Only 2 full days into NHL Free Agency, the St. Louis Blues have been busy. After signing two free agents, completing a trade with Montreal, and placing a veteran defenseman on waivers, Doug Armstrong and Alexander Steen have given this roster a new look, as they seek to build upon the success of the 2024-25 season.
If the offseason ended today, what grade would the Blues get? Have they addressed their biggest needs? What else should they do to make this offseason "perfect?" Check out the latest episode of Note News, where we reacted to the moves the Blues have made so far!
The Logan Mailloux Trade
This move is a tough pill to swallow. Trading away Zack Bolduc, who was one of the highlights of the 2024-25 season, is a questionable choice. Scoring 19 goals and 36 points at only 21 years old, Bolduc looked like he could be a piece of the Blues next core.
However, we knew this was coming. Armstrong has been talking about the surplus of wingers the Blues have for weeks, and the selection of Justin Carbonneau in this year's draft all but guaranteed that the Blues would deal one of their younger wingers. Bolduc, who played on the 3rd line for much of the season, and who was blocked by Jimmy Snuggerud, Dylan Holloway, Pavel Buchnevich, and Jordan Kyrou, was the odd man out.
Mailloux, however, is a young right-handed defenseman with upside - something the Blues don't have very much of in their system. He is close to NHL-ready and could be part of the next D-corps in St. Louis. Bolduc is probably the better player in this trade, but you have to give in order to receive, and dealing from their winger depth to address an area of need was the right idea.
Nick Bjugstad
This one is pretty straightforward. With Radek Faksa returning to the Dallas Stars, the Blues needed a depth center and Bjugstad, 33, fills that position well. Scoring 8 goals and 19 points in Utah last season, Bjugstad is a reliable veteran presence on the bottom 6. Bjugstad, who is 6'5" and 205 lbs, provides slightly better offense and slightly worse defense than Faksa and is great value on a 2-year, $3.5 million contract ($1.75 million AAV).
Pius Suter
The biggest need for the Blues heading into the offseason was a second-line center or, at the very least, a middle-six center. Armstrong himself identified the need for a "200-foot, offensive player." Pius Suter, who I've had my eye on for some time now, is an excellent option for the Blues.
Scoring 25 goals and 46 points last season for Vancouver, Suter proved that he can provide some offense, and he should be expected to score 15-25 goals again next season. On defense, Suter stands out as an intelligent player and an excellent penalty killer - he even earned himself a Selke vote this season.
Where Suter shines most, however, is in his versatility. The forward from Switzerland is a true Swiss Army Knife. Not only can Suter play well on both sides of the puck he can also play wherever he is needed. He has experience at center and on the wing, and while he profiles best as a middle-six center, he can handle top-line duties when necessary - he did so at times in Vancouver this season.
Suter is almost exactly what the Blues needed in a middle-six center, and signing him to a 2-year, $8.25 million contract ($4.125) is excellent work by Armstrong and Steen. At 29 years old, he's young enough that they can extend him if he fits like a glove. However, the short-term contract means a smaller commitment and paves the way for Dvorsky to take over once he's ready.
Nick Leddy
Placing Nick Leddy on waivers is a pretty straightforward move as well. The addition of Mailloux led to some redundancy on the blue line, and Leddy's age and declining performance left the Blues with limited options. We should know soon what will happen to Leddy, but his time wearing the Blue Note is likely over.
What grade do the Blues deserve, and what else should they do?
If the offseason ended today, I believe the Blues would earn a B+. With the addition of two centers, they improve on a glaring weakness in their system, and acquiring a young RHD with upside in exchange for a winger is a good strategy. It's time to figure out the future of the blue line, and placing Leddy on waivers helps the D-corps get younger as well.
To earn an "A" grade for their offseason, I think the Blues need to accomplish a few things. First, replacing Justin Faulk on the 2nd pair with an established, younger RHD would go a long way. Faulk isn't as poor a player as many Blues fans would have you think, but he's an older, overpaid defenseman whose time in St. Louis is limited. Simply getting rid of Faulk is probably the wrong idea. Mailloux might be ready for the NHL, but 2nd pair minutes are a big jump. If they move Faulk, the Blues will need to find a replacement, like Bowen Byram, for example.
Second, signing Holloway and Philip Broberg to extensions will lock in two more pieces of the Blues' core, and getting it done now before they get more expensive will save the Blues some money. This would put the perfect bow on the offseason, with an emphasis on improving for the present and for the future. It's early July, and the Blues have already accomplished a lot. With a few more moves, they could be a scary team.