General Manager Doug Armstrong revealed today that the St. Louis Blues are holding on to their most dominating presence from last season. Amidst all of the talk of former Stanley Cup champion Milan Lucic getting a Professional Tryout, Nathan Walker will be back wearing the Blue Note for the next two seasons.
The deal comes with an AAV of $887,500 over the next two years. Last season, he led the Blues with 281 hits during the regular season, as well as scoring eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. All of those numbers were career-high or tied with it.
Walker was also a key fixture in the first round bout with Winnipeg, as he knocked down everything that moved. Over the seven-game series, which was brutally beautiful to watch, he had an astounding 40 hits.
The fourth line just got a permanent placement on the right side, which still leaves questions for the other two slots. Oskar Sundqvist, Alexandre Texier, and Mathieu Joseph have a battle on their hands now. Let us also not forget about the aforementioned Lucic, who could bring a serious spark to this team with his unrivaled experience and leadership.