{"id":10599,"date":"2025-06-24T11:27:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T11:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/10599\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T11:27:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T11:27:11","slug":"blues-free-agency-plans-and-concerns-plus-contract-updates-more-takeaways-doug-armstrong-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/10599\/","title":{"rendered":"Blues free agency plans (and concerns), plus contract updates, more takeaways: Doug Armstrong talks"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. LOUIS \u2014 Heading into the offseason in early June, St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong created some intrigue when he mentioned<\/a> the need to add a \u201c200-foot center.\u201d Who could that be?<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s not one of the top free-agent targets on The Athletic\u2019s big board<\/a>, perhaps it\u2019s someone from the second or third tier?<\/p>\n

Three weeks after the comment was made, and with NHL free agency coming July 1, Armstrong acknowledged Monday in a 40-minute Q&A with reporters that such a player would be too costly for the Blues to indulge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that player\u2019s out there, but it took me a little time to realize that COVID\u2019s over, in the sense of how agents and people expect the new market to be,\u201d Armstrong said.<\/p>\n

For context, the NHL salary cap was $59.4 million in 2010-11 and jumped more than $20 million to $81.5 million by 2019-20.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cap would grow $5 to $6 million a year, and any bad contract you did \u2014 perceived bad contract \u2014 within two years, it wasn\u2019t a bad contract because the cap had gone up so much that it made it a livable contract,\u201d Armstrong said.<\/p>\n

But from the start of COVID-19 in March 2020 until the 2023-24 season, the cap went up just $2 million, to $83.5 million. In Armstrong\u2019s words, the flat cap didn\u2019t allow for bad contracts because teams were forced to make good business decisions.<\/p>\n

This season, however, the cap is rising to $95.5 million, and it\u2019s projected to be $113.5 million by 2027-28. As a result, Armstrong said players heading into free agency are asking for contracts that will look good now \u2014 and in a few years, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to get a free agent and you go through the analytics, and you chart what a guy\u2019s going to make, probably add 20 percent in another year, and that gets you in the conversation (for them) to say \u2018no\u2019 to you,\u201d Armstrong said. \u201cBut if you don\u2019t get into that, you have no chance at getting in the conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Call it Armstrong backtracking on his previous comment, or whatever you want, but on Monday, he made it sound as if the Blues won\u2019t be as active as he envisioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do believe that July 1 is going to be a fireworks day and there could potentially be some good-valued players July 15,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not saying we\u2019re not going to be active July 1, talking and finding out who\u2019s out there, what it is. But I can see the headlines now: \u2018Wow, (teams around the NHL) overpaid for him.\u2019 We\u2019re not bargain shopping. It\u2019s not like we\u2019re afraid to get in the other market, but it would have to make sense for us to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are other takeaways from Armstrong\u2019s pre-draft availability.<\/p>\n

Offer sheet for Hofer?<\/p>\n

Fans have shown some concern recently about the possibility of goaltender Joel Hofer, who will be a restricted free agent if not re-signed by the Blues by July 1, receiving an offer sheet this summer.<\/p>\n

Armstrong confirmed Monday that the Blues are negotiating with Hofer and that the team is not concerned about the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll get a qualifying offer and he\u2019ll take us to arbitration, or we\u2019ll take him to arbitration,\u201d Armstrong said.<\/p>\n

The GM also isn\u2019t concerned about Hofer receiving an offer sheet if he becomes an RFA.<\/p>\n

The Blues will have approximately $13.3 million in cap space for the 2025-26 season after they put defenseman Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve. (Armstrong said Monday that Krug will not play next season.)<\/p>\n

The compensation the Blues would receive if another team signed Hofer to a contract with a cap hit between $2.3 million and $4.6 million would be a second-round pick. The return for a deal with a cap hit between $4.6 million and $7 million would be a first- and a third-round pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve taken the Boston-Detroit approach last year when they had RFAs,\u201d Armstrong said. \u201cThey made sure they left enough cap space that any offer could be matched. I\u2019m very comfortable we can match any offer if we choose to match it. It won\u2019t be we didn\u2019t match it because we couldn\u2019t afford it. It will be we didn\u2019t match it because we thought the value we were getting back was better, and that value would have to start with a first-round pick or else we\u2019ll just match it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying we wouldn\u2019t match it with a first either, but I guess this is my shot across the bow. You can go after him. You\u2019re not going to get him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Doug Armstrong said the team is not worried about losing Joel Hofer as an RFA. (Sarah Stier \/ Getty Images)Updates on Faksa, Suter<\/p>\n

The Blues have two pending unrestricted free agents in Radek Faksa and Ryan Suter, and Armstrong acknowledged Monday that they are only talking to Faksa at the moment about coming back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had conversations, and we\u2019ll find out by July 1,\u201d Armstrong said.<\/p>\n

As for Suter, Armstrong spoke to him about the team moving forward with Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler, Philip Broberg, Justin Faulk, Nick Leddy, Tyler Tucker and Matthew Kessel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mentioned the seven D that we have, and (Suter) understands that,\u201d Armstrong said.<\/p>\n

Re-signing eligible players<\/p>\n

Fowler, Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway are entering the final seasons of their contracts in 2025-26 and are eligible for extensions beginning July 1.<\/p>\n

Fowler, 33, would become a UFA after the 2025-26 season, while Broberg and Holloway, both 23, would become RFAs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not in any rush,\u201d Armstrong said. \u201cFowler is a guy, he\u2019s going to be unrestricted; the other two guys aren\u2019t going anywhere. Worst-case scenario is they go to arbitration a year from now. If we have cap space now, we\u2019re going to have millions more next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t plan on having any big conversations prior to next season. Cam is a hell of a player \u2014 hell of a year \u2014 (but) if he was 26, the dynamic changes. (Broberg and Holloway) have got years before they\u2019re UFAs. We would love those players to stay here well past next year, but it\u2019s not something that is a priority that we feel has to be accomplished in July.\u201d<\/p>\n

Improving the D<\/p>\n

Those seven defensemen may be on the Blues\u2019 opening-night roster, but Armstrong acknowledged Monday that he will look to improve the group if he can.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if we came back with the four that ended the year (Parayko, Fowler, Broberg, Faulk), if they played a whole year together, it\u2019s not the best top four in the league but it\u2019s certainly above average,\u201d he said. \u201cWe do want to see what Tucker can do. We do want to see what Kessel can do. We do know what Leddy can do. So we have seven guys there. Now, if you could improve it, yeah, we would look at doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The full no-trade clauses for Faulk and Leddy will change to modified NTCs soon. On June 30, Leddy can submit a list of 16 teams to which he can be traded. On July 1, Faulk can provide a 15-team no-trade list.<\/p>\n

That timeline wouldn\u2019t allow the Blues to free up money before free agency, but if they went that route, they could still make moves this offseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there will be plenty of time,\u201d Armstrong said. \u201cIf we move guys, it\u2019s to open up spots more than it is to open up money, just because of the number of players we have returning. If we were to get into a market, it would probably be moving a guy just because we need to create space for a guy to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kyrou\u2019s NTC<\/p>\n

The defensemen aren\u2019t the only ones with changes coming to their NTCs. Captain Brayden Schenn switches from a full clause to a modified NTC in which he must provide a 15-team no-trade list by July 1. And the Blues have two players, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, whose full NTCs from the matching eight-year, $65 million contracts they signed in 2022 will kick in July 1.<\/p>\n

Asked in general terms Monday if he sees an NTC kicking in as a deadline to trade a player if that\u2019s the team\u2019s desire, Armstrong indicated he views it as any other day on the calendar.<\/p>\n

\u201cDates come and go in our business, whether it\u2019s a no-trade clause kicking in or a trade deadline, whatever,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t really focus on it. It is what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas have trade protection kicking in this summer. (Harry How \/ Getty Images)Draft plans<\/p>\n

The first round of the NHL Draft is Friday, with Rounds 2 through 7 on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The Blues have just three selections after sending their second- and third-round picks to the Edmonton Oilers as compensation for signing Broberg and Holloway to offer sheets.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is different, but we believe the value in Broberg and Holloway was worth the second and third,\u201d Armstrong said. \u201cThat\u2019s just the price of doing business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Armstrong said the Blues are confident they can get a good player with the 19th pick in the first round but aren\u2019t opposed to trading it for an NHL roster player.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely in consideration, yes,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to do is deviate from our course of trying to build within a group of players that are (age 20 to 25). That\u2019s sort of that window that we\u2019re trying to input players into. We could trade No. 19 for a player that\u2019s one year away from UFA, and then hope you can sign them. But if you can\u2019t sign them, he walks away a year from now and people say, \u2018Why\u2019d you do that?\u2019 We won\u2019t be trading for a guy with one year left unless we know 100 percent that we can get him signed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Development camp<\/p>\n

The Blues will host their annual development camp<\/a> from June 30 to July 3, and defensemen Adam Jiricek (2024 first round) and Theo Lindstein (2023 first round) will be in attendance.<\/p>\n

Jiricek, who was drafted by the Blues at No. 16 last year, played just 27 games with OHL Brantford because of a series of injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is all ready to go,\u201d Armstrong said. \u201cHe needs to put a solid, healthy year together. We\u2019ve talked about that in the past. It\u2019s hard to make the club from the tub. Sometimes you can\u2019t control it. I\u2019m not saying he can control these injuries he has, but you have to be able to play. We need to see it. He needs to see it. It\u2019s reality. You have to stay healthy to prove how good you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Lindstein, who was drafted at No. 29 two years ago, he will be playing in North America this season, like fellow Swede Otto Stenberg (2023 first round) did last season, arriving in AHL Springfield midseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheo is coming next (season) for sure,\u201d Armstrong said. \u201cStenberg came halfway last year, but Theo is coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any buyouts?<\/p>\n

For those wondering the Blue are going to buy out any players, like The Athletic projected could happen<\/a> with forward Mathieu Joseph, the answer is no.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing on the horizon \u2014 unless it\u2019s me,\u201d Armstrong said, laughing.<\/p>\n

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