An important part of the 2024-25 season for the St. Louis Blues will be letting their young players play while mixing in their veterans or possible free-agent signings.
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General manager Doug Armstrong needs to spend some of this salary cap space, which is projected to be near $15 million with the increase in the NHL cap. They have space to work with, so let’s get into what they might do with it.
Which Forwards Could the Add?
The Blues aren’t going to target the top free agents on the market. Forwards like Sam Reinhart, Steven Stamkos, and Jake Guentzel aren’t going to be in St. Louis. However, here are some forwards that could make sense.
| Free Agent (Team Last Season) (Age) | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | Projected Contract |
| C Sean Monahan (Canadiens/Jets) (29) | 83 | 26 | 33 | 59 | 4 years, $5.25 million AAV |
| RW Tyler Toffoli (Devils/Jets) (32) | 79 | 33 | 22 | 55 | 3 years, $6.25 million AAV |
| C/LW Chandler Stephenson (Golden Knights) (30) | 75 | 16 | 35 | 51 | 4 years, $5 million AAV |
| C/RW Elias Lindholm (Flames/Canucks) (29) | 75 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 3 years, $6.75 million AAV |
| LW Jake DeBrusk (Bruins) (27) | 80 | 19 | 21 | 40 | 5 years, $5.50 million AAV |
In a perfect world, the Blues are able to add a center to the mix. They are in desperate need of a reliable center behind Robert Thomas and I don’t think any of the prospects are ready to take on that role. Even if 2023 first-round pick Dalibor Dvorsky makes the roster next season, he won’t be a second-line center right away.
I believe Monahan would be perfect for this role for several reasons. He’s a solid two-way forward with a lot of experience and played well in 2023-24. I’m not sure Stephenson or Lindholm are perfect options for a full-time center role, but either one would make the group better. Stephenson has tons of speed and has been a key cog in Vegas for quite some time, while Lindholm is only two seasons removed from a 42-goal campaign. There’s also reason to believe that Lindholm could get way more money after a down season than the Blues would be willing to pay.
As for the others, Toffoli is a great veteran to have alongside Thomas if Pavel Buchnevich is traded in the summer. He brings a wealth of experience and they could use another back-to-back 30-goal scorer alongside Jordan Kyrou. DeBrusk would be a good addition to a team like the Blues who could use scoring from the wing. My pick would be Monahan and I think Armstrong could legitimately show interest there.
Could the Blues Add to the Blue Line in Free Agency?
If the Blues are able to move on from one of Torey Krug, Justin Faulk, Nick Leddy, or Colton Parayko, they could look to add a blueliner in free agency. They should target a veteran with a lot of experience and a track record of consistent play.
| Free Agent (Team Last Season) (Age) | Games Played | Points | Plus/Minus | Corsi For % | Projected Contract |
| LD Brady Skjei (Hurricanes) (30) | 80 | 47 | +15 | 58.4 | 4 years, $6 million AAV |
| LD/RD Sean Walker (Flyers/Avalanche) (29) | 81 | 29 | +11 | 53.2 | 4 years, $4.75 million AAV |
| RD Matt Roy (Kings) (29) | 81 | 25 | +21 | 52.9 | 4 years, $4.75 million AAV |
| LD/RD Nikita Zadorov (Flames/Canucks) (29) | 75 | 20 | 0 | 50.5 | 4 years, $4.5 million AAV |
| RD Brett Pesce (Hurricanes) (29) | 70 | 13 | +10 | 58.1 | 4 years, $5 million AAV |
The best part about each of these five defensemen is their ability to defend. They’ve all played key playoff minutes over their careers and bring a certain level of trust to a blue line in St. Louis that desperately needs it. I think Skjei and Walker are the two best options, while Roy and Pesce bring a certain level of intrigue. I don’t expect the Blues to have interest in Zadorov, but I could be wrong.
Finding a legitimate partner for Parayko is important this summer and blueliners like Skjei and Walker could work in that area. I’m not sure the Blues’ defense can be anything other than flat average if they continue to roll Leddy and Krug alongside Parayko. It just hasn’t worked. They need to give this unit more juice and signing a quality defenseman in free agency would be a great way to do it.
Armstrong Shouldn’t Hesitate with Trade Talks
The other element to the offseason after the 2024 Draft and free agency is trade discussions. I think the Blues will be active in shopping the likes of Buchnevich and some blueliners, but I’m not sure how many deals they’ll strike on. This offseason would be a failure if they don’t trade at least one defenseman. It won’t be easy, but they have to figure something out. Armstrong has a responsibility to his recently hired head coach Drew Bannister to give him a roster that can compete.
They can’t fully rebuild right now, so they must try to compete. They aren’t going to be bad enough to get a top-five pick. It’ll be interesting to see how the offseason is approached by the club’s veteran front office.
