St. Louis Blues forward Alexander Steen is seeking a contract extension with the club prior to the 2016-17 season, according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Steen extension could be pricy for Blues, but they have room to make it work https://t.co/04UVITXa5o pic.twitter.com/yDAOQENozp
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) August 1, 2016
Rutherford suggested that a player like Steen could command upwards of $6 million per season on a deal that likely won’t be long-term. The Swedish forward will turn 33 in March of 2017 and is entering the final year of a three-year, $17.4 million contract which carries an average annual value of $5.8 million
Alexander Steen has played the past nine seasons in St. Louis, and all signs point to him wanting to stay there for the foreseeable future.
He has been a key contributor and a good leader in the Blues lineup since being traded to the club during the 2008-09 season. In 746 NHL games since breaking into the professional ranks with the Maple Leafs in 2005, Steen has netted 197 goals and 481 points with a +46 rating. He has been an alternate captain for six seasons with the Blues.
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Steen suited up for Sweden in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, tallying four points in six games en route to a silver medal finish.
As the season approaches, contract talks between the two sides should continue to ramp up. It is in the club’s best interest to get Steen locked up to an extension. They let David Backes and Troy Brower walk during this year’s free agency period and the two forwards ended up signing elsewhere. It’s unlikely that they want that to happen once again with Alexander Steen.