Blues Sign Barret Jackman to Three-Year Extension

The St. Louis Blues announced today that they have signed defenseman Barret Jackman to a three-year contract extension.  The financial terms have not been disclosed, but the deal is reportedly worth $9.5 million, which would average out to $3.16 million per season.  He would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1.  In 81 games this past season, he had one goal and 12 assists for 13 points and 57 penalty minutes.  The Blues were wise to lock up Jackman before July 1, as he is a decent defensive defenseman who plays a physical game and has some shutdown skills.  He is also a solid leader on and off the ice, making him a valuable player to the St. Louis organization.

Blues Sign Chris Stewart to One-Year Extension

The St. Louis Blues announced on Thursday that they have signed right wing Chris Stewart to a one-year contract extension worth $3 million.  He would have been a restricted free agent on July 1.  In 79 games last season, he had 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points and 109 penalty minutes.  While Stewart struggled a bit offensively last season, this is still a solid signing for the Blues.  He has lots of offensive upside, plenty of goal-scoring skill, and plays with lots of toughness and grit.  Look for Stewart to work on his offensive game this off-season and become more of an offensive threat for the Blues throughout the 2012-13 season.

Blues Sign Adam Cracknell to One-Year Extension

The St. Louis Blues announced on Wednesday that they have signed center Adam Cracknell to a one-year contract extension. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. He would have been eligible for group six unrestricted free agency this summer. In two games this season with the Blues, he has one goal. He has also appeared in 64 games with Peoria of the AHL, scoring 20 goals and 26 assists for 46 points. This is really just a depth signing for the Blues, as Cracknell will likely spend the majority of next season in the minors, where he will provide plenty of offensive depth for Peoria.

Senators Acquire Ben Bishop from Blues, Sign Him to One-Year Deal

The Ottawa Senators announced on Sunday that they have acquired goaltender Ben Bishop from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a second round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft. Part of the trade also includes Ottawa signing Bishop to a new contract. The 25-year-old goaltender, who would have been eligible for group six unrestricted free agency this summer, will sign a one-year contract worth $650,000 on Monday. In 38 games this season with Peoria of the AHL, he has posted a 24-14-0 record, six shutouts, a 2.26 GAA, and a .928 save percentage. He last appeared in an NHL game during the 2010-11 season with the Blues. With Craig Anderson currently sidelined with a lacerated pinky finger, the Senators obviously felt they needed to add some quality goaltending depth and they got that in Bishop. Prospect Robin Lehner is not quite ready to take on starting duties, let alone for the playoffs, and Alex Auld may have a rough time handling several starts in a row, so Bishop is a great choice to help out in net. He has great size and is very agile, making him a good option in goal. Look for him to challenge hard for the backup role in Ottawa next season. As for the Blues, Bishop wasn't going to get very many starts with Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak as their goaltending tandem, so moving him to another team is a great move to give him an opportunity to secure a regular NHL role elsewhere.

Blues Sign Brian Elliott to Two-Year Extension

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have signed goaltender Brian Elliott to a two-year contract extension worth $3.6 million. The deal averages out to $1.8 million per season. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. In 22 games this season, Elliott has a 15-5-1 record, five shutouts, a 1.68 GAA, and a .937 save percentage. His solid play so far this season has earned him a roster spot in the 2012 All-Star Game in Ottawa on January 29. After struggling mightily in Ottawa and Colorado last season, Elliott has completely turned his game around and has helped keep the Blues near the top of the standings for most of the season. He covers a lot of space in the net and is quick on his skates despite having consistency issues in the past. If he can keep his solid play going into next season, this will be a steal of a deal for St. Louis.

Blues Sign Ryan Reaves to Two-Year Extension

The St. Louis Blues announced on Monday that they have signed right wing Ryan Reaves to a two-year contract extension. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency this summer. In 25 games so far this season, he has no points and 48 penalty minutes. This is a depth signing at best for the Blues, as Reaves plays a very physical game, but doesn't have a lot of offensive upside. Look for him to play an enforcer role on the checking lines over the next two seasons.

Blues Acquire Kris Russell from Blue Jackets for Nikita Nikitin

The St. Louis Blues announced on Friday that they have acquired defenseman Kris Russell from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Nikita Nikitin. In 12 games with the Blue Jackets this season, Russell has two goals and one assist for three points, while Nikitin has no points in seven games with the Blues. Not a bad depth move for the Blues, as Russell will bring some offensive upside to the team. He also plays with some grit and has some puckmoving skill. The change of scenery may help jump-start his NHL career, but playing on a much deeper defensive corps in St. Louis might make it harder for him to do so. As for the Blue Jackets, Nikitin will bring some defensive upside and puckmoving skill to the team's blueline. He should get more opportunities to improve his overall game in Columbus than he did in St. Louis.

Oilers Claim Taylor Chorney Off Waivers from Blues

The Edmonton Oilers announced on Thursday that they have claimed defenseman Taylor Chorney off waivers from the St. Louis Blues and assigned him to their AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. The Blues had previously claimed him off waivers from the Oilers on October 11. In two games with the Blues, Chorney had no points. He missed 10 games at the beginning of the season with a sprained knee. Not a bad pickup for the Oilers, as Chorney is a very mobile defenseman with some puckmoving skills and a little offensive upside. For now, he will remain in the minors unless injuries begin to mount on Edmonton's blueline.

Blues Claim Taylor Chorney Off Waivers from Oilers

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have claimed defenseman Taylor Chorney off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers. He has yet to appear in an NHL game so far this season. In 12 games last season with the Oilers, he had one goal and three assists for four points. He also appeared in 46 games with Oklahoma City of the AHL, scoring three goals and 13 assists for 16 points. Not a bad pickup for the Blues, as Chorney is a very mobile defenseman with good puckmoving skills, as well as plenty of offensive upside. With Carlo Colaiacovo currently on injured reserve with an upper body injury, Chorney should be a suitable replacement on the blueline until Colaiacovo returns to the lineup.

Blues Sign Danny Syvret to One-Year Contract

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have signed defenseman Danny Syvret to a one-year contract worth $525,000. In 10 games last season with the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers, he had one goal and one assist. He also appeared in 59 games with Syracuse and Adirondack of the AHL, scoring 10 goals and 30 assists for 40 points. This is really just a depth signing for the Blues, as Syvret will likely spend most of next season in the AHL. If he sees any time with St. Louis, it will likely be as an injury replacement.

Blues Sign Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have signed center Jason Arnott and right wing Jamie Langenbrunner to one-year contracts worth $2.8 million. In 73 games last season with the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals, Arnott had 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points. Langenbrunner appeared in 70 games last season with the Devils and Dallas Stars, scoring nine goals and 23 assists for 32 points. These aren't bad signings for the Blues, as both players will bring lots of veteran depth to the forward lines. Arnott adds a good shot to the team, as well as plenty of offensive skill and experience to the power play. Langenbrunner brings a wealth of leadership qualities to the Blues, as well as some offensive skill and versatility to the forward lines. Not only will both players serve as second or third line forwards, but will also likely help mentor some of the younger players in St. Louis.

Blues Re-Sign Goaltender Ben Bishop

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have re-signed goaltender Ben Bishop to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay him $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level. In seven games last season with the Blues, he posted a 3-4-0 record, one shutout, a 2.76 GAA, and a .899 save percentage. He also appeared in 35 games with Peoria of the AHL, posting a 17-14-2 record, two shutouts, a 2.55 GAA, and a .914 save percentage. Not a bad depth signing for the Blues, as Bishop has always been fairly steady in goal for the team. He has great size, has good awareness, and is fairly agile. Look for Bishop to battle against Brian Elliott at training camp for the backup role for the 2011-12 season.

Blues Add Scott Nichol and Brett Sterling

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have signed center Scott Nichol to a one-year contract and left wing Brett Sterling to a one-year, two-way contract. Both deals are worth $600,000. In 56 games last season with the San Jose Sharks, Nichol had four goals and three assists for seven points and 50 penalty minutes. Sterling appeared in seven games last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring three goals and two assists for five points. He also played in 65 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, scoring 27 goals and 26 assists for 53 points and 88 penalty minutes. Nichol isn't a bad depth signing for the Blues, as he is a very competitive player on the ice who plays with lots of grit and toughness. He should be a good addition to their checking lines next season. Sterling brings some offensive potential to the Blues, but most of his offensive success has come at the minor-league level. He will likely have to fight for a roster spot at training camp in September.

Blue Sign Kent Huskins to One-Year Deal

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have signed defenseman Kent Huskins to a one-year contract worth $1 million. In 50 games last season with the San Jose Sharks, he had two goals and eight assists for 10 points. He missed the last 22 games of the regular season and 13 playoff games with an upper body injury, as well as nine games early in the 2010-11 season with an upper body injury. Not a bad depth signing for the Blues, as Huskins will bring plenty of defensive depth to the team's defense. Look for him to play as the sixth or seventh defenseman next season.

Blues Sign Brian Elliott to One-Year Deal

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have signed goaltender Brian Elliott to a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In 55 games last season with the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche, he posted 15-27-9 record, three shutouts, a 3.34 GAA, and a .893 save percentage. This is an okay depth signing for the Blues, as Elliott covers a lot of area in net and is fairly quick on his skates, but is very inconsistent and can lose his positioning sometimes. If he can improve his goaltending skills, he could be a capable backup for the Blues next season. Although, Elliott will have to compete with Ben Bishop at training camp for the backup role on the team next season.

Blues Sign Matt D'Agostini to Two-Year Contract

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have re-signed right wing Matt D'Agostini to a two-year contract worth $2.3 million. The deal will pay him $1.15 million per season. In all 82 games last season, he had 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points. This is a good signing for the Blues, as D'Agostini had a fine season with the team in 2010-11. He's decent on the power play, has some scoring upside, and has a good shot despite being somewhat inconsistent in his scoring. However, D'Agostini saw increased ice time last season due to injuries to T.J. Oshie and David Perron, which lead to his high stats. He may have a hard time duplicating his success of last season if he doesn't play a top-six role next season. Given the current offensive depth on the Blues' roster, he will have to fight for a top-six role at training camp in September.

Blues Sign Adam Cracknell to One-Year Deal

According to thehockeynews.com, the St. Louis Blues have re-signed right wing Adam Cracknell to a one-year contract. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. He would have been a Group Six unrestricted free agent on July 1. In 24 games last season with the Blues, he had three goals and four assists for seven points. He also appeared in 61 games with Peoria of the AHL, scoring six goals and 19 assists for 25 points. This is really nothing more than a depth signing for the Blues, as Cracknell will likely spend much of next season in the minors, providing plenty of offensive depth for Peoria.

Blues Sign T.J. Oshie to One-Year Extension

The St. Louis Blues announced today that they have signed center T.J. Oshie to a one-year contract extension worth $2.35 million. He would have been a restricted free agent on July 1. In 49 games last season, he had 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points. He missed 31 games with an ankle injury. This is a good signing for the Blues, as Oshie brings plenty of offensive skill and depth to the forward lines, as well as some versatility. He also brings some goal-scoring ability to the team, as well as plenty of two-way skill.

Paul Kariya Announces His Retirement

After 15 seasons in the NHL, left wing Paul Kariya has announced his retirement due to post-concussion symptoms. He was forced to miss the entire 2010-11 season due to those symptoms. In 75 games with the St. Louis Blues during the 2009-10 season, he had 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points. In 989 career NHL games with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues, Kariya has 402 goals and 587 assists for 989 points. He won the Hobey Baker Award in 1993 as the top U.S. collegiate hockey player, the Lady Byng Trophy in 1996 and 1997 for sportsmanship, and Olympic Silver and Gold Medals in 1994 and 2002, respectively. Kariya was an excellent forward throughout his career who had superb offensive and puckmoving skills, lots of speed, and plenty of playmaking ability. It's always unfortunate to see a player have their career come to an end because of an injury and it's a shame to see Kariya's end his because of a concussion. He was always an exciting player to watch and I wish him all the best in retirement.

Blues Acquire Evgeny Grachev from NY Rangers

The St. Louis Blues announced on Saturday that they have acquired left wing Evgeny Grachev from the New York Rangers in exchange for a third round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft. The Rangers then used the pick to select center Steven Fogarty. In eight games last season with the Rangers, he had no points. He also appeared in 73 games with Connecticut of the AHL, scoring 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points. Not a bad move for the Blues, as Grachev has lots of offensive and two-way potential. He will likely fight hard for a roster spot at training camp in September.