Which Blues’ Free Agents Should Be Re-Signed?

Now that the Stanley Cup Final is over, the NHL prepares for the 2026-27 season. With a little over 10 days until free agency begins, teams will look at their list of pending restricted and unrestricted free agents and decide who they aim to re-sign and who they will be willing to let walk in free agency. Today, we are going to look at the St. Louis Blues‘ list of restricted and unrestricted free agents and discuss the organization’s plan for them.

Restricted Free Agents

In the NHL, a restricted free agent (RFA) is a player with an expired contract who is not old enough or has not collected enough service time to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA). These players can still negotiate with other teams, but their previous team, as long as it tenders a qualifying offer, retains the right to match any offer sheet and is owed draft-pick compensation if the player signs with another team. The Blues are not strangers to this concept, having tendered offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg two years ago.

The Blues have two RFAs who we will look at today.

Jonatan Berggren

Jonatan Berggren came to the Blues via waivers from the Detroit Red Wings in December. What was supposed to be a move to add short-term stability to a lineup dealing with injuries turned into a productive player who showcased his offensive upside. In 36 games with the Blues, Berggren scored six goals and added 10 assists. He showed signs that his 15-goal rookie season could still be his reality if he takes advantage of his opportunities.

Berggren struggled to find consistent playing time as the Blues got healthier, but he did crack the lineup more often after the trade deadline. Looking ahead to 2026-27, there is no clear opening for the Swede to crack the lineup consistently. As a result, if he declines the qualifying offer (if he is offered one) and pursues an opportunity with a team that can offer him more playing time, no one should be surprised.

However, the Blues should attempt to bring back Berggren next season. He can be the depth forward the team needs. Injuries are always possible in the NHL. Holloway has dealt with his fair share of injuries, and there are multiple young players, like Otto Stenberg, who may need a rest every now and then. Furthermore, there is potential for Berggren to break out and be part of the team’s future. The Blues have benefited from under-the-radar depth moves in the past, such as Brian Elliott. There is no guarantee that will happen, of course, but the upside and lineup stability are well worth bringing Berggren back.

Matthew Kessel

Matthew Kessel played in just 29 games last season, scoring a goal and adding two assists. He continued to see little playing time. Even after the Blues traded Justin Faulk, Kessel did not crack the lineup much. In fact, he only played in four games following the trade deadline.

With Colton Parayko and Logan Mailloux expected to take the right-handed defenseman spots on the top four pairs, Kessel’s only realistic opening is on the third pair. That spot is even in question, with prospect Adam Jiricek nearing being ready for NHL competition.

Yet, Kessel does provide some durability on the roster. He does not play every day, but he can be called up when the team needs him. He is a solid depth option who understands Jim Montgomery’s system. This makes him valuable to the Blues. They should tender him a qualifying offer and bring him back. At worst, he continues to provide depth on the roster. At best, he develops into a strong defenseman, which then creates another discussion as he will be a UFA next summer.

Unrestricted Free Agents

In the NHL, a player whose contract has expired can freely negotiate with other teams as long as they meet one of the following requirements:

• 27 years old or older as of June 30 and have completed seven NHL seasons.
• If a player is 27 and their current contract expires.
• 25 years old or older with at least three professional seasons but have played fewer than 80 games for a skater or 28 for a goaltender (a Group 6 UFA).
• Players who are bought out by their team, or RFAs who do not receive a qualifying offer.

The Blues have two UFAs who we will look at today.

Oskar Sundqvist

A member of the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning team, Oskar Sundqvist returned to the Blues for the 2023-24 season after having been traded away during the 2021-22 season. He played in 52 games last season, scoring five goals and adding 12 assists. He did miss time following a scary injury in January.

Unfortunately, it is time to move on from Sundqvist. He is 32 years old. The Blues simply have better, younger options for their bottom-six forwards. Jack Finley was strong in the faceoff dot after joining the Blues, showing he could take on Sundqvist’s role. The team also has Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker under contract on the fourth line. It just does not make sense to bring Sundqvist back.

Sundqvist represents what it means to wear the Blue Note. He always gives his best and never quits on any play. He has been an asset to every locker room he has played in. Unfortunately, the Blues just have too many forwards to justify bringing back an aging veteran.

Justin Holl

Justin Holl came to the Blues from the Detroit Red Wings in the aforementioned Faulk trade. In nine games with the Blues, Holl scored one goal and recorded an assist. He was purely a depth option on the roster.

Could the Blues bring back Holl to serve that same role? They could. However, Kessel is younger and can provide the same depth while also having a little more upside. Holl is 34 years old. It makes more sense to let him walk and prioritize keeping Kessel and furthering Jiricek’s development.

Final Thoughts

There is a common theme separating who the Blues should keep and who they should move on from: age and upside. This makes sense considering the Blues are retooling. There is no sense in giving roster spots to players who do not have a future with the team when they can give them to younger players with something to prove in the league.

Of course, Alexander Steen may have other ideas for when he officially takes over as general manager. It will be interesting to see what he decides and how it shapes the 2026-27 Blues.