The St. Louis Blues haven’t made any huge moves this summer. The most impactful move general manager Doug Armstrong has made so far is locking in Pavel Buchnevich to a new six-year contract extension. But he has also made some plays around the fringes that could hint at his plans for the team in 2024-25. In two cases, Radek Faksa and Ryan Suter, he brought in former Dallas Stars players who could become trade chips at the deadline. It might feel early to be talking about the deadline, but for a team that seems to be in rebuilding move, these two additions could be shrewd moves to build a better future for the franchise.
Faksa’s Penalty Kill Prowess
The first addition, Czech Republic native Radek Faksa, came by way of trade. The Stars moved the final season of Faksa’s five-year, $16.25 million contract to the Blues to save salary cap space — even though Faksa’s deal was once a huge value for Dallas. All the Blues had to surrender was the ever-ethereal “future considerations.” Basically, Armstrong added a player for free. But the cheap acquisition cost does a disservice to the valuable player the Blues added.
Faksa has never been much of a point-producer, but he has built a reputation as one of the more valuable bottom-six forwards in the league due to his high-level defensive play. He’s received votes for the Selke Trophy in four different seasons. And despite a so-so performance last season, he still suppressed opportunities against the Stars at an extremely high level. In fact, he had an elite “role player” season in 2023-24. Still, the Stars decided they simply couldn’t afford to keep his contract on the roster and moved him onto the Blues.
Faksa isn’t a piece that likely has a long-term future with the Blues, given his age and their goal to build a younger core. Armstrong might well be using one asset (his salary cap space) to set himself up for a great opportunity at the deadline. Many teams will value a reliable penalty killer with tons of playoff experience, and Faksa fits that bill better than almost anyone in the league. The Blues could easily eat half of his contract and deal him for futures when the time is right.
Suter’s Veteran Presence
The addition of the 39-year-old defenseman Suter turned heads some earlier this week, though it immediately made more sense in light of the Torey Krug injury news. Still, with other left-handed defensemen already on the roster, like Tyler Tucker and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Suter makes the most sense as a potential deadline chip for Armstrong to play with.
Related: Krug Injury News Creates Questions and Opportunities for Blues
Suter did not have an incredible season, but that perception is largely colored by his postseason. During the regular season, he still was a largely-plus defender in preventing expected goals against (xGA) and scoring attempts. Yes, his best seasons are behind him, but Suter won’t just be chasing milestones in 2024-25. He will be looking to prove that he still has gas in the tank, and he’ll likely want an opportunity to chase the Stanley Cup one more time when the playoffs come around.
Despite a poor performance in this year’s postseason, some teams will certainly value Suter’s veteran leadership in a depth role come deadline time. Armstrong will have an easy opportunity to cash in on a league minimum free agent contract and turn Suter into future assets, especially if he looks strong until that point in the season.
Asset Management
Though Suter and Faksa spent many seasons as division rivals with the Blues, they could play a huge role in the future of the franchise. No, neither is going to be the most sought-after piece at the deadline. But teams will want both players. And if the Blues are out of serious playoff contention, both trades will be no-brainers for Armstrong. The players are likely to fetch mid-round picks. But those are still valuable future pieces. Both additions were shrewd moves by the general manager to potentially create value ex-Nihilo and help strengthen the future of his franchise.
