Keys to the St. Louis Blues offseason
Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski of ESPN: Looking at some of the offseason questions and decisions the St. Louis Blues are facing.
Alex Pietrangelo‘s future – Pietrangelo would like to remain with the Blues. They haven’t made him a contract off yet. Roman Josi is a comparable and he signed an eight-year deal at just over $9 million a season. It won’t be easy fitting in a new deal and they’ll likely need to move some salary out.
Any veterans on the move? Jake Allen has a year left on his contract and is coming off a good season – 2.15 GAA and a .927 save percentage. Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson and forward Alex Steen are two other candidates, though the return won’t be much. Forwards Tyler Bozak or Jaden Schwartz are two others that could be moved if they are looking to make a bigger deal.
Is Scott Perunovich ready to jump in? A 2018 second-round pick and is coming off a Hobey Baker winning season.
Coyotes expanding GM search and keep an eye on Ekman-Larsson
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman said the Arizona Coyotes will be expanding their GM search. Steve Sullivan remains their interim GM and if the Coyotes decide not to keep Sullivan, he wouldn’t be out of work for long. There several teams that would be interested in Sullivan.
Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is another one to keep an eye on this offseason.
“I don’t have 100 per cent clarity on this right now but I think one of the storylines that is going to be interesting to watch there with the Coyotes in the off-season is the future of Oliver Ekman-Larson,” Friedman reported. “He’s their captain, he’s signed to a long-term deal, he’s got seven years left, he’s got a no-move clause. It could come down to what ownership wants to do, what the new GM thinks to do. I’ve just been told it’s a story to keep an eye on.”
The 29-year old carries an $8.25 million salary cap hit. He had nine goals and 21 assists this past season in 66 games.