We're big fans of Pius Suter here at Bleedin' Blue, so much so that we predicted the St. Louis Blues would sign him during free agency a couple days before it actually happened. At the time, it was a signing that made perfect sense: the Blues needed help down the middle behind Robert Thomas, and Suter had stepped up and excelled with a Vancouver Canucks team that was teetering on the edge of disaster.
That final season with the Canucks may've been an outlier, but Suter performed similarly to his previous years in the NHL, holding up his end of the bargain through a woeful Blues season.
Expectations for 2025-26 season
When Suter was signed, the Blues' second-line center was effectively then-captain Brayden Schenn--a position Schenn is no longer equipped to play. Handing the reins to 20-year old Dalibor Dvorsky would've been ill-advised, too, and Pavel Buchnevich at center wasn't ideal either.
GM Doug Armstrong signed Suter to a two-year, $4.125-million AAV contract on the second day of NHL free agency to--at the very least--be an adequate middle-six pivot. Suter ultimately only played 64 games due to injury, but he was effective in his minutes: 13 goals and 29 points, and a solid 51.26 xGF%, per Natural Stat Trick.
Grade: B
We can't give Suter a sterling A grade, because of the time he missed, but he still turned in a rock solid season.
Where does he go from here?
Suter's future is going to depend entirely on the directoin that Blues management opts to take this summer: are they going to retool, and try to contend with the core they have by using their cache of high draft picks to get help right now? Or start tearing things down to rebuild from the ground up?
Every team needs centers, and Suter can hold his own down the middle with one year left on his contract. A contending team desperate for help would probably pay a pretty penny for a dependable center--especially one like Suter who can play any forward position. However, if the Blues are aiming for a return to the playoffs next season, Suter's exactly the kind of player they'll need on their roster. If he stays with the team (and stays healthy), you can expect another 30-40 point season with strong defensive play from Suter.
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