One dream, one realistic, and one bargain player the St. Louis Blues can sign in NHL free agency
Keep restructuring the team, or go for it while you still can? That’s the looming decision for St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, and since he had a team that made a strong run under then-interim coach and current head coach Drew Bannister, maybe it was enough to convince him to try his hand in NHL free agency.
Of course, Armstrong would like to make a splash if he enters July looking to sign some talent from the outside, and there is one ‘dream’ free agent he can lure to Gateway City. No, they aren’t a big name, but for the sake of the Blues current lineup, such a player would be an outstanding addition.
There is also a player listed who they would have a realistic chance of signing, one who has been a journeyman throughout an otherwise successful career. Also present is a bargain free agent who may not score much, but his overall game would help St. Louis on its lower lines.
Dream Free Agent: Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes
I can see the Carolina Hurricanes doing all they can to keep Teuvo Teravainen in Raleigh, but until he’s re-signed to an extension, I’m assuming he can land in 32 different spots, and St. Louis is no different. I wouldn’t call Teravainen a star player despite the ‘dream’ label, but he’s nevertheless one of the more solid talents you will find playing well on both ends of the ice. Even if he falls short of elite status, solid is what the Blues need right now if they plan on improving from last season.
He won’t come cheap, but Alexander MacLean of Dobber Hockey also doesn’t have an expensive projected cap hit for him, which clocks in at just under $4 million. For a team whose cap space rests at just under $16 million, the Blues could easily fit someone like Teravainen in if he’s available in July.
His presence would give the Blues another 20-plus goal scorer, and for a player who saw just 35 goals go by while he was on the ice at even strength through 76 regular season games, you can also take it as an indicator of how good Teravainen is in his team’s own end of the ice. Further, he’s more than just a 5-on-5 or even strength player, having seen nearly 300 minutes of special teams play.
We know St. Louis can’t enter the 2024-25 season with the current state of their special teams. So, given his ability to play effective hockey while short-handed - seven on-ice goals for - and at 5-on-4, in which he was on the ice for 27 goals, Teravainen would be one of the better pickups for the Blues this offseason.