With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement going into effect this week, many teams around the NHL scrambled to lock up their future. Washington secured Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif; Anaheim got their key superstar, Cutter Gauthier, and Drake Batherson of Ottawa agreed to an 8-year deal.
For the St. Louis Blues, they were unable to make any moves in the final hours, when every fan was patiently awaiting the extension of one player. That player is Jimmy Snuggerud, and when asked about it on the first day of training camp, he responded with some optimism.
"“I think there’s certain ways teams do things and every player is different honestly. Every guy goes through talks and what not. Nothing really occurred and I’m just happy to keep going here. Like I said, it’ll all take care of itself. I’m not too concerned with it.”"Jimmy Snuggerud
A deal should get done next offseason
For Snuggerud, he had a fantastic rookie season and is heading into his sophomore campaign with a secured spot on the top line alongside captain Robert Thomas and lethal offensive weapon Dylan Holloway. It might actually work out better in No. 21's case for him to wait, although he gets one whole year less, as the new standard is a seven-year max deal, not eight.
Let us also be sure to explain that Snuggerud is not going anywhere. The Blues are heavily invested in this kid, and his opening year should be considered the bare minimum for him going forward. The way he moves the puck, creating offense when all options have been snuffed out, and that top-tier wrist shot will carry this franchise for a long, long time.
Focus on the season at hand is best
The idea here is that the Blues, with Snuggerud included, need to focus on the 2026-27 season. Not eight years down the line. The championship window is cracked open, and a few more pieces can let that nice cool breeze in.
Snuggerud has to bet on himself for this upcoming season and remain hopeful that general manager Alexander Steen adds one more key piece to really set this team above and beyond. He also needs to hope that the man handling his paycheck is also paying attention to how important he is to the team and adds some extra cash to his next deal that expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.
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