The St. Louis Blues have a busy summer ahead of them, and free agency is going to be either loud or quiet. On July 1, when the signing frenzy begins, it will be Alexander Steen's first day on the job as the General Manager and President of Hockey Operations.
To make a good first impression with the Blue Note Faithful, he has to stay clear of these three free agents.
Alex Tuch
This is an easy one, as Alex Tuch is going to want the highest deal possible this summer. The Blues have enough talent on the wings, and certainly do not need to waste a boatload of money on him when they are still trying to figure themselves out.
If the Blues were in a position like the Buffalo Sabres are in, with their Stanley Cup-winning window open, this would be an easier sell. But, as it stands now, Tuch would be getting a lot of money, and the Blues would be setting themselves further back.
Patrik Laine
Again, this is a tempting get but has to be on the list of do not sign. Patrik Laine has had an interesting career, and it has been plagued by injuries and off-ice struggles. He has not had a full 82-game attendance record since the 2018-19 season, and these last four years have been particularly rough for him.
There is no way to really judge what his next contract would look like. He is certainly worth over $4 million AAV, but are you willing to spend that kind of cash when he has only played in 130 games in the last four seasons?
The Blues cannot hope that this "next stop" is the one where he finally lands on his feet.
Rasmus Andersson
The Blues need defense, but as the forward group is gravitating toward a younger core, so is the blueline. Logan Mailloux, Philip Broberg, and the impending debut of Adam Jiricek make up half of the allotted spots, leaving the idea of signing Rasmus Andersson not possible.
This upcoming draft is going to have some solid defensemen, and since the Blues are not in a position to win now, it does not make sense to grab Andersson for top dollar when that money can be put to use elsewhere once the current youth grow out of their Entry-Level contracts.
