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There were few fireworks on July 1 when 2025 NHL Free Agency began. In fact, many of the more notable signings happened days after the market opened to ring in the new league year. One of those signings involved veteran center Pius Suter. Suter mulled over his options before deciding on a two-year contract with the St. Louis Blues.
Suter was one of the more sought-after centers on the free agency market. He brings positional versatility, as he can kick to the wing if needed. However, he will likely play as a middle-six center for the Blues. He is coming off a career-best season in which he scored 25 goals and 46 points in 81 games.
With the dust settling on NHL Free Agency, let's take a deeper look at this deal. We'll examine it from both sides, and hand both Suter and the Blues an initial grade for their two-year agreement.
Pius Suter signs with Blues
Suter had more than his share of suitors on the open market. It's no secret the league is seeking center depth, especially on the second line. However, the deal he signed is rather underwhelming, both financially and in terms of playing time.
Suter may not play in the top-six for St. Louis. St. Louis has its centers figured out in Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn. Perhaps a trade involving Schenn opens up a possibility for Suter on the second line. However, Schenn may not be traded, given that the Blues are currently salary cap compliant.
On the wings, the depth is there in the top six. St. Louis has Dylan Holloway, Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, and Jimmy Snuggerud playing on the top two lines. Again, there is a chance Suter plays higher in the lineup. But it's far from a guarantee.
Financially, it's a bit of an underwhelming deal. Veteran pivot Christian Dvorak signed with the Philadelphia Flyers on a one-year, $5.4 million contract. Suter was more coveted and brought more to the table. Perhaps taking a lower salary was the trade-off for the second year. In any case, it feels as if Suter should have received more in terms of dollar amount.
Blues sign Pius Suter
The Blues make out quite well with this move. St. Louis traded Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens on July 1 before NHL Free Agency began. This created a bit of a hole on the third line. And Suter does quite well to fill that hole.
Signing Suter to a $4.125 million cap hit is good business, as well. It does push the Blues toward the cap, but they can place Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve to create additional space. All in all, it's hard to truly dislike this signing for St. Louis.
This move gives St. Louis a lot of options going forward. Suter can center the third line alongside youngster Jake Neighbours and veteran Oskar Sundqvist. They could kick Suter to the wing and allow fellow NHL Free Agency addition Nick Bjugstad to anchor the third line. Head coach Jim Montgomery can tinker with his lineups as he sees fit heading into 2025-26.
Grades and final thoughts
The Blues receive a fine grade, while Suter gets a lower grade for this two-year contract in NHL Free Agency. St. Louis is a much deeper team than they were at the beginning of the offseason. And they didn't spend too much to bring someone of Suter's quality in. However, the veteran forward may have had more money and more opportunity on the table elsewhere, which makes his decision to don the Blue Note all the more intriguing.
Pius Suter contract grade: B
St. Louis Blues grade: B+
