While an early look at the free agent pool each year often results in wild speculation and amazement at the talent potentially available, by the time the offseason actually rolls around there isn’t a lot to actually choose from. Top names are given huge extensions to stay put or dealt to a contender at the deadline who uses their three-plus months to re-sign the star. That’s why it has always seemed like Alex Pietrangelo’s availability was a bit of a pipe dream for every team other than the St. Louis Blues.
The captain of the reigning Stanley Cup champions, in his prime at age-30, coming off a season where he logged more than 24 minutes a night. It was hard to imagine the Blues letting that go in free agency, but as we now stand in mid-September, Pietrangelo doesn’t have a contract for next season.
Speaking to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Pietrangelo called it “a little disappointing” that nothing had been done to this point, and explained “there hasn’t been much in terms of progress” on a new contract. While neither side has ruled anything out—LeBrun even suggests that the Blues will be making another offer soon—the star defenseman has already discussed next steps with his wife should he end up on the open market in a few weeks.
There is no doubt that Pietrangelo is still a game-changing force in the NHL. The Blues captain scored double-digit goals (16) for the fourth straight season and registered 52 points in 70 games. Those 24 minutes a night included more than three on the powerplay and almost two on the penalty kill, coming in as one of the most effective players on the team in both situations. His playoff track record is outstanding, with a league-leading 16 assists last year and another strong performance in the 2020 restart. While he may not be running around hitting opponents, his 6’3″ frame is still more than enough to battle physically when required.
There is a lot to like in Pietrangelo, but that all-around game will also deserve a hefty paycheck wherever he lands. That is likely the sticking point in St. Louis, given the flat salary cap and the fact that the team has already committed $76MM to next season’s roster. Expensive extensions for Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn have eaten up a lot of the room left by Pietrangelo’s expiring contract, though there are obvious ways to create enough money to bring the captain back, if they want to.
Instead, it seems more and more likely by the day that Pietrangelo will be a free agent on October 9th, with LeBrun speculating that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers could all be in the mix given their respective situations. The connection to Toronto has been discussed constantly (Pietrangelo is from King City, just north of Toronto and once played minor hockey with John Tavares), but the Maple Leafs would have to battle a long list of suitors for the 30-year-old’s services.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Vegas has a bunch of large contracts and no cap space, so why does every keep listing them as an acquirer when they blew their cap over the last three years try to win the cup?
Exactly.
see Maple Leafs, Toronto
Sucks trading Jake Allen wasn’t enough. It’ll be even worse if Dumb Armstrong let’s a second captain go in FA. I think I understood letting backes go a few years ago, but Petro is more of a key piece in the cog. I do have a little confidence he’ll re-sign but I’m less than 20% confident he will. It’ll be interesting to see if Armstrong and Stillman can get creative enough to figure something out.
The salary dumping trades that have happened so far have been horribly 1 sided…doesn’t really seem like St. Louis has a choice but to let him walk…every team in the nhl is goin to pressed against the cap, I would bet the salary dumps only get tougher and tougher
there issue is Tarasenko is signed to a big contract and not able to play. If they had a redo I’m sure they’d go back.
I agree. That is one contract that if the Blues could take back they would, I’d argue that there’s probably another one or two that could go that way as well.
The Blues would not have won the Cup last year without Tarasenko. It will suck if he can’t come back. Personally, I’d shelf him all of next season, take the insurance money and Cap space and bring back AP. The next off-season, Steen comes off the books finally. Also, Bozak and Gunnerson. That is over $12 million in cap space. Enough to pay the Captain and extend Schwartz. Supplement with young players. Still have a core for 2021-2022 of AP, Parayko, Dunn on defense. A hopefully healed Tarasenko, Schwartz, Schenn, Thomas, O’Reilly on offense. The key is Binnington finding his form again and getting a lot more from Justin Faulk. That is the contract they regret.
BLUES have to find away to keep this guy if they don’t and let him walk away then pack Ur bags on another season. He is the rock in the dressing room.. Period….
Most of us thought that by trading Jake Allen, Petro’s situation was almost all but resolved. Then, he himself, comes out and states that there is very little to no progress on a new deal. Similar to how TOR missed Naz when he was dealt, STL will be affected that much more. As @Bucky76 and @vincent k. mcmahon have stated, his presence is much more valuable than maybe Doug A. thinks. It might not qualify as “catastrophic”, but the damage might be felt for years in Blues Country. We also have to remember, that none of us really know how many teams will reduce their own spending. That $81.5MM might only be hit by a smaller number of teams in the next couple of years. I’d hope that STL isn’t going to be one of them, but we just don’t know…
Leafs don’t need another giant contract. Right side is so bad Petro alone won’t get it done. Would rather get 2 of Dimelo, Gudas and Hamonic. That would give them way more of a physical D core while not completely breaking the bank. Would probably only take 1 more cap dump trade of Kerfoot/Johnsson
I tend to agree from a money sense. I think the biggest q with Pietro to Toronto is “where does that leave Morgan?” and I mean this from a leadership stance. Pietro coming in would make him the leader of this group. if the plan is to bring in a new rearguard who will be the “leader”, I think you now have to consider if Morgan is here long-term.
So ultimately while money is the deciding factor, I think the question of who will be this D Cores leader moving forward is a big one. if they view Morgan as the leader, then support pieces like a Brodie or Demelo make sense.
The Leafs don’t currently have the cap space to sign Pietrangelo. They have $6,106,467 in cap space and that’s with only 9 forwards. Pietrangelo is going probably going to get close to $8 million a season. The Leafs would have to move out a couple of more contracts to get enough cap space, but the problem with that is that it creates more holes that they would have to fill and that costs money.
the thing is every team can go over the cap up to 10% I believe in the offseason. so the leafs, blues, knights could all sign him and figure out what to do with the other parts.
Yeah they can but it still makes it difficult to fill out your roster. If the Leafs sign Pietrangelo to a deal worth $8 million a season, they will have about $40 million wrapped up in 4 players. That doesn’t let you put a deep team together
I don’t disagree and personally don’t see it happening unless they are able to move a minimum of 2 of Anderson, Reilly, Johnsson, Nylander and Kerfoot.
Trade Steen & your 1st to LA, then give Petro $8M AAV over 8 years, then sign Vince Dunn to a 2 year $2.75M AAV deal. DONE!!!
Good luck with all that. Dunn is worth more, it’s gonna be hard dumping salary this offseason a late 1st might not get it done and 8×8 probably doesn’t get it done either
But he slept at a Holiday Inn last night…