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The St. Louis Blues made the Stanley Cup Playoffs after an impressive 2024-25 regular season. More than that, they took the regular season champions to the brink. The Blues forced a Game 7 against the Winnipeg Jets, but were unable to eliminate them. They entered NHL Free Agency hoping to be able to add the pieces that can help them go on a deep postseason run.
The Blues were involved in some very intriguing trade rumors leading into NHL Free Agency. In fact, many pegged them as the favorites in the Noah Dobson sweepstakes. Unfortunately, they did not trade for the star defenseman, as the New York Islanders traded him to the Montreal Canadiens. Still, it showed that they were trying to make a splash.
St. Louis didn't find any elite players on the open market, as those were few and far between. However, they did make some intriguing moves. Let's take a deeper look at the signings they made and hand the Blues a grade for each NHL Free Agency signing they made.
Veteran Nick Bjugstad joins Blues
St. Louis added some bottom-six versatility with the signing of veteran pivot Nick Bjugstad. Bjugstad joined St. Louis on a two-year, $3.5 million contract. He spent the last two seasons with the Arizona Coyotes and Utah Mammoth.
Bjugstad is not the flashiest player in the NHL. In fact, he may not score 20 points for St. Louis in 2025-26. However, he is very solid defensively, and he brings positional versatility. He can kick over to the wing if the Blues need him to. Moreover, he has shown the ability to pop off for a 20-goal, 40ish-point season here and there.
Overall, Bjugstad is valuable depth at a very cheap price. He enters the 2025-26 season as the potential third-line center for St. Louis. This is an area he should thrive in. And his leadership should also help the Blues as they compete for the Stanley Cup this coming season.
GRADE: B
Pius Suter signs favorable deal
The Blues' most significant signing came a few days after NHL Free Agency began on July 1. St. Louis came to terms with veteran center Pius Suter on a two-year contract. This deal carries a cap hit of $4.125 million per season.
On one hand, $4.125 million is a lot to give to a player who is coming off his best career season. Suter finished the 2024-25 campaign with 25 goals and 46 points as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. The Blues are banking on his 2024-25 performance not being an offensive outlier.
On the other hand, though, this is a good deal for St. Louis. Suter was one of the best centers available on the open market. Many believed he would seek out the opportunity to play top-six minutes, and he could have commanded around $5 million. However, he takes a chance on an up-and-coming team like St. Louis while taking less than many believed.
Suter won't move the needle for the Blues by any means. However, he does give them needed secondary scoring and the ability to play in the top-six if head coach Jim Montgomery wants to change his lines. This is a good signing for the Blues.
GRADE: B+
Overall grade and final thoughts
The Blues receive a good grade for their work in 2025 NHL Free Agency. As mentioned, they found no elite players in this group. However, they found players who provide crucial depth and can support their emerging stars at the top of the lineup. This is the sort of business one has to respect.
St. Louis Blues free agency grade: B+
