St. Louis Blues Ink Kyle Brodziak; Continue Depth Signings
By Todd Panula
The St. Louis Blues re-signed Kyle Brodziak to a two-year deal. They have now pretty much fleshed out their fourth line.
The St. Louis Blues disappointed a lot of us with their draft day moves or lack thereof. However, you can’t fault Doug Armstrong for not being smart with his current signings.
The Blues brought back center Kyle Brodziak on another affordable deal. After re-inking his linemate, Scottie Upshall to a one-year deal, Brodziak is coming back for two years with the Blues.
Brodziak is going to be getting an average of $950,000 per year. That gives him a raise of $50,000 per year, which isn’t high by athlete’s standards but isn’t anything to scoff at.
So, the Blues have signed two key players from their Western Conference Finals run for less than $2 million per year. These are role players that don’t have an incredible impact on the goals scored for the Blues, but they prevent them at times. They also chew up valuable minutes to give players rest.
Brodziak and Upshall were very effective penalty killers for St. Louis as well. So, now the Blues have effectively set their fourth line for the upcoming season, with flexibility to move pieces here or there.
One would assume that the initial fourth line will consist of Brodziak at center, Upshall on the wing and Ryan Reaves on the other side. However, with Brodziak being in the middle, you have options of how to construct your lineup.
Brodziak can probably take a spot on the wing if necessary if the Blues want Vladimir Sobotka to center the fourth line (assuming he actually comes back to the NHL this season). You could have Sobotka swing outside to take Reaves’ spot. Or you can go with the proposed fourth line and move Sobotka up to center the third line.
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Some fans will say who cares? Others will shrug it off. Some will actually be mad because they’re wondering why the Blues have not put more effort into bringing back David Backes or Troy Brouwer or made a trade.
There are things that are easier to accomplish than others. Armstrong can say he is making the signature of Jaden Schwartz his top priority and just because other players are given contracts first does not mean that statement is not true.
When you have players like Brodziak and Upshall that have clearly found a place with this team, know the team is capable of winning and want to be a part of that, it’s easier to convince them to stay. When you have players looking for big money or long-term deals, it becomes more complicated.
So, the signing of Brodziak is a great move for multiple reasons. It keeps the Blues a little deeper in NHL capable centers. It gives them a little more flexibility with their lineup. It also gives the Blues more certainty in regards to their cap situation.
Much of the hubub around Backes, Brouwer and Shattenkirk has to do with how much money the Blues can afford to spend and still fill out their roster. With the smaller pieces falling into place, the picture can become clearer for the general manager in regards to the bigger issues.
The signing of Brodziak could signify that the Blues are not ready to give a full time spot to someone like prospect Ivan Barbashev. However, with the uncertainty of the Sobotka situation, it is still wise to keep someone you know fits in well with the current system and already has experience with future head coach, Mike Yeo.
We were all disappointed in the Blues’ draft day debacle when it came to fulfilling the rumors we were salivating about, but that doesn’t affect this signing. Brodziak came up with some big performances down the stretch and was a valuable addition to the team last year. Bringing him back at a very affordable price is smart business.
Next: Re-Drafting the 2003 Blues Draft
Now, it’s on to the big boys for the Blues. Let’s hope for some more good news with contracts coming up in the near future.