St. Louis Blues: Free Agents To Consider From The Final Four
There’s a fairly big debate among St. Louis Blues fans about the direction the franchise needs to go this offseason and that debate began immediately after the Blues got swept by Colorado. Much of the difference of opinion can be attributed to gigantic differences in how people view the last two seasons.
On the one hand, you have fans who realize that the bubble playoffs of 2020 and the 2021 season were situations that no team has had to go through before (hopefully after) and makes it harder to judge the team based on those performances. They realize that the 2020 team was in first place in the conference before everything went to pot and the team simply did not know how to handle the adversity presented by the pandemic.
On the other hand, you have those that like to simplify everything. The team did not score enough goals, nor keep enough out, so they need to add more size on the back line and either move on from their current best scorer or, at the very least, add a new one. These fans tend to border on the insanity of rebuilding when a simple addition here or there might be all that is needed. The sane in this group are more along the lines of a retool.
Regardless of which group you find yourself in, the bottom line is that the Blues do need changes. We can argue about offense vs. defense and this player vs. that.
No matter who you think can help, the Blues need help. As presently constructed, they’ve lost too much depth from their championship team and need reinforcements.
Looking to the players that are coming off playoff success would be a smart way to go. All four teams in the semifinal have players that will be available this summer.
Let’s take a look at some of the most intriguing names.
Tampa Bay
Luke Schenn
Don’t count me among those that think the Blues need to go back to the old style of defenseman. I continually contend that you can keep as many pucks out as you want to try, but the Blues need to score more.
Regardless, there is always something to be said for experience. With the retirement of Carl Gunnarsson and the loss of Jay Bouwmeester, the Blues are suddenly thin on the blue line and that doesn’t even bring up the Vince Dunn situation.
The Blues do need experience and grit back there to go along with their skill players. Some of the younger players coming through the ranks might have that, but they’re unknowns.
With that in mind, it might make sense to give Luke Schenn a try. Age is an issue, since he’ll be 32 when the season starts and his playing time has diminished the last couple seasons, but he’s still got value.
Think of all the things that Brayden Schenn provides and you get all that in a defenseman, minus the scoring touch. Luke will provide the odd goal here or there, but that’s not why you bring him in.
He’s a punishing defender, averaging over 200 hits per season almost every year up until 2018-19. Except for one year in Toronto, he’s kept his turnover numbers low, meaning he can be trusted with the puck and on zone exits.
Schenn isn’t huge, but he’s got the size the Blues would need. The tale of the tape show’s he’s 6’2 and 229 lbs, so he’s not going to get pushed around by many forwards in today’s league.
He’s taken two very team-friendly contracts with Tampa Bay, coming in at $700,000 and $800,000. If the Blues keep their offer at $1 million or less, they’re in the gold zone and getting a solid player too.
There’s little reason for Schenn to want to leave Tampa. The salary cap could force him out, depending on what the Lightning want to do elsewhere in their lineup.
Perhaps a season or two with his brother would be of interest.
Blake Coleman
Speaking of players less than likely to leave Tampa, enter Blake Coleman. This is an interesting idea to consider him, because it all boils down to whether he would even make it to free agency.
Coleman will be 30 when the 2021-22 season starts. However, he’s shown no signs of slowing down. Additionally, he doesn’t have a lot of miles on him since he got his NHL career started somewhat late, coming in with New Jersey at 25 and hitting his stride at 26.
The Lightning picked him up in a trade in 2020. He scored five goals and had 13 points in 25 games during their Cup run. Coleman followed it up with 14 goals and 31 points in 55 games during the 2021 regular season.
When he’s had the opportunity to play full seasons, Coleman is a 20-plus goal guy. He won’t get many helpers, but he definitely fits the Blues style as he will throw his body around quite a bit.
Coleman is listed as a center on Hockey Reference, but don’t let that fool you. He took just seven faceoffs with the Lightning, so he’s a winger now. Nevertheless, with the way the Blues had injuries in 2021, having a player that can slide into the middle in a pinch would not hurt.
Coleman would definitely be affordable. He made $1.8 million this past season, so even with a decent raise, we are talking under $3 million.
Again, it could very well depend on what Tampa can afford to do. Personally, I would not see a reason why you’d let Coleman hit the market. However, the Lightning are double-digit millions over the cap and LTIR will only work for so long.
Barclay Goodrow
Perhaps more in the realm of realism, Barclay Goodrow is an interesting name to consider. Goodrow doesn’t have the upside of Coleman, nor the pure physicality of Schenn, but he would fit the Blues style.
Goodrow had a decent year in 2021, scoring six goals and 20 points in 55 games. We aren’t talking high-level scoring, but he could be a valuable third line player or even a fourth liner that can give you higher minutes, pushing the Blues back to rolling four lines consistently.
Goodrow has never scored double-digit goals, so you’re paying more for the intangibles. He’s got good size at 6’2, checks in with over 100 hits per season when playing full years and can steal you some pucks too.
Additionally, Goodrow actually is a center. The only season he’s failed to win more than 50% of his faceoffs was 2019-20 and some of that boils down to having a poor start in San Jose and then not enough games with Tampa prior to the pandemic stoppage to raise his percentage.
If the Blues have to move on from Tyler Bozak, you’re getting a simliar playing in Goodrow. You’re also gaining a few years as Goodrow is just 28 right now.
Goodrow made under $1 million in 2021. If he gives any discount to Tampa, he probably stays. If the Blues can pry him away for like $1.2 million, that could be worth it, especially if you’re not bringing Bozak back and his replacement costs well under half as much.
New York Islanders
Kyle Palmieri
Don’t ask me why, but this is a hill I am ready to die on. Though the age thing would be a slight issue, I’d be more than happy if the Blues brought in Kyle Palmieri.
I had the good fortune to broadcast a couple of his games when he was on the US National Team that played in the NAHL against the St. Louis Bandits. He was a feisty player then and that continued into his pro career.
If, and I emphasize if, the Blues were forced to move on from Jaden Schwartz, Palmieri would be a very suitable replacement. Yes, he’s two years older, but they have a similar style and Palmieri is actually a hair higher in terms of goals per season.
You can argue about the motor and the driving the team stuff, but Palmieri fits the Blues quite well. He won’t give up on plays, throws the body around and keeps his turnovers low. He also drives to the net, which is something the current group doesn’t do regularly enough when playing hard teams.
I’m not going to turn this into a Schwartz vs. Palmieri thing because I think it would be great to have both. Price favors Palmieri though, unless something odd happened.
Palmieri got $4.65 million last season. Even with a raise, he shouldn’t get much more than what the Blues paid Schwartz in 2021. If Schwartz is looking for Schenn-type money, then keeping the money and getting a solid player like Palmieri instead might make more sense.
That will upset Blues fans, but Palmieri is worth the raise he might be in line for. Schwartz is not worth a raise from what he was already getting.
Montreal
Tomas Tatar
Overall, I’d prefer the Blues look for guys in their 20’s that they can give healthy contracts to. That said, you have to find players that will help and make the contract fit what they can provide and how long they’re likely to be of service.
So, term and dollar amount would be extremely key if Tomas Tatar came available. Tatar is an interesting case based on expectation vs. reality.
He seemed poised to become a star scoring 29 goals and 56 points in his second full season in Detroit. The goals evened out and the points took a slight dip after that, though Tatar has been a reasonably consistent player.
Outside of a poor season in 2018-19 with Detroit and Vegas, Tatar has been a very consistent scorer. Like many in today’s NHL, he never passed the 30 goal mark, but when you know he’s likely to get you mid-to-high 20’s, that still has good value.
Like David Perron, going to Vegas seemed to click something with Tatar, though Perron had a good year in Vegas and Tatar, not as much. Still, once Tatar went to Montreal, he rebounded his point totals, scoring 58 and 60 points, both career highs, and then 30 points in 2021.
As mentioned, how much he wants and for how long would be a big key to the Blues looking into that. He’ll be 31 when the next season kicks off and he’s coming off a contract that paid him $5.3 million.
He’s a consistent scorer, but how much of a raise could the Blues afford to offer? Much of that would depend on whether Schwartz comes back or not and how much the Blues give raises to their own RFA’s.
Phillip Danault
Similar to the Palmieri thing, the 2021 playoffs have me all about Phillip Danault. This guy is not about stats, but if the Blues cannot bring back Bozak, Danault can easily fill those shoes.
Offensively, you might actually give a slight nod to Bozak. Danualt will score, but he’s not a goal scorer. He’s a pass first guy and gets most of his points as assists.
However, the responsibility that Montreal has given Danault and how he’s stepped to the plate has impressed me a ton. The guy is just a faceoff machine.
He wins well over 50% of his draws and that was in the regular season. I’m actually very surprised he’s only won 53% of his faceoffs in the 2021 playoffs, heading into the Final. It seemed like he won every draw he took against Vegas.
Again, the points are not there, but he can eat up minutes, wins important faceoffs and is a solid, steady player. He’s only 28 and coming off a contract that paid him just over $3 million. The raise couldn’t be too much higher, but there’s wiggle room there and you get a player that provides all the intangibles that Bozak brought, with a little less point production potential.
Joel Armia
If the Blues are looking to add some size up front, Joel Armia might be a name to keep on your board. Like some of the other names on here, he’s not going to light the lamp a ton, but he provides size and still has some skill.
Armia had 16 goals in 2019-20 and his totals have trended in an upward direction, even if only slightly. Even in the shortened season, Armia chipped in seven goals and 14 points in 41 games.
Those numbers aren’t going to impress many, but you’re not bringing him in to play with the top line. Armia would be a guy that plays third line minutes and maybe slides into the fourth line if you get good seasons out of some younger guys that aren’t a lock to make the NHL roster.
Like almost all the names chosen for this list, Armia won’t shy away from the physicality. He’s not going to put you through the wall, but his hit totals are more than respectable.
If nothing else, Armia gives you a bigger body to provide some net-front presence the way Pat Maroon had. Armia isn’t as bulky, but he’s still got a 6’4 frame.
Having another right-handed shot to balance out the plethora of lefties the Blues have wouldn’t hurt either.
He’s coming off a modest $2.6 million contract. As long as the raise was not that much, or not at all, he’d be a good addition for a Craig Berube team.
Vegas
Alec Martinez
Chalk this one up to a temporary solution. While he has shown no signs of slowing down, Alec Martinez is going to be 34 when the 2021-22 season begins.
He’s got 12 NHL seasons under his belt – 11 if you don’t count the four games he played in his first year – so you never quite know when that will catch up to a player. Signing Martinez would depend greatly on how much he wants.
Martinez is coming off a $4 million contract. You can argue for or against paying him that same amount, but the bottom line is there is inherent danger signing an older player for large money or long term.
If you could bump that down to $3 million, or maybe even less (unlikely), and for a couple years, that would be a good contract. You’d get a good player, with safe term and not hinder your other players.
The Blues have some up and coming defenders, like a Scott Perunovich. Yet, while he could be NHL ready this coming season or the next, why force him?
If you can get a player the caliber of Martinez while you get Perunovich more seasoning, why not do that? Martinez won’t get you a bunch of points, but he’s a good puck mover and still plays with some physicality and grit. He doesn’t take a lot of penalties either, which is not something you could say about Joel Edmundson.
It is a risk to sign players in their mid-30’s, but Martinez’ experience could be very valuable. The Blues do need more depth on the left side.
T Nosek
Most fans want the big, sexy name that has the prospect of putting up a lot of points. While it would be great for the Blues to find that person, the truth is it may not be available.
With that in mind, you might look more to quantity over quality and bring in multiple people that can do certain jobs, which might free up other guys to take on less responsibility. Tomas Nosek would be that kind of player.
Like some of the other centers on this list, Nosek is not going to score a bunch of points. He actually set a career best with eight goals and 18 points and did that in 38 games, when he’d never scored more than 17 in a full season.
But, you bring Nosek in as a more old-school, bottom-six center. He’s going to win the vast majority of his faceoffs and he will grind it out.
If you lose Bozk to free agency, you’re bringing in a player that is younger in Nosek. He’s versatile enough to fit on your third line, but if you put him on the fourth line, that would free Oskar Sundqvist to move up the lineup and get more minutes without a lot of line shuffling.
He’s worth it just for the faceoffs. His career numbers are just a shade over 52% won and he won a whopping 66.7% of his draws in the 2021 playoffs.
He’s not the sexy name, but he would fill a gap that might be open if the Blues have to move on from Bozak. Really, even if you keep Bozak, you could bring in Nosek and let Sundqvist float around to just about any line he would be needed on.
Next. Blues fans will always remember Carl Gunnarsson. dark
Depth wins just as much as skill in the current incarnation of the NHL. The Blues need to restock.