Should The St. Louis Blues Pursue Brian Boyle To Replace Maroon?
The St. Louis Blues were predictably quiet throughout a frenzy of moves on the first day of free agency on Monday, but there are players like Brian Boyle who are still available.
The St. Louis Blues are already limited to how much money they can hand out to unrestricted free agents this offseason, and with Pat Maroon likely on his way out, Brian Boyle may be an interesting addition.
After making a flurry of moves to improve the organizational depth on Monday, the Blues are left with right around $14 million in cap space. With six restricted free agents to still sign, St. Louis likely won’t make any free agent pickups, but it is not impossible.
There will not be anyone that can replace the play and passion that Maroon displayed all year last season for the Blues, but there may be someone that can replicate his playstyle.
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Boyle is a 12 year NHL veteran and has spent time with six different franchises throughout his career, most recently with the Nashville Predators.
The 6-foot-6 forward is a former first-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2003 NHL draft but only spent two years with LA.
Boyle’s time in the NHL will be remembered mostly for his five years with the New York Rangers, but he is also remembered fondly in Tampa for his three years with the Lightning.
The 34-year-old plays a similar style of game as Maroon. He is a big, grinding forward who is capable of cycling the puck and is capable of contributing on the penalty kill and power play.
His big body can be something that can be inserted into the Blues third line with Tyler Bozak and Robert Thomas to create the same style of play that dominated the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars in last year’s playoffs.
There does not seem to be that much decline in Boyle, last season between the New Jersey Devils and Predators, Boyle scored 18 goals to pair with six assists. Those 18 goals were his most since scoring 21 with the Rangers in the 2010-11 season.
The Blues will not need him to replicate that same offensive input for them if they were to sign him, but for a 34-year-old to score almost 20 goals is hard to come by on the open market.
Boyle had a cap hit of $2.5 million last season, and due to his increased offensive performance, he may be due for a pay raise. Even if he commands $3 million, the Blues should still be able to afford that contract on a one or two-year deal.
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No one will ever be able to replace the emotional bond between Maroon and his hometown, but from a hockey perspective, this may be an excellent addition for a team that is pressed up against the cap.