With the 2019-20 NHL season on pause, the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues went to work in retaining a handful of key players on multi-year deals.
After signing forward Sammy Blais to a two-year extension worth $3 million, the Blues managed to re-sign veteran defenseman Marco Scandella to a four-year deal that'll pay him $3.275 million per season.
The 23-year-old Blais had six goals and 13 points in 40 games for the Blues prior to the season pause. The 2014 sixth-round draft pick (176th overall) has 20 points in 83 career games, and he was on the Blues' Stanley Cup roster last season.
Scandella was acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens. He had one assist in 11 games with his new team team.
The 30-year-old Scandella began the season with the Buffalo Sabres but was traded to Montreal early in the new year. He had a total of four goals and 13 points in 62 total games with the three teams.
Having signed Scandella to a new deal, the Blues will now have to give Montreal an additional fourth-round pick, as CapFriendly noted.
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Blues general manager Doug Armstrong still has a lot of work ahead this offseason. Top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is currently slated to become an unrestricted free agent, and he could very well cost around $10 million annually on a new deal.
2019 playoff hero and top goalie Jordan Binnington is scheduled to enter free agency next year, along with backup goalie Jake Allen. Forwards Jaden Schwartz, Alexander Steen and Tyler Bozak will also need new contracts. Of course, the salary cap means Armstrong won't be able to retain everybody, but that's all for another day.
Prior to the season suspension, St. Louis sat first in the Western Conference with 96 points (a 42-19-10 record). Only the Boston Bruins, whom the Blues defeated in the Stanley Cup Final last year, were ahead in the league standings. St. Louis was two points ahead of the Central Division rival Colorado Avalanche for first in the conference.
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