3 players the St. Louis Blues can steal from the Red Wings in NHL free agency
The St. Louis Blues have a few former players spending time in the Motor City these days, with names like David Perron, Robby Fabbri, and Ville Husso having been part of the Detroit Red Wings last season. As it stands, their former Central Division rival sure has a Blues flair going on, and it’s served them well for the most part, with Perron and Fabbri playing important roles.
Detroit also has quite a few players ready to be unrestricted free agents this summer, so maybe the Blues will return the favor and sign a player (or three) away from the Red Wings this summer. Okay, three is perhaps a little much, but there are two forwards and a blueliner who would help St. Louis become a better hockey team than they were last season.
No, there are no game-changers listed below, but instead, players whose roles would supplement areas that were weak in the Blues lineup last season.
Christian Fischer, W
Christian Fischer won’t do much to help the Blues solve their scoring issues, but he’ll make them a more physical, disruptive hockey team. One of the least physical teams in the NHL last season, one reason St. Louis allowed so many shot on net attempts came from their inability to knock around opponents or to enforce much of an intimidation factor.
Fischer would change that, and his aggressive approach could force opponents into making mistakes with the puck, either by making rash decisions or second-guessing themselves. This would lead to more turnovers and opportunities for the Blues scorers to create more chances for goals.
Players like Fischer won’t put up many minutes, and his average time on ice clocked in at just 11:24, and his impact isn’t something you will see in the box score. He would also give the Blues help on the penalty kill, even if he’s not someone who spent a lot of time at 4-on-5 this past season.
But the Blues, after posting a below-average success rate on the PK, could even use a part-timer like Fischer to help the unit improve. If they signed someone like the winger to a deal, the Blues would still need to find a couple of scorers, and luckily for them, the Red Wings have two who will also be unrestricted free agents.