Get used to one caveat, Blues fans: Things could change with one phone call.
In almost every conversation with general manager Doug Armstrong, the disclaimer appears. Buyouts? No, but ... never say never. Bringing back free agents? No, but ... that door isn’t closed. Trading the first-round pick? No, but ... unless the acquisition is the right age.
It’s not expected to be a busy offseason in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, as both Armstrong and owner Tom Stillman have alluded to in various interviews over the summer. That much was cemented a bit more Monday when Armstrong met with reporters in a pre-draft availability.
The draft is June 28 and 29 in Las Vegas, and the Blues hold pick No. 16 in the first round. Additionally, they have two second-round picks and two third-round picks, remnants of their 2023 trade deadline deals that sent Ryan O’Reilly to Toronto and Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers.
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Unlike last year, when one of the Blues’ three first-rounders seemed to be a trade chip (reportedly in the nixed Philadelphia deal including Torey Krug), their lone first-rounder this year doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Of course, the Blues could entertain moving up or down, but indications point to them selecting a player in the first round next week.
“I don’t see us using that pick to improve our team today,†Armstrong said. “Now, with that being said, if it’s somebody in an age bracket that I see a longer-term vision, we would do that. I think I’ve seen a lot of teams talk about, ‘We’re ready to move this year’s pick to improve this year’s team.’ It could be a player with one or two years or maybe three. I don’t see that being our vision right now. But if it was the right player with the right amount of term left that we could see growing with certain people, we would do that. But I see it more as a selection type of draft for us.â€
If the Blues use the No. 16 pick, it will be just the second time since 2010 that ºüÀêÊÓƵ has drafted that highly. Of course, last year they used the No. 10 pick to select Dalibor Dvorsky. Prior to Dvorsky, Jaden Schwartz (No. 14 in 2010) and Tarasenko (No. 16 in 2010) were the most recent times the Blues picked 16th or higher.
The Blues are not expected to re-sign the three unrestricted free agents that were on the NHL roster to end the season: Kasperi Kapanen, Sammy Blais and Marco Scandella. They are also not expected to bring back Jakub Vrana or Calle Rosen, who were both with AHL affiliate Springfield (Massachusetts) for the majority of the season.
Armstrong said the Blues “want to see what’s available to us,†while also searching for internal growth. Up front, that could come in the form of more minutes for Zack Bolduc, Zach Dean or Dvorsky. On the back end, that could mean bigger roles for Matthew Kessel, Tyler Tucker or Scott Perunovich.
“We’re going to let them test the market, and we’ll see what’s there,†Armstrong said of the pending UFAs. “We haven’t closed any doors on anyone, but as of now, (they won’t be back). That could change. All of a sudden, you end up trading a player’s rights and that opens up a spot and you go back to the guy, ‘Would you like to come back?’â€
Of that group, Blais has the most history with the Blues. He was in his second stint with the organization after being traded to the Rangers as part of the deal that netted the Blues Pavel Buchnevich. He won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 and has played 203 of his 257 career games in the Blue Note. Last year, he had one goal and six assists.
The buyout window opens two days after the Stanley Cup Final ends, but don’t expect the Blues to be active in that area, either. Since Armstrong took over as GM in 2010, he has never bought out a contract.
“It’s not something that we have on the front burner,†Armstrong said. “But I don’t know what might happen between now and at the draft. If you add in X amount of dollars and you get a player, and one way to do that is to buy someone out, we can do it. It’s not something that we put in stone like we’ll never buy anybody out, come hell or high water. That’s not case. It has to make economic sense. So we haven’t seen that yet.â€
In order for it to make financial sense, the Blues would have to use that freed cap space on an acquisition that would make the team better. There are open questions whether the Blues would actually be a team that spends to the cap this year, simply because their roster may not warrant it.
Blues re-sign Perunovich
Blues defenseman Perunovich signed a one-year contract extension worth $1.15 million on Tuesday afternoon, a deal that will again make him a restricted free agent next summer.
Perunovich was a pending RFA before signing the deal, leaving the Blues with just Nikita Alexandrov left to sign from the NHL roster. Among AHL-rostered players, Mikhail Abramov, Keean Washkurak and Hunter Skinner are scheduled to be RFAs.
Perunovich just finished his first season exclusively in the NHL, as he had 17 assists in 54 games. He missed seven games with a lower-body injury in February but was also a healthy scratch 19 times, including under both former coach Craig Berube and current coach Drew Bannister.
The Blues retained Perunovich’s rights when he surpassed 74 total career games played (regular season and postseason). If he failed to reach that number, he would have become a Group 6 unrestricted free agent.
Perunovich returns to a blue line that should look familiar, with Krug, Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, Nick Leddy, Kessel and Tucker all under contract for next season. Scandella is the only anticipated departure as a UFA.