Blues Signing Steal of Free Agency

The St. Louis Blues were one of the best stories of this past season. At the halfway point, they were far back in the playoff race, but a second-half resurgence earned the team a postseason berth. Not only that, but they also pushed the Winnipeg Jets, the top seed in the Western Conference, to seven games in the opening round. It was an impressive result from a team that many had written off as a contender in the lottery rather than for the Stanley Cup.

Heading into the upcoming season, the Blues remain in a similar spot. The Blues made the playoffs last year, but in a loaded conference, they are still not viewed as one of the top teams. While they will have to wait until the season begins to change the league's perception of them, they are hoping their latest acquisition becomes the steal of this year's free agency.

The Blues signed center Pius Suter to a two-year contract in the opening wave of free agency. The deal pays him $8.25 million total with an average annual value of $4.125 million.

This is a huge win for the organization for two reasons. The first is the team-friendly salary. Suter is coming off a 25-goal season. Free agency is where players go to maximize their earnings and teams pony up. It often leads to overpayments and regretful contracts signed.

That's not the case for Suter and the Blues. Coming off a career-high goal-scoring season, it's fair to expect him to regress slightly in 2025-26. Even if that occurs, Suter is still worth the price tag. Throughout his career, he has been a perennial 15-goal scorer and 30-point producer, capable of playing in the middle-six, killing penalties, and even filling in on power play duty. He's a versatile forward who fills a lot of holes for the Blues, and they managed to pay him less than market value.

The second reason this contract is such a win for the Blues is the length of the deal. St. Louis has a clear vision for their future. They have several promising forward prospects who project to be top-six players over the coming seasons. That's why they signed Suter to a two-year contract and again didn't fall into the trap of free agency. The Blues have such a short and brief committment to the veteran pivot, they've managed to make not only an incredible signing, but minimized the risk of the deal simultaneously.

The Blues are fighting an uphill battle again this upcoming season. Despite the challenge, they have a talented roster and a history of overcoming being overlooked. That could happen again this year in St. Louis, especially with the most underrated signing of free agency joining the roster.