St. Louis Blues sign Hunter Skinner to contract extension

“St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the team has signed defenseman Hunter Skinner to a one-year, two-way contract extension ($775,000 NHL / $85,000 AHL),” reported the St. Louis Blues Press Release.

General manager Doug Armstrong continues to be busy coming off an active week in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Skinner is a 23-year-old player who played a significant amount of time with the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2023-24.

Springfield Thunderbirds AHL Stats:

2023-24: 50 games, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points.

A 6’3” 205-pound defenseman, the logic stands that Skinner can continue to be the ideal defensive threat to mold in a position that needs a lot of help.

Why not seek to improve Skinner's talent even further? The current St. Louis Blues defense could definitely benefit from his youthful aggression and strong playing style.

Skinner came to the Blues via a trade with the New York Rangers.

St. Louis Blues: Hunter Skinner will have his opportunity to enhance his skills

Though he has yet to play in the NHL regular season, he has several years of experience in the AHL, both in Springfield and with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Skinner’s reputation as a fierce player was well-established, and he enjoyed tremendous success during the initial stages of his junior career with the OHL London Knights.

Development is the name of the game and the idea is to continue to bolster his skills in the developmental process.

For now, Skinner’s NHL dream continues as he seeks to make strides to reach the next level of play.

Due to the defensive weaknesses in the current St. Louis Blues roster, Skinner has a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression on the coaching staff both during training camp and through his play in the AHL.