The St. Louis Blues took a step forward this season in their progression by making the NHL playoffs when very few people would have picked them to do so before the season started. No one knew how good Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, the Blues' two major off-season acquisitions, would be in their first season in St. Louis. The focus has shifted from trying to make the playoffs to Stanley Cup contenders, but the team will need to make some moves this offseason to fill up the holes they have on the current roster.
Doug Armstrong has already established that he wants to add a top-six winger to the mix, but the glaring needs may be on the backend. After the Blues' elimination from the playoffs, Armstrong said it is unlikely we will see Torey Krug play again following his offseason surgery after he was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle. While it is unfortunate that Krug's playing career may be over, the Blues can now shift his contract to Long-Term Injury Reserve (LTIR) and have an additional $6.5 million to use on improving the team. The Blues could also look at trading veteran defenceman Nick Leddy after an injury-plagued, disappointing season.
The Blues' top-pairing will likely continue to be Colton Parayko and Cam Fowler, considering how well they played together following the acquisition of Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks. Broberg will be on their second pairing, but his partner could depend on what the Blues do this offseason. With who the Blues have on the roster right now, it will likely be Justin Faulk lined up to Broberg's right. The Blues' third pairing is where there are more question marks. Ryan Suter is a free agent, and at 40 years old, his best years are behind him. Leddy is still under contract for another season but has not lived up to his 4 million per season price tag. It might be hard to get off his contract, but if the Blues want to free up some cap space, the team can package Leddy along with a draft pick as a salary dump.
Some exciting unrestricted free-agency defencemen will hit the market when free agency opens on July 1st. Here are three UFA defensemen who could make sense for St. Louis to target when the market opens.
1. Aaron Ekblad
Aaron Ekblad is the most notable free-agent defenceman to hit the market on July 1st. The Florida Panthers still have a lot of time to work out a deal with Ekblad before free agency opens, but they will likely have to choose whether to keep him or Sam Bennett. With the acquisition of Seth Jones, they might be more willing to let Ekblad hit the open market.
Ekblad is a big right-shot two-way defender with great skating for his size. In the 2020-21 season, Ekblad was playing his way to potentially winning the Norris Trophy but suffered a season-ending leg injury. He has missed time because of injuries in every season since then. This season, he had 33 points in 56 games before being suspended for testing positive for a banned substance. He is an effective player on both ends of the ice when he is healthy, but injuries have been something that has troubled him throughout his career.
Ekblad is coming off an eight-year, seven-and-a-half million dollar per-season contract and will likely command something similar to that on his new deal. He would fit perfectly next to Broberg on their second pairing. Ekblad is probably the best blueliner the Blues could add this offseason, but his injury history might be too big an obstacle to overcome.
2. Matt Grzelcyk
Matt Grzelcyk would be an interesting option for the Blues if they are looking to improve their power-play unit. Grzelcyk had a career year in his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played all 82 games for the first time while registering a career-high 40 points. By the end of the season, Grzelcyk was seeing time on the team's first power-play unit, which finished 6th in the NHL.
Grzelcyk is coming off a one-year, $2.75 million contract and likely will get a pay raise, coming off the best season of his career. While Grzelcyk adds value on the offensive side, you will probably not see him deployed against the team's best players. He could slot in on the Blues' third defensive pairing alongside Leddy. That would allow him more freedom to push the puck forward. He would be a great addition to the Blues' powerplay, which finished 16th in the league this season. Grzelcyk is a veteran with playoff experience, making multiple deep postseason runs as a member of the Boston Bruins.
3. Dante Fabbro
Dante Fabbro was once a promising young prospect for the Nashville Predators, but could not find his footing with the franchise. His season did not start great, and the Predators placed him on waivers. The Columbus Blue Jackets claimed him off waivers, which could be the best thing to happen to his career. Fabbro played 62 games for the Blue Jackets this season and registered a career-high nine goals and 26 points. He was second on the team in plus-minus with 23.
Fabbro brings an interesting case because he is only 26 years old, younger than you usually see players hit the unrestricted market. With how he played since going to Columbus, there could still be potential for him to grow as a player in the right system. If the Blues can move on from someone like Leddy, Fabbro could be a cheaper alternative with a higher upside. Fabbro presents the kind of upside that could see him outperform his next contract, but his lack of consistency to this point makes him a calculated risk you need to be able to accept if you want to take a flyer on him.