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A Look At The St. Louis Blues’ Busy Offseason
A Look At The St. Louis Blues' Busy Offseason
The St. Louis Blues have been pretty busy this offseason. While many of the faces will still be the same when the team hits the ice for the 2013-14 season, a good handful of those players were signed to new contracts this summer. New additions Maxim Lapierre and Derek Roy give the team depth at center, while new deals will keep defensemen Ian Cole, Jordan Leopold, Jay Bouwmeester and Kevin Shattenkirk around for at least a few more years. The only free agent still left is defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, and the Blues have more than enough room under the cap to get a new deal done.
After making the playoffs the past two seasons and retaining most of the talent that got them there, expectations will be pretty high for the Blues to return to the postseason. In 2013 they survived shaky starts from goaltenders Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott, thanks in no small part to the impressive debut of rookie Jake Allen. The future at that position got a boost when Allen signed a two-year deal and the hiring of Ty Conklin as a goaltending coach can only help his further development.
The Blues now have a lot of money invested in their blueliners, but it would be hard to argue that any other Western Conference team boasts a top-six (assuming Pietrangelo re-signs) group like this. The Blues will start the season with a much stronger roster than the previous two seasons, and since they made the playoffs in each of those campaigns it is safe to assume they are an early favorite to return to the postseason. Here’s a look at 12 offseason signings that have the team in great shape to start the 2013-14 season.
Jonathan Katje covers the Detroit Red Wings for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your circles on Google Plus.
Magnus Paajarvi
Magnus Paajaravi came to the Blues in an offseason trade that sent David Perron to the Edmonton Oilers. Last season the young Swede scored nine goals and had 16 points in 42 games for the Oilers. He has scored 26 goals in 163 and could benefit from a change of scenery. The Blues agreed to a two-year, $2.4 million extension with Paajarvi last week.
Jay Bouwmeester
The Blues acquired Jay Bouwmeester from the Calgary Flames at the trade deadline in April in exchange for two prospects and a first round pick, and he helped solidify the team’s defense for the end of the season and the playoffs. The Blues clearly liked what they saw, and recently signed the veteran defenseman to a five-year, $27 million extension that will keep him with the team through the 2018-19 season. Bouwmeester has scored 72 goals and has 307 points in 764 games. He holds the NHL’s current ironman streak, having appeared in 635 consecutive games.
Jake Allen
Rookie goaltender Jake Allen showed last season that he has a bright future with the Blues. While he may have to wait another season to get a shot at full-time NHL duty, his 9-4 record last season hints at a bright future. The Blues signed him to a two-year contract that is a two-way deal for next season and a one-way deal the following season. He is slated to make $750,000 (in the NHL or $125,000 in the AHL) next season and $850,000 the following season.
Keith Aucoin
Another offseason move the Blues made to add depth was signing veteran forward Keith Aucoin, who had six goals and 12 points for the New York Islanders last season. He started last season in the AHL and crossed the 800-point plateau for his career.
Derek Roy
The Blues didn’t jump at any of the free agent options at center right away, but still got their man in July. Derek Roy agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the team and provides an immediate boost on the offensive end of things. In nearly 600 games, Roy has scored 168 goals and has 455 points. He had seven goals and 28 points last season while appearing in 42 games for the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks.
Maxim Lapierre
Another fresh face for the Blues will be agitator Maxim Lapierre, who signed a two-year, $2.2 million deal with the Blues in July. He adds to their depth at center, but will need to play with more discipline to avoid being a liability.
Kevin Shattenkirk
Signing defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was a top offseason priority for the Blues, and in late June they reached an agreement on a four-year deal. Shattenkirk will earn $17 million over those four seasons, and while that’s a sizable raise, he has definitely earned it. The young blueliner had five goals and 23 points last season, and is a valuable part of the Blues’ special teams units.
Chris Stewart
Chris Stewart had one of the best seasons of his career in 2013, leading the Blues with 18 goals and 36 points. Worries that he might have priced himself out of the team’s future ended up being wrong, as the Blues signed him to a two-year deal that is worth $4.15 million per season.
Patrik Berglund
Patrik Berglund also had a pretty decent season for the Blues. He scored 17 goals and had 25 points in the shortened season, and the Blues will keep him around for another year ($3.25 million). If he can keep up his production, a long-term extension for the 25-year-old might be in the works.
Adam Cracknell
Adam Cracknell spent most of last season in the AHL with the Peoria Rivermen (49 games, 17 goals, 33 points) but experienced some success with the Blues when called upon. The one-year, $600,000 contract he signed with the Blues is his first one-way deal and means he’ll have his first shot at full-time NHL duty in 2013-14.
Jordan Leopold
Like Bouwmeester, defenseman Jordan Leopold came to the Blues at April’s trade deadline. He’ll be sticking around for two more seasons, thanks to a $4.5 million deal signed in July.
Ian Cole
Finally, young defenseman Ian Cole earned a two-year, one-way deal with the Blues and could finally have a chance to stay in the NHL for a full season. The team is loaded on defense, and Cole is an affordable ($750,000 for 2013-14 and $900,000 for 2014-15) option for depth. In three seasons, the former first round pick has appeared in 67 games and has 11 points.
