St. Louis Blues: A Case For Radim Vrbata
The St. Louis Blues may still be in need of right wing help. While it is likely to come from within, there is a case to be made for Radim Vrbata.
The St. Louis Blues have not made much of a splash in free agency. They seem unlikely to do so as well with the uncertainty surrounding both the contract of Jaden Schwartz and also whether Vladimir Sobotka is going to return or not.
Nevertheless, there can still be a case to be made for signing free agent Radim Vrbata. Vrbata came up through the Colorado system and proved he could be a good scorer right off the bat.
He had 18 goals and 30 points in only 52 games as a rookie. While his production the next season was not quite as high, he still had 35 points in 76 games the following year.
His production has had plenty of peaks and valleys, but even his poorest would still be a decent amount of scoring on the Blues. Even with his ups and downs, he has averaged 39.6 points per season over his 14 years in the NHL.
While that isn’t incredibly high, the amount of games he plays has to be taken into account. He’s usually managed to produce a good amount of points even in injury riddled seasons, quite similar to Schwartz in 2015-16.
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The thing that would be the icing on the cake if the Blues decided to pick up Vrbata would be the price. Given the insane contracts that some people picked up this offseason, it is within the realm of possibility that Vrbata could still get something too large for what the Blues can afford. However, given the steep drop off from his production in 2013-14 and 2014-15, he might be signed for bottom dollar.
If the Blues go after the winger, it would likely be a one-year contract and the Blues would be smart to give a contract similar to the one they offered Scottie Upshall or Kyle Brodziak last season.
Anything $1 million or under would be quite palatable. If the money makes sense, it then becomes a case of what kind of player will you get.
Vrbata is a good bet for a rebound year though. Canucks had him on a weak line last year. And he can likely be had for a bargain deal.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) July 5, 2016
Vrbata had 13 goals and 27 points in 63 games in 2015-16. That’s not terrible. It’s much higher than Magnus Paajarvi, who the Blues just re-signed for another year. Still, it’s a big drop from 51, which he scored in his last season in Arizona and the 63 he had in his first season in Vancouver.
As James Mirtle states, Vancouver put him on a poor line last season, so that can be accounted as one attribute for the drop. On the worrying side, though, is his age.
Vrbata will be 35 when the season starts. The Blues just let go two quality players that are three and five years younger than that. Granted, the contract terms had more to do with it than simple age, but adding an older player with slumping numbers won’t please the hardcore fans who were already up in arms over the release of their favorites.
Vrbata would give the Blues more depth and flexibility though. Most early looks at the lines have a hole on the second line RW spot. Could Vrbata really fill that? At his age, it doesn’t seem overly likely, but if he’s paired with quick guys then they could make up for any lost pace.
Vrbata could also be slipped into the fourth line alongside Brodziak and Upshall if the Blues get good performances coming out of camp from someone like Ty Rattie.
He doesn’t have a bunch of postseason experience, so he wouldn’t have a huge impact like Troy Brouwer did. Even so, if you can get the same kind of goal production that Brouwer produced, for less than half the price and it’s a net gain.
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It still seems unlikely that the Blues dip into the free agency pool until they know what they are spending on Schwartz. The money might just be too close to the cap if he gets a big deal and then you include the $2.75 million owed to Sobotka. Vrbata could still be a fine addition though if he can be had for what amounts to a tryout contract going into camp.