The St. Louis Blues will be bringing back a depth forward, announcing today that they have re-signed Jacob de La Rose for one season. The deal will pay him $700K for 2020-21.
Now 25 years old, it’s clear that de La Rose is never going to score much at the NHL level. In 229 NHL games, the big center has recorded just 13 goals and 37 points, including just nine last season in a year split between St. Louis and the Detroit Red Wings. He came to the Blues as the return for Robby Fabbri, but was never expected to fill the same kind of middle-six role in St. Louis.
Instead, he’ll serve as some fourth-line depth and a big body that can contribute to head coach Craig Berube’s physical grind-it-out style. de La Rose does require waivers to go to the minor leagues, but it seems unlikely that he’d be claimed at this point in his career given there isn’t much upside left.
Why? Unless it’s for the farm. He isn’t an NHL’er.