Center Pius Suter, one of the most prominent players available on Day 2 of free agency, is now a member of the St. Louis Blues.
Suter signed a two-year deal worth $4.125 million annually Wednesday after having the strongest season of his career. After combining to score 28 goals and 51 points over two seasons, Suter broke out in 2024-25 with 25 goals and 46 points in his final season with the Vancouver Canucks.
With several pending unrestricted free agents such as Sam Bennett, Brock Boeser, Brad Marchand and Brock Nelson deciding to stay with their teams, Suter was one of the most sought-after players in the market when free agency opened Tuesday. His deal with the Blues takes one more top-nine forward off the board, as the biggest name available, Nikolaj Ehlers, remains undecided on his future.
It's also the latest move for a Blues team looking to take the next step after returning to the postseason with a first-round exit.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said in June that veteran defenseman Torey Krug will not play next season while he continues to recover from offseason ankle surgery that caused him to miss the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Blues, who had seven forwards score more than 18 goals, traded one of those forwards by moving Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux with the aim of bolstering their top-six defensive setup.
Armstrong used Monday to sign bottom-six center Nick Bjugstad to a two-year deal, hoping he can operate as their third-line center.
But with the addition of Suter, the Blues might have one of the strongest center dynamics in the NHL from top to bottom, with Robert Thomas and captain Brayden Schenn occupying the top six, Suter on the third line and Bjugstad potentially on the fourth line.
