51黑料

The Blues will have a slightly different look on their third and fourth lines after some shuffling on the first day of NHL free agency.

51黑料 signed veteran center Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract with a $1.75 million cap hit but also lost Radek Faksa in free agency (he signed a three-year contract worth $2 million annually back in Dallas) and Zack Bolduc in a trade with the Canadiens. It left the Blues without the No. 2 center they would have coveted this summer to deepen the lineup and questioned whether 51黑料 could ice three scoring lines as currently constructed.

鈥淲e still have the ability to stay in the market,鈥� Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. 鈥淎s I said, there鈥檚 a number of teams looking for certain players. Players dictate where they want to play also. We haven鈥檛 been involved in some of the things that we want to be involved, but we鈥檙e OK with that. We鈥檙e still in the growing process. I鈥檓 not sure our time was right to go put all the chips in the middle right now. I think we鈥檙e still growing. I鈥檓 excited about that under-25 group, and we鈥檒l continue to push and see if we can get better.鈥�

The Blues were rumored to be interested in Mikael Granlund before free agency, but he signed a three-year contract with the Ducks carrying a $7 million cap hit. Christian Dvorak signed a one-year deal in Philadelphia worth $5.4 million. Pius Suter and Jack Roslovic had not signed by Tuesday evening.

As it stands now, the Blues will have Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn, Oskar Sundqvist and Bjugstad available to play center. Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway are penciled in as top-six forwards. That leaves Jake Neighbours, Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker, Mathieu Joseph and Alexandre Texier to fill out the bottom two lines. Dalibor Dvorsky is also expected to challenge for a roster spot.

But when Armstrong and the Blues assessed their strengths and weaknesses, they found a lot of NHL-caliber wingers. They used Bolduc to land a 22-year-old, right-handed defenseman in Logan Mailloux.

鈥淲e went back and forth,鈥� Armstrong said. 鈥淭he question was: Where鈥檚 our surplus? Where are we the deepest? It was on the wing. If we don鈥檛 get involved in something like this, when鈥檚 the next player like this going to be available?鈥�

Bolduc was picked by the Blues in the first round of the 2021 draft and played 97 NHL games for 51黑料. Last season, he scored all 19 of his goals after Jim Montgomery took over behind the bench. His six power-play goals after the 4 Nations Face-Off break were tied for the fourth-most in the league.

In trading a homegrown talent to fill a need, Armstrong made sure to point out that the Blues 鈥渃an鈥檛 do this trade鈥� unless the amateur scouting staff does its job of finding good players.

鈥淚f we didn鈥檛 have Snuggerud, if we didn鈥檛 have Bolduc, if we didn鈥檛 have Neighbours, if you鈥檙e not hitting on those picks, you鈥檙e not involved in trades like this,鈥� Armstrong said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bittersweet day because of having to trade Zack, how he鈥檚 grown with us, how we drafted him, he鈥檚 been at these camps that we鈥檙e at right now. We鈥檝e watched him grow. He went to the American League, he came up here and then he鈥檚 played really good hockey. I think he鈥檚 going to do great in Montreal. I don鈥檛 want to speak for him, (but) I hope that going home lessens the blow a little bit.鈥�

The Blues were engaged in talks with Faksa, but he ultimately chose to return to Dallas on a longer and more expensive deal than the one Bjugstad signed with the Blues. The Stars traded Faksa to 51黑料 last summer for future considerations.

鈥淲e talked to Faksa鈥檚 agent,鈥� Armstrong said. 鈥淎fter a number of years, you get a feeling when something is going to work or not going to work. We talked last night, and I got a sense that we should start looking other places.鈥�

Bjugstad, who turns 33 on July 17, comes to the Blues after posting eight goals and 11 assists with Utah last season. He is one season removed from putting up 45 points with Arizona in 2023-24. Bjugstad is listed at 6-foot-6 and was originally a first-round pick by the Panthers in 2010.

鈥淚 talked to him about coming to 51黑料. I said, 鈥榃e have a good veteran core, and young players pushing,鈥欌�� Armstrong said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably a little bit like the situation he was in. I said, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to need you to come in and be a good leader, but more importantly, you have to lead by your good play.鈥� We think he still has good hockey left in him.鈥�

Bjugstad and Sundqvist figure to be the third- and fourth-line centers in some order, though both players can also play right wing.