Blues Sign Veteran Forward to Extension

The native of Cardiff, United Kingdom, was originally selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round (89 overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, though he only played a total of 10 games with the team, split between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, which deemed him ineligible for a Stanley Cup ring. The games required to be played are 41.

After signing as a Free Agent with the Blues on July 1, 2019, Walker has carved out a home in Missouri, and the Blues have rewarded him accordingly with his new deal, which will keep him around until the conclusion of the 2027-28 season.

Walker, up until 2022-23 had never played more than 30 games in a season, but he established a career-high of 56 in 2023-24, and has since went on to play 45 and then a new benchmark of 73 in 2024-25. He also set a new career best in goals (8), assists (8) and points (16).

So, he proved to the Blues, that while he is very much a veteran, he still has some depth scoring potential to add to.

Nathan Walker: "Obviously, St. Louis is where we want to be. My family and I love it. ... The culture here is where we want to be and obviously hopefully we can build off what we did last year," Lou Korac reported on his X account.

The Blues, of course, fell short in the first round of the playoffs, losing in seven games to the Winnipeg Jets, and this has ignited a fire in Walker, and the Blues to shoot for more in 2025-26. To be noted, the Blues missed the playoffs the previous two seasons.

Walker isn't going to be an offensive catalyst by any means, but for a team that is primed to take another big step, after finishing in the second wildcard spot last season, depth will be tremendous for their fortunes.

The veteran of nine seasons and 229 games is sure to provide just that, and now 31 years old entering the season, with a February birthday, Walker is aware that the opportunities to win a Stanley Cup now will be more scarce, as the latter part of his career is likely closer than not.