that spot and while he has produced more in the minors, again, only a small raise is probable unless one of them really takes a big step and locks down a spot in the top four.

Husso’s first NHL opportunity didn’t go as well as he or the Blues had hoped for but with their cap situation, they couldn’t really afford to bring in a more proven backup. That’s the case again for 2021-22 where he’ll get a chance to prove himself as a viable NHL second option. If it doesn’t happen, he may be back to looking for two-way deals. Either way, St. Louis will need to stay with a low-priced backup to make their salary structure work.

Two Years Remaining

F Ivan Barbashev ($2.25MM, UFA)
F Jordan Kyrou ($2.8MM, UFA)
F Ryan O’Reilly ($7.5MM, UFA)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Vladimir Tarasenko ($7.5MM, UFA)

When Buffalo signed O’Reilly to this contract just one year after acquiring him from Colorado back in 2016, the price tag seemed steep. The hope was that he’d become a top-line center but it took getting traded again for him to truly get to that level. With St. Louis, O’Reilly has upped his production while continuing his strong defensive play, earning a Selke Trophy and finishing in the top five in voting the other two seasons. He has made a case for a small raise – he doesn’t put up elite offensive numbers to get him into that $10MM or more tier – but he’ll be 32 when his next contract starts, taking away the potential for a max-term pact.

On the other end of the scale is Tarasenko. You all know the story by now, multiple shoulder surgeries, decreased offensive production, and a mutual desire for a change of scenery though one has yet to materialize. He’ll need to bounce back in a big way to have a shot at a contract anywhere near this two years from now. Kyrou’s first full NHL season was a strong one but with his limited track record and their cap situation, a bridge deal was the only way to go. He’ll at least get a small raise with a $3.2MM qualifying offer but it also wouldn’t be shocking to see him double his current AAV on a long-term pact. Sundqvist, when healthy, has become a capable third liner and as a center, he plays a premium position but he will need to improve his production if he wants more than a nominal raise two years from now. The same can be said for Barbashev who, while he has been used more as a winger, can also play down the middle which will help his value on the open market.

Three Years Remaining

D Marco Scandella ($3.275MM, UFA)

Scandella made an immediate impact after being acquired from Montreal in 2020, earning this extension soon after. He doesn’t produce much but is a capable shutdown defender that can play on the second pairing. It’s not a value contract but it’s not an overpayment either.

Four Or More Years Remaining

G Jordan Binnington ($6MM through 2026-27)
F Pavel Buchnevich ($5.8MM through 2024-25)
D Justin Faulk ($6.5MM through 2026-27)
D Torey Krug ($6.5MM through 2026-27)
D Colton Parayko ($5.5MM in 2021-22, $6.5MM through 2029-30)
F Brandon Saad ($4.5MM through 2025-26)
F Brayden Schenn ($6.5MM through 2027-28)

Schenn’s production dipped a bit last season in terms of his per-game rates which is worth noting given that he is paid to be a key offensive piece but after five seasons of 50-plus points before that, it’s also reasonable to expect he’ll bounce back and if that happens, they’ll get a reasonable bang for their buck. Buchnevich was brought in to bolster their offense after a career year with the Rangers where he hovered near a point per game. Production around that mark would be a great return for the Blues. Saad effectively replaces Mike Hoffman who signed for the same cap hit with Montreal. He won’t produce as much but will impact the game in more ways as well. He was a little overpaid on his last contract based on his output and this deal is a good one for someone who should be in the top six for most of it.

Faulk’s second season in St. Louis was much better than his first as he moved up to their top pairing and held his own. His dip in production should be a little concerning given that his offensive output is a big part of his value. The back years may be concerning but in the short term, he’ll give them a decent return on their investment. Krug’s first season in St. Louis was as expected; he added some mobility and playmaking to their back end and as long as that continues, they’ll be fine with the contract. Parayko is coming off an injury-plagued year which kept the price tag on his extension down but also increased the risk. He’s a top-pairing piece when healthy but they will need his production to come more consistently to justify the higher price tag over the long term.

Binnington hasn’t been able to replicate his rookie season performance or even come close to that level over the last two years. Instead, he has been closer to league average in both years. He’s making a bit over the median salary for a starter so it’s a bit of an above-market contract as a result but not to the point where it should be a concern for the Blues.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

F Robert Thomas – Last season was a tough one for Thomas who was limited to just a dozen points in 33 games which certainly doesn’t help his case as he looks for a new contract. However, he was a legitimate secondary scorer the year before with 42 points in 66 contests and his camp is undoubtedly trying to use that as the basis for a new deal. With the dip last season and their cap situation, a bridge contract is the likeliest scenario with something similar to Kyrou’s deal seemingly being a reasonable settling point for both sides.

Best Value: Perron
Worst Value: Tarasenko

Looking Ahead

Assuming Sundqvist is able to return from his torn ACL in time for training camp and not need any time on LTIR, the Blues will likely be over the cap once the deal for Thomas gets done. Moving Tarasenko would certainly free up some money (and might also allow them to bring back Tyler Bozak) but it doesn’t look like such a move is happening. If not him, someone else will need to move before too long.

Their situation is relatively clean beyond this season though. There’s enough space to re-sign key players like Perron and O’Reilly when their respective deals expire and while that will keep them at or just below the Upper Limit, those new contracts shouldn’t require moving other players out. On the other hand, there won’t be room to add to the core beyond what has already been done either so there may not be a lot of changes coming over the next couple of years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Leafs Camp, Bruins Camp, Blues

September 10, 2021 at 7:15 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Still somewhat in the dead of the offseason, development camps are starting up for the majority of teams across the league. The pace of news is sure to increase in the coming days as these camps get underway, especially with training camps just around the corner as well. For now, the focus turns to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had a variety of absences today from their camp. Defenders Joseph Duszak and Riley McCourt were both absent with injuries, The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby reports. Duszak, who’s on an NHL contract and has impressed in back-to-back seasons with the Toronto Marlies, was absent with a foot injury. This development camp and ensuing training camp will be important for him, giving Duszak a chance to show that he can be a legitimate call-up option for the team in case of injury. McCourt is on an AHL contract and is entering his second season of professional hockey after tallying one assist in eight games with the Marlies last year. Hornby also mentions the omission of Colby Saganiuk from camp, as he was held out as a precaution due to illness. Saganiuk is attending the camp on an invite basis, as the 18-year-old will be returning to the OHL’s Erie Otters next year.

Elsewhere across the NHL:

The Boston Bruins’ development camp roster was released, and via The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter, it includes 2021 first-round draft choice Fabian Lysell. After signing his entry-level contract earlier this offseason, Lysell will get his first North American action with the Bruins’ development camp. While it’s an extreme longshot for him to make the team after just three points in 26 SHL games last season, he’ll get experience playing with other potential future Bruins roster players such as Oskar Steen, Jack Ahcan, and others.
Just days after the home Minnesota Wild released theirs, the St. Louis Blues dropped their Winter Classic uniforms on Friday night. Featuring a vintage, off-white look reminiscent of the team’s inaugural jersey set, the team opted for a much more simplistic look than their opponent. The jerseys will obviously be worn on New Year’s Day at Minneapolis’ Target Field, but could be worn throughout the season as alternates as other teams have opted to in the past.

David Backes Signs One-Day Contract, Retires As Member Of St. Louis Blues

September 9, 2021 at 10:04 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

The St. Louis Blues have brought David Backes home. The veteran forward has signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the team, just to announce his retirement from hockey. Backes released a long letter to the organization and the fans of St. Louis, including an explanation of just why he has chosen to hang up the skates at this point:

The game got faster and younger and I haven’t been associated with either of those adjectives in a long time.

My final goal was to play 1,000 games, but I came up 35 short.

In the end, it’s not that all these numbers don’t matter – they do, and I am damn proud of them. But the metrics that mean the most to me are the countless experiences and everlasting relationships that the game provided me.

That’s what I find is beyond measure.

Backes, 37, played a decade in St. Louis to start his career, ascending to the captaincy of the Blues by 2011. He scored 206 goals and 460 points in 727 regular season games with the team, but. was unable to find much success in the postseason. In his time there the Blues reached the Conference Finals just once, and by then he was already slowing down. In 2016 he was one of several high-profile free agents that signed expensive, long-term deals that failed to pan out as the league underwent a transformation toward youth and speed.

That second chapter of his career came in Boston, where he managed just 39 goals over 217 games, his declining footspeed slowly moving him further and further down the lineup. Always aware of his waning effectiveness, Backes decided to embrace a new role as a sort of enforcer for the Bruins by 2019, adding physicality and toughness to the fourth line.

When he was scratched more often than not during the first part of the 2019-20 season, the Bruins ended up trading Backes to the Anaheim Ducks, where he finished out his career with 21 appearances. That would take the veteran forward to 965, 35 short as he explained in his letter today. Though he failed to win any major awards, Backes was a Selke Trophy finalist in 2012 and finished in the top five for that award four years in a row. A fan favorite in St. Louis, he’ll now be able to say he finished his career where it started.

Snapshots: Senators, Merzlikins, Tarasenko

September 7, 2021 at 7:43 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

Armed with a contract extension, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion is looking to make this next stage of his time with the team much different than the most recent stretch. According to Dorion, the rebuild is over. In an appearance on TSN 1200 in Ottawa today, he stated the following:

We’ve had a plan since we started this rebuild. I feel that we’re in the next stage now, it’s time to start to win… Last year, we felt we were a team that was hard to play against, but now it’s time to challenge to get two points every night, be in every game. Games that maybe you got a point last year, you need two this year… A lot of our younger players have reached a maturity stage in their career where they should be leading us and not be considered young players anymore. As a group, It’s time to start winning.

The Senators did take a small step forward last season, finishing with a 23-28-5 record that was neither the last in their division nor a bottom-five mark in the NHL for the first time since 2016-17. The season ended on a strong note with a 16-13-4 run to end the year. However, there is more work to be done for the Senators to regain relevance. The team is still young and inexperienced and lacking in depth in many areas. In order to compete in the deadly Atlantic Division, at least this season, Ottawa likely needs more than what their current roster can offer even at their very best. Fortunately, the Senators also have a copious amount of cap space – still under the cap floor for now – and Dorion mentioned having “several irons in the fire”. Perhaps the Senators will add an impact player or two before the season begins if they are really committed to taking a step forward this season.

Another team that could be looking to surprise this season will be the new-look Columbus Blue Jackets. The x-factor could be goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who has his sights set on more than just winning the starting job over Joonas Korpisalo. Merzlikins tells The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline that the tragic death of close friend, teammate, and countryman Matiss Kivlenieks has instilled in him a drive to become one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. “I’m gonna win a f—— Vezina for him,” Merzlikins proclaimed. “This is my goal. I believe I’m going to reach it. I’m not going to have any limits. I’m just gonna go all-in.” The 27-year-old goaltender has certainly shown signs of elite ability through his first two NHL seasons, recording a .920 save percentage and 2.54 GAA in 61 games. While he may seem far from competing for a Vezina Trophy, especially sharing starts with Korpisalo and playing for a team that is not expected to be a playoff contender, never underestimate the inspiration that a life-changing event can create. Merzlikins credits Kivlenieks with saving his family and that should be more than enough motivation for him to honor his friend to the best of his abilities.
With considerable cap space and a desire to add top talent, both Ottawa and Columbus could be good landing spots for Vladimir Tarasenko, who requested a trade out of St. Louis earlier this off-season. However, Blues head coach Craig Berube does not expect the star sniper to be going anywhere. In an appearance on the “Cam and Strick” podcast, Berube stated that he believes that Tarasenko will remain in St. Louis this season. Berube says that he has no hard feelings toward Tarasenko, who has maintained that he would like to be traded, and will treat him like any other player in helping him to succeed with the Blues in the event that he stays with the team as Berube expects. Berube states that the team is focusing on what they can control (Tarasenko) and not on what they can’t (the market) which could mean that he really will not be traded despite all indications.

Colton Parayko Has Fully Recovered From Back Injury

September 5, 2021 at 6:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

Blues defenseman Colton Parayko missed 21 games last season due to a lingering back issue which likely kept the price tag lower on the eight-year, $52MM extension he just signed. Speaking with reporters, including Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the veteran indicated that his back has fully recovered but the treatment to get to that point has been minimal. Instead of surgery or extensive rehab, Parayko has largely just rested to heal the injury, something that simply wasn’t an option during the season when he tried to play through it. Expectations will be much higher for him heading into this coming season with that extension now in place and with the back injury behind him, he should be able to have a bigger impact offensively after recording just 12 points in 32 contests.

Seven Notable RFAs Still Remain Unsigned

September 5, 2021 at 5:55 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 6 Comments

It’s September 5th, which means that NHL preseason hockey is now less than three weeks away. Teams have been dealing with the realities of a flat salary cap for two offseasons now, but for some teams, it’s crunch time as their young star (or stars) remain in need of a new contract for the 2021-22 season.

While it’s obviously preferable for teams to get these players signed so they can join the team right away, teams do technically have until December 1st to sign any RFAs for them to be eligible to suit up this season. However, waiting into the season to sign the RFAs will increase the cap hit for the first year of the deal, something the league saw with William Nylander’s contract in 2018-19.

For some teams, mainly the Vancouver Canucks, that could be an issue. They’re the team that faces the largest potential cap crunch with both Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes to sign. The team currently carries $10.7MM in cap space, but that number could increase to as much as $14.2MM with Micheal Ferland being placed on long-term injured reserve. Pettersson and Hughes both struggled at times this season, but it’s hard to take results from any Canuck into account too much due to the team’s large-scale COVID-19 outbreak. Pettersson was limited to just 26 games because of injury, scoring 21 points. Hughes netted 41 points in 56 games. However, it’s still a hard argument to make that these two aren’t elite talents. Because of this, it’s likely impossible for Vancouver to afford both on long-term deals. One of them will likely be receiving a two-to-four-year contract with a much lower cap hit, but the contracts need to be signed before the start of the season in order to avoid any inflation on the already tight cap hits.

Then there’s two teams who’ve had long, drawn-out negotiations with their respective stars this offseason – the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators. Both Kirill Kaprizov and Brady Tkachuk remain without deals. There appears to be some amount of hope for one team, though. Multiple reports in recent days have suggested the Wild are making progress on a deal, especially considering the deadline has now passed for Kaprizov to sign back home in Russia. The same can’t be said for Ottawa, as Tkachuk has claimed he hasn’t received a legitimate offer from the team and is beginning to get frustrated with the situation (as reported here by TSN’s Shawn Simpson). Ottawa does still have a great amount of salary cap flexibility, though, and they can afford for contract negotiations to stretch into the season.

Staying in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers still have Kailer Yamamoto to lock down in order to fill out their top-six forward group. When Oscar Klefbom is placed on LTIR and Alex Stalock is presumably sent down to the minors, the team will still have just around $1.8MM in cap space. Yamamoto likely won’t be signing anything longer than a two-year deal due to the situation. And though they can create some additional flexibility by not operating with a full roster, Edmonton will still be very interested in avoiding a prorated cap hit as the salary cap situation will remain tight no matter what.

Then there’s the remaining duo of youngsters playing for American teams – Rasmus Dahlin and Robert Thomas. Dahlin’s negotiations will be interesting to watch, purely to see if the team will commit to him long-term or not. The Sabres likely want to pay him more as the team still hasn’t reached the salary cap floor, as they still need to add roughly $2.5MM in cap hits to be cap-compliant. Dahlin will receive much more than that on any deal he signs. The Blues are in a bit of a pickle with Thomas, as the team has just $1.5MM in cap space remaining to ink the promising young forward. Thomas had only 12 points in 33 games this year and spent time injured, but had 10 goals and 42 points the season prior. It’ll likely be a one-year or two-year deal for Thomas, who finds himself in a very similar situation to Yamamoto in Edmonton.

All seven of these players will be watched with a keen eye by many in the hockey community as each day passes before camps open across the league. As the league emerges from the quiet part of the offseason, these players will likely dominate headlines sooner rather than later.

All salary cap figures via CapFriendly.com.

Colton Parayko Signs Eight-Year Extension

September 1, 2021 at 3:14 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

The St. Louis Blues have locked up one of their best players, signing Colton Parayko to an eight-year extension. The new contract will start in the 2022-23 season and keeps Parayko in St. Louis through 2029-30. The big defenseman will carry an average annual value of $6.5MM on the new deal, which totals $52MM. Parayko explained just what made him sign now:

I can’t wait to wear the Blue Note for another nine years. St. Louis has been my home now for six seasons, and this is where I want to be. All the relationships I’ve gained, the teammates I’ve had, and the organization have all had a big impact on me. Winning here in 2019 was special, and I want the chance to stay here and do that again.

Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest provides the full breakdown:

2022-23: $7.25MM
2023-24: $8.0MM
2024-25: $8.0MM
2025-26: $8.0MM
2026-27: $6.35MM
2027-28: $4.8MM
2028-29: $4.8MM
2029-30: $4.8MM

Parayko, 28, was entering the final season of a five-year, $27.5MM deal he signed in 2017 and could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The team seems to have created something of an internal cap, as his new deal will match the AAV of both Justin Faulk and Torey Krug at $6.5MM. That may actually represent a bargain for Parayko, though he hasn’t quite taken the step forward that many expected over the last few seasons.

Standing an imposing 6’6″, the 2012 third-round pick has everything you want in an NHL defenseman. He’s big, physical, can skate well, and has an incredibly accurate shot from the point. There’s no doubting his value to the Blues, which was perhaps demonstrated best in 2019 when he averaged more than 25 minutes a night during the Blues Stanley Cup run. But there also hasn’t been that giant leap offensively that some were expecting, with just 40 points combined over his last two seasons (96 games).

That’s not to say it couldn’t still happen, but Parayko appears to have settled in as a rock-solid top-four option, instead of a true number one defenseman. This deal represents exactly that, as he’ll be paid quite a bit less than some of the other pending free agent defensemen that have re-upped this summer. Still, getting an eight-year term is huge for Parayko, who could very well ride this contract through to the end of his career.

He’ll be 37 when the extension ends, which is where this contract brings plenty of risk for the Blues. Though he’s an extremely important player right now and very likely could have received a higher AAV on the open market, they’re going to be paying him as a top-four option throughout his decline phase and even into his late-thirties. That’s the price you pay for extra flexibility now, when GM Doug Armstrong believes his team can still compete for the Stanley Cup.

In fact, when you consider that Krug (30) and Faulk (29) are heading into just the second year of their own seven-year deals, this is a blueline that is going to be testing the limits of the aging curve in the NHL. All three players are going to carry a $6.5MM well into their thirties, meaning the time is now to strike at a league championship.

The Blues now have nearly $70MM already committed to just 14 players for the 2022-23 season, though Vladimir Tarasenko’s deal is still expected to be traded at some point. Armstrong went out and landed Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich this summer to add to the group, pushing his chips to the middle even if a few years down the road might look a little more difficult.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

St. Louis Blues Agree To Terms With Tanner Dickinson

August 31, 2021 at 4:09 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with prospect Tanner Dickinson. CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry a cap hit of $848K.

Dickinson, 19, is a fourth-round pick, 119th overall, of the Blues from the 2020 draft. He was picked out of the OHL after scoring nine goals and 40 points for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, but may be better known from his recent World Junior Summer Showcase performance with Team USA.

In 2020-21, since the OHL was not in session, Dickinson played three games with the Utica Comets of the AHL. He was held scoreless and still has quite a bit of work to do before he’s really to be considered an NHL prospect. The undersized forward was last listed at 6’0″ 170 lbs, but that’s very generous and it remains to be seen how he will handle the grind of a full professional season.

For now, he’ll likely head back to junior hockey–he’s not yet eligible for the AHL–where he can continue to build on the performance he showed this summer. His entry-level deal will slide forward should he fail to play in the NHL.

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