On the St. Louis Blues …
Lou Korac: Pending free agent goaltender Carter Hutton said he’s open to returning to the Blues next season.
Lou Korac: Hutton added that he and his wife love it in St. Louis and that his son was born here. He really wants to return next year but will sit down with his agent to talk about the best options.
Lou Korac: GM Doug Armstrong said they are open to the idea of bringing Hutton back next season. He wants to see what Hutton is thinking.
Emily Kaplan of ESPN: Looking at some keys to the Blues offseason.
1. Address their goaltending situation – Jake Allen was inconsistent and carries a $4.35 million cap hit through 2020-21. There is hope that he can rebound, or they could look to give him a change of scenery. Prospect Ville Husso may not be ready yet. A safe bet for the Blues could be to bring Carter Hutton back on a one-year deal.
2. Find a top-center to replace Paul Stastny and to play with Vladimir Tarasenko – Tarasenko has dealt with rotating centers and could use some stability. Fans may be hoping that Robert Thomas could fill that slot, but the 2017 first-round pick is still just 18-years old. They could take a run out John Tavares if he goes to market.
3. Acquire some scoring depth – The Blues shortly entered the scoring winger market before the trade deadline and before they switched gears. They lack scoring depth behind Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz and Tarasenko.
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic: Blues director of amateur scouting Bill Armstrong on Robert Thomas.
“He really thinks the game at a high level, Armstrong said. Obviously there are some strength issues and some maturity issues, which all the junior kids have before they’re ready for the NHL. But I’d have to say as a staff, right now, it looks like he’s at the highest hockey sense we’ve seen because of how quick he thinks the game with or without the puck.”
