During their brief and unexpected playoff run, the St. Louis Blues got a significant contribution from an unlikely source. Their “WTF” fourth line was amongst the best trio in the playoffs this year.
That was headed by centerman Radek Faksa, who is now a free agent this offseason. What is the likelihood that he returns to the Blues and doesn't test the waters of free agency?
Coming back?
With the conclusion of this season, Faksa completed the full duration of his previous contract. He signed a five-year deal with Dallas in 2020 with an AAV of $3.25 million.
With a considerable amount of money to play with this offseason, and Faksa hovering around similar numbers throughout his last deal, the Blues can easily retain him for a cap-friendly deal. For projections' sake, another deal worth $3 million AAV should be enough to bring him back. One key selling point is that this team is trending upwards, and he can be a major part of it going forward.
Completing the “WTF” line
It is important to keep Faksa through the next few seasons due to his role on one of the best fourth lines in hockey. The “WTF” line, which includes Nathan Walker, Alexey Toropchenko, and Faksa, was solid all season and during the playoffs.
In fact, they were so good during the playoffs that they had the best xGoals percentage on the Blues for the first round, at 56.1%. The Blues' ability to continuously roll their lines, coupled with many heavy-hitting forwards, works flawlessly. That is Western Conference hockey for you.
Faksa is a huge part of this line, as he controls the middle of the ice. It all flows through him.
How likely?
This should be labeled as a near guarentee for Faksa to return to the Blues for the 2025-26 season and beyond. General Manager Doug Armstrong saw something great in him when he traded for him last summer, and it worked out flawlessly.
Faksa has shown great ability to be successful outside of the scoresheet, with an excellent face-off winning percentage of 57%, and a rough-and-tough game that makes him a complete 200-foot player.
You are not going to be able to find that kind of talent for that cheap in this upcoming free-agency. That, coupled with the fact that this is an established line with a ton of chemistry, makes re-singing Faksa a no-brainer.