The St. Louis Blues didn’t make much noise at the trade deadline, with their only transaction being trading American Hockey League (AHL) goaltender Malcolm Subban to the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. But their biggest move of the week came the day before the deadline when they extended bottom-six center Oskar Sundqvist to a two-year, $3 million contract. While it isn’t a headline move for the franchise it is certainly a hit with the fans, who have loved Sundqvist for many years. The veteran forward has earned his place as a local hero in the town he will now call home for two more seasons.
Meet Me in St. Louis
The Blues first acquired Sundqvist when they traded Ryan Reaves to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017 (the Blues also acquired a first-round pick that became Klim Kostin). That trade has to be considered one of the best in the tenure of Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, as the Swedish forward he acquired would become a significant piece of the Blues’ Stanley Cup run two seasons later.
Sundqvist would develop into an extremely valuable two-way forward who became a fixture in the Blues’ middle-six. In the 2018-19 season, arguably the best of his career, he scored a career-high 31 points, with 14 goals (also a career-high) in 74 games. He averaged nearly 14 minutes per game, a number which only increased in the postseason, where he hit a mark of 16:08 per game. As one of the Blues’ best two-way forwards and penalty killers, he became a fixture in head coach Craig Berube’s lineup. And at the tender age of 25, he won the second Stanley Cup of his young career and the first in Blues franchise history.
It looked like Sundqvist would become a key building block in the team’s future. But fate had other plans. The following season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, in the season after that, he suffered a torn ACL after a collision with then-teammate Kyle Clifford. Blues fans had gotten used to the hard-working, blue collar kid with the strange, toothy smile, but they’d have to get used to being without him for a long time. When he returned during the 2021-22 season, he looked like a shell of his former self, and, running out of options, Armstrong traded him to the Detroit Red Wings to give him a fresh start with a new team.
Sundqvist’s Return
Even at the time, trading Sundqvist felt more like “see you later” than “farewell.” He was a fan favorite, and no one was happy to see him surrendered in the deal that brought Nick Leddy to St. Louis. But he needed a fresh start and a new opportunity, and he got that in Detroit. Later, the Red Wings would trade him to the Minnesota Wild, where he would get one more brief playoff appearance. When the offseason came, it seemed almost inevitable that Sundqvist, who routinely posted photos of himself out and about in St. Louis, even after his departure, would return to his adoptive hometown. And that day came on July 12, when Armstrong signed him to a new one-year contract.
But sentiment only carries you so far in the NHL. Sundqvist had to come in and prove that he was still a valuable piece for the team. And he’s done just that this season. While not providing a ton of scoring support, he has remained the hard-nosed, blue-collar two-way forward that he always was, wearing his love for the city on his sleeve. As the deadline approached, the Blues faced a choice: trade Sundqvist for a minor draft pick, lose him as a free agent for nothing or extend him. On Thursday, they made the decision the fans were hoping for and extended their beloved “Sunny” for another two seasons.
Lots of Building Left to Do
While fans can feel good about Sundqvist’s extension, the reality in St. Louis is that of a team in a rebuild. Sundqvist will be a valuable veteran presence helping young players mature with the franchise. He can continue to build his legend in the Gateway City if he helps the next generation grow into another Stanley Cup contender. But only time will tell if Armstrong can put the team around him to make that happen.
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