The biggest signings of the year start now.
It’s time for the start of the busiest season of the hockey year not named “regular.” Free agency rumors have been spreading around the league for days – worries about losing Evgeni Malkin are gone in Pittsburgh. Calgary is seeing Johnny Gaudreau walk for new pastures. Everyone has their personal wish lists, GMs and fans alike.
Let’s see how your wish list plays out today.
Did you want the Blues to hold on to David Perron? Sorry, that may not happen. What about promoting Charlie Lindgren to backup? Well, no. Nick Leddy?
You might want to just throw that list away and start over again.
The Blues are constrained by both this year’s salary cap and caps of the future – Ryan O’Reilly and Jordan Kyrou are due extentions, and it appears that Robert Thomas has already been given one that makes him the highest paid player on the team in 2023 as of right now. Needless to say, the Blues are trying to balance now and later – and one key part is being sacrificed for tribute.
Regardless of what Doug Armstrong does or doesn’t do today, NHL free agency is always a wild ride. We’ll have Game Time updated as soon as we can with analysis of any UFA losses, any UFA re-signings, and the fate of David Perron.