The St. Louis Blues are in the midst of a transformation to their lineup. With that being said, general manager Doug Armstrong has already moved on from their top pending unrestricted free agents, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, and Ivan Barbashev before the trade deadline. At this point, the team currently has six free agents, three unrestricted, to address this offseason. When looking at this list, there are three that are unlikely to be back next season.
Thomas Greiss
The veteran goaltender, Thomas Greiss, is the first on the list of players that won’t be back with the Blues next season. After joining the team as the placeholder until goaltending prospect Joel Hofer is ready to make his way to the NHL, the 37-year-old veteran could be nearing the end of his NHL career altogether. His time with St. Louis has provided him with a sort of rebound type season. After a dismal 3.66 goals-against average (GAA) rating and .891 save percentage (SV%) over 31 games played with the Detroit Red Wings, he has seen a slight statistical improvement to a 3.50 GAA and .900 SV% through 19 games.
The aforementioned Hofer signed a contract extension earlier in the season, solidifying and confirming the future duo of he and Jordan Binnington through 2025. Greiss will not be back next season and has provided the series to the team and the organization that he was brought in to do. While he has proven that he still has life left in him, any opportunity that he would have to prove what he may have left in the tank will not be with the Blues next season.
Tyler Pitlick
Veteran forward Tyler Pitlick, a pending unrestricted free agent, is among the group of forwards unlikely to make their way back to St. Louis next season. The 31-year-old has not been a regular in the lineup for the Blues this season, appearing in only 50 games. To date, he has managed only five goals and 11 points with a minus-7 rating. His 9:51 of time on ice that he averages per game is among the lowest of all the forwards and only averaging four seconds on the man-advantage. He has maintained a serviceable status in the lineup this season, but not had one that has stuck out of the crowd over the course of the season.
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With the direction of the franchise and efforts to re-tool, it is likely that the Blues choose another player in their organization to offer a spot in the lineup to a prospect currently playing for their American Hockey League (AHL) squad, the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Logan Brown
Logan Brown’s time in St. Louis could be coming to a close. The pending restricted free agent has found a consistent foothold in the lineup through nearly two seasons and has done little to offer much confidence that there is more to his play at this point. The 24-year-old center showed glimpses of progress and upside in his first season scoring four goals and 11 points through 39 games, averaging just over 10 minutes of time on ice per game. This season, his point production has dipped scoring one goal and four points in 21 games. Brown’s health has taken a hit multiple times this season with several upper-body injuries that have left the former 11th-overall draft choice out of the lineup on a regular basis.
With the Blues going through the early stages of their rebuild, there is a chance they opt to keep Brown next season for depth purposes. However, the club also has multiple pieces at the forward position that can solidify a bottom-six role that offer more upside in the long term. The next few seasons for the franchise will need patience, but will also offer them the opportunity to see what their prospects and young professionals have to offer when provided a chance in the NHL.