3 free agent forwards from the Eastern Conference the St. Louis Blues must avoid
The St. Louis Blues could bring a few free agents from the Eastern Conference to Gateway City, but there are a few they’re better off going without.
While we have talked about numerous free agents the St. Louis Blues would do well to go after in the Western Conference, especially some much-needed forwards. But we haven’t spoken much about what the Eastern Conference offers. And while there are a plethora of free agents who would reward general manager Doug Armstrong if he signed them, there are others who he needs to be apprehensive about.
To be more frank, if Armstrong isn’t 100 percent sure a forward can help his team fare better in the offensive zone than they did last season, he’s better off keeping away from them and looking elsewhere. While quite a few players fit that criteria, there are three who he should cross off of his list of potential signees immediately.
Dominik Kubalik, Ottawa Senators
If the Blues wanted someone who could bring serviceable depth, Dominik Kubalik would make sense on the surface. He’s a lower-liner who has, at times during his career, given his respective teams a complete game. And that’s something he could bring to Gateway City if Doug Armstrong wanted to sign him.
The problem involving Kubalik, however, is that he’s coming off a major career-low in points, and by major, I mean 15 in 74 contests. Sure, he has given the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings more than just solid campaigns, scoring as many as 30 goals during his first season in the Windy City.
If Kubalik even put up a 20-goal season this past year like he did in 2022-23 with the Red Wings, the Blues would do well to sign him this summer as he would have made for a solid depth scorer. But instead, Kubalik showed us that he’s inconsistent from year to year, going from 15 goals in 2021-22 to 20 last year, and a measly 11 this season.
Okay, so Kubalik isn’t scoring, but were the Senators finding twine when he was in the game? At even strength, he was on the ice for just 19 goals for and 47 against. His on-ice shooting percentage sat at just 6.3 percent, so no, he wasn’t a factor for the Senators in scoring.
The reason all of the above is important is very simple: The Blues need someone who can help them find the back of the net more consistently. Kubalik isn’t that player, even if he’s done so in past campaigns.
Tyler Bertuzzi, Toronto Maple Leafs
Tyler Bertuzzi is one player who looked poised for a breakthrough following his 62-point, 30-goal campaign in 2021-22 before his 2022-23 season didn’t see him enjoy an uptick in production. Bertuzzi finished the year with just 30 points and eight goals in 50 games before he bounced back with a serviceable 43-point, 21-goal outing in 80 contests.
Still not Bertuzzi’s best numbers, but his defensive play stood out for a team that couldn’t get enough of it, yet the Toronto Maple Leafs once again fell short in Round 1 of the playoffs. Perhaps general manager Brad Treliving was impressed enough by a defensive effort from Bertuzzi that saw him record career-highs in blocks (44), hits (98), and takeaways (44).
Bertuzzi also bounced back in his goal-scoring efforts, snagging 21 of them and a 13.1 shooting percentage. For the Blues, this means a potential middle-six scorer, plus someone who could give them even more help in the defensive zone.
Overall, Bertuzzi wouldn’t make for a bad signing, but it’s all about what type of player the Blues will get. The one from 2021-22 and this past season, or the player that struggled to stay on the ice and didn’t put together too many solid performances in 2022-23?
The Blues need someone with a more consistent track record than Bertuzzi, even if he wouldn’t make for an awful signing if Doug Armstrong brought him in on a “prove-it” deal.
Jack Roslovic, New York Rangers
Jack Roslovic had a couple of decent seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets between 2021-22 and 2022-23, totaling 89 points and 33 goals in 158 games with a 13.0 shooting percentage, and solid play in the defensive zone. This time last year, I would have said Roslovic would have made for a decent depth scorer on a good team, or at worst, someone who could help his linemates score following a 2022-23 season in which he logged 33 assists.
This year, that productivity decreased to 31 points and nine goals in 59 games, and Roslovic’s game in the defensive zone also didn’t improve. He wasn’t getting in front of as many shots, he wasn’t as physical, and he also wasn’t poking the puck free as often. That trend continued during his 19 games with the New York Rangers, and it could signify Roslovic’s game is starting to head south.
To his defense, he does have five points and two goals in seven playoff games as of May 10th, and that physicality has also returned. But then again, the sense of urgency you see in playoff hockey with a team that is on a roll, it’s hard to say whether it’s more Roslovic or the fact that the Rangers are just peaking at the right time.
While there is a surefire chance he parlays what should be a valiant effort in the playoffs to whichever team he joins in 2024-25, a team like the Blues needs a more consistent player. Roslovic may be productive in small stints, but that was something they saw from far too many players this year.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)