The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Landon Ferraro to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday. The team did not disclose financial details, but General Fanager reports that the two-way deal carries a $700,000 cap hit at the NHL level and that Ferraro is guaranteed $350,000 no matter where he’s playing.
Ferraro, the son of NHL legend turned announcer Ray Ferraro, started last season as a Detroit Red Wings prospect. After two seasons of just grabbing a couple NHL games here and there while spending the majority of his time with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, he was poised to earn some real NHL time after scoring 27 goals and 42 points in the AHL the prior year.
That was aided, in part, by the team’s need to pass him through waivers to put him back in the AHL.
He spent 10 games with the team and failed to register a single point. The Red Wings waived him, and he was claimed by the Boston Bruins where he was able to make his NHL opportunity stick. He played 58 games with Boston, scoring five goals and 10 points.
However, the Bruins decided not to qualify the 24-year-old, making the pending RFA an unrestricted free agent. St. Louis may prove to be a good opportunity for Ferraro, who has exhibited a strong offensive game, but plays a gritty style even though he’s on the smaller side.