3 Early Extensions the St. Louis Blues Should Pursue
The St. Louis Blues do not have a lick of cap flexibility for the 2023-24 season. They have a lot of money tied up in defensemen, and new contracts for Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have kicked in this season.
The good news for the Blues moving forward is the cap is expected to go up significantly next season, and the core of the St. Louis Blues is already locked up for the foreseeable future.
Gary Bettman after Board of Governors meeting says he told owners the very preliminary revenue projections suggests a salary cap bump to between $87 M and $88 M for 2024-25 next year
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 4, 2023
The cap increase from the league has been a long time coming, and the COVID pandemic certainly did not help. The Blues will be one of many teams who will benefit from extreme cap flexibility.
There are a select number of players who warrant an early extension. In addition to these players, there are a few who the team should stay away from.
Kasperi Kapanen has had offseason trouble and off-the-ice issues, and on the ice, he has not lived up to his first-round pick potential. A solid season with the Blues could turn the tide, and it is not out of the question.
He posted 14 goals in 23 games for St. Louis after the Blues grabbed him off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Meanwhile, general manager Doug Armstrong should benefit from moving on from Marco Scandella and Robert Bortuzzo as well.
3. Jakub Vrana
Jakub Vrana was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last season in exchange for Dylan McLaughlin and a 2025 seventh-round pick. Meanwhile, Detroit is also paying 50 percent of his salary for the remainder of the year.
Vrana was a dynamic offensive player early in his career with the Washington Capitals. He recorded 76 goals and 157 points in 284 games with the Capitals before moving to the Red Wings for three seasons.
With Detroit, he was never really ever to recapture any of his magic with Washington. He only managed to see 42 NHL games in three seasons with the Red Wings and managed 22 goals and 32 points.
Like Kapanen, he struggled with off-ice issues with the Red Wings, leading to his being placed on waivers and his eventual trade to the Blues. With his performance in 21 games with St. Louis last year, the trade seems to be working for all parties.
His contract is expiring at the end of the season, and if he returns to his consistent 25-goal scoring ability, it would make a lot of sense for St. Louis to lock Vrana up as the 27-year-old would seem to be turning a corner in his career.
2. Pavel Buchnevich
An extension for Pavel Buchnevich would be highly irregular as he still has another year remaining on his contract. However, Buchnevich has been the most consistent and possibly the best player on the Blues since being acquired from the New York Rangers.
The 28-year-old signed a four-year $23.2 million deal after the Blues traded for the Russian winger in exchange for Sammy Blais and a 2022 second-round pick. The trade was one of the best of Armstrong’s career.
Buchnevich has played 137 games for the St. Louis Blues over the last three seasons and has been more than a point-per-game player. He has netted 143 points, 56 goals, and 87 assists in his St. Louis career.
He seems to fit like a glove with the top line of Thomas and Kyrou, which was a tough role to fill throughout the 2022-23 season. His ability to play all roles on the ice is something that the Blues don’t have throughout the lineup.
Giving Buchnevich a seven-year extension tomorrow would benefit everyone in the organization, and a top line of Buchnevich-Thomas-Kyrou would stand up next to every other top line in the NHL.
1. Oskar Sundqvist
Oskar Sundqvist finally made his long-awaited return to St. Louis after a brief hiatus with the Detroit Red Wings and the Minnesota Wild. He resigned with the Blues after six years with St. Louis for one year and a $775,000 salary.
A Sundqvist extension would not be costly, and it makes the most sense more than any other player getting an extension on the current Blues’ roster. He is loved by many and plays the game that head coach Craig Berube loves.
Sundqvist struggled with injuries over the last two seasons away from the Blues, but when he is healthy, Sundqvist is a vital part of the Blues’ bottom-six forward group and gives the team a physical presence who can also kill penalties.
What To Expect From New Blues Forward Kevin Hayes. dark. Next
Out of the entire group of players under contract by the Blues, no extension would be better than one for Sundqvist. The Stanley Cup champion is a fan favorite and loves to be a Blue. He should be extended yesterday.