Well, whaddya know? Sometimes, we call our shot and nail it. Pius Suter is now a St. Louis Blue.
This is an outstanding signing by GM Doug Armstrong to solidify the center depth behind Robert Thomas. On the first day of free agency, Armstrong brought in Nick Bjugstad, who should slot in as an excellent bottom-six center on the depth chart. Now, with Suter in the fold, it takes even more stress off captain Brayden Schenn, who's best used in a third-line role at this stage of his career. The Suter signing also takes some of the pressure off of prospect Dalibor Dvorsky: if the transition to NHL center is proving too difficult for Dvorsky, he can play on the wing while acclimating to the pace of the NHL. That's a lot of flexibility the Blues didn't have at the start of the week.
So, what can the Blues expect out of Suter? For starters, he didn't make the NHL until he was 24 and is something of a late bloomer. Since arriving, he's consistently been a top-six caliber center, though he fits best on a second line. Suter set a career-high in goals (25) and points (46) with the Canucks last season averaging over 17 minutes a night--most of those minutes came in a top-line role in the wake of the JT Miller trade and a season-ending injury to Elias Pettersson. Last season's 18.1 shooting percentage might not be sustainable, but a career average of 13.1 percent is pretty darn good. Suter also brings an excellent defensive game, which is surprising for a player who's only 5-foot-11.
With Thomas, Suter, Bjugstad, Schenn, and quite possibly Dvorsky on the way, the Blues are set at center for this season. The good news is that Suter can move to wing if Dvorsky proves capable of playing center at the NHL level, and having that level of utility and flexibility in your lineup is critical to contending for a Stanley Cup. While Armstrong still has some tinkering he can do, the Blues' lineup looks a lot stronger today than it did a week ago--and signing Pius Suter is a big reason why.