Confirmed Signing with Link: [STL] Blues re-sign Jaden Schwartz [5 years, $5.35M AAV]

[BlueDream]

trade Shattenkirk!!!haha

unable to look, but whos in line to be the backup this year?

Carter Hutton.

The Blues now look to be set but a Shattenkirk trade most likely still happens before the season, IMO.

 

[Chojin]

I'll believe it when a reputable Blues source reports it.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Carter Hutton.

The Blues now look to be set but a Shattenkirk trade most likely still happens before the season, IMO.

ahhh yes that's right... honest question, how do Blues fans feel going into the season with Allen/Hutton as goalies? Myself, I like Allen but im not a HUGE fan going in with him as definite #1

 

[bleedblue1223]

If term is 5, I like it. Rather have the chance to extend him at 29, instead of 31/32 and make a tough decision like we did with Backes because another team will overpay with term.

 

[Homesick]

Sign a guy to a 5 year contract, terrible term, he'll walk at the end of it and you'll be kicking yourself for not signing him longer.

Sign a guy to a 7 year contract, terrible term, he'll be old, injured and that contract is gonna look like an albatross when it ends.

Just can't win.

24 year old on 7 years gets his best years
30 year old on 7 years is paying him for what he did in his best years

 

[TheCLAM]

I'm gonna say 27.5 mill - 5 years - 5.5 aav

 

[Extra Texture]

Damnnnn, good going for the Blues. For a 50-60 pt winger that is good.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Should pay him a bit more and lock him up for 7/8 years, not that complicated.

Competitive teams can't always sacrifice short term cap for long term gain. It isn't that simple.

Saving 1M-2M on a few contracts adds up. Especially if the Blues think they have a shot at winning within the next few years, helping their cap five years down the line shouldn't be a priority if it has to be done at the expense of being able to manage their short and mid term cap right now.

There's also that we don't know what Schwartz was demanding. He is 24 years old. He'll be 29 at the end of this contract as a UFA. If he signed a 7 or 8 year deal, he'd be 31 or 32. This could have been a scenario where Schwartz didn't want to go longer than 5 years because he'll be closer to his prime when he hits unrestricted free agency, which will give him a better opportunity to cash in on a big money 7-8 year deal than if he hit free agency at 32.

I'm guessing if the Blues wanted to buy a 7 or 8 year term, the cap hit would have had to go up tremendously for what Schwartz would have been leaving on the table, which for a team that is competing right now wouldn't have made sense.

The Blues played Schwartz really well. We have been seeing a lot of players get big deals right off their ELC, which depending on a team's situation could work out well. But while competing as a contender in the West the Blues got Schwartz for just over 2 million for 2 years after he scored 25 goals, and now have him at a cap hit that might not be that much higher than what he would have gotten had he signed a long term deal right off of his ELC.

 

[BlueDream]

ahhh yes that's right... honest question, how do Blues fans feel going into the season with Allen/Hutton as goalies? Myself, I like Allen but im not a HUGE fan going in with him as definite #1

It's not as good as Allen/Elliott but for cheaper, it's a fine tandem. Allen showed he can handle the load during the regular season last year, and Hutton is a solid backup.

Now the playoffs are a completely different animal and that's where the concern lies, but hey, when has there ever NOT been concern in the playoffs for the Blues? Until we win a cup, it'll always be there, so whatever lol.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

JR confirmed. 5 years around 27 mil

 

[WiscoBlues]

I would've preferred longer term, but less than $5.5m AAV is an absolute steal.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

JR confirmed. 5 years around 27 mil

So about 5.4M AAV? That is a tremendous deal.

Considering what some other players of his caliber and production have received off of their ELC on 6+ year deals, the Blues did really well here. They managed to get two years out of Schwartz at just barely above 2M per, and now have him signed throughout his prime on a deal that one would have to imagine doesn't have a cap hit that much higher than what it would have taken to get him to sign a 7 year deal right off of his ELC.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

I think it's a great deal. I don't know why people consider 5 years too short of a term. It mitigates the risk of players declining before they reach 30 (yes, it happens), lets their contracts expire when they're not far from their peak and therefore have great trade value, and offers the opportunity to re-sign them through their early 30s if they seem to be holding up well.

 

[seafoam]

Would have been smart to do 8 years. He should play for a long time at a high level.

 

[BlueDream]

Competitive teams can't always sacrifice short term cap for long term gain. It isn't that simple.

Saving 1M-2M on a few contracts adds up. Especially if the Blues think they have a shot at winning within the next few years, helping their cap five years down the line shouldn't be a priority if it has to be done at the expense of being able to manage their short and mid term cap right now.

There's also that we don't know what Schwartz was demanding. He is 24 years old. He'll be 29 at the end of this contract as a UFA. If he signed a 7 or 8 year deal, he'd be 31 or 32. This could have been a scenario where Schwartz didn't want to go longer than 5 years because he'll be closer to his prime when he hits unrestricted free agency, which will give him a better opportunity to cash in on a big money 7-8 year deal than if he hit free agency at 32.

I'm guessing if the Blues wanted to buy a 7 or 8 year term, the cap hit would have had to go up tremendously for what Schwartz would have been leaving on the table, which for a team that is competing right now wouldn't have made sense.

The Blues played Schwartz really well. We have been seeing a lot of players get big deals right off their ELC, which depending on a team's situation could work out well. But while competing as a contender in the West the Blues got Schwartz for just over 2 million for 2 years after he scored 25 goals, and now have him at a cap hit that might not be that much higher than what he would have gotten had he signed a long term deal right off of his ELC.

This sums it up very nicely.

The Blues core is Tarasenko (24), Schwartz (24), Fabbri (20), Pietrangelo (26), Parayko (23) and Allen (26). Throw a couple vets like Stastny (30) and hopefully Steen (32) in there, and that's what the Blues will be competing for a Cup with over the next 5 years. That's a good young core, and they need to win a Cup with them.

They will likely need to add a young top 6 center to that group, but hopefully with this low cap hit for Schwartz, letting Backes go, probably trading Shattenkirk, they will have some added flexibility to do that and pay that player as well.

6-7 years would have been nice, but getting Schwartz for that cost at that term was simply unrealistic. He will get a bigger payday at age 29. Works for both sides.

 

[Sacha Baron Corbin]

I think it's a great deal. I don't know why people consider 5 years too short of a term. It mitigates the risk of players declining before they reach 30 (yes, it happens), lets their contracts expire when they're not far from their peak and therefore have great trade value, and offers the opportunity to re-sign them through their early 30s if they seem to be holding up well.

As a Kings fan I totally agree, we've watched two top players in Richards and Brown fall off the face of the earth before they turn 30 so I understand being hesitant to offer a guy a deal that takes him into his 30s

 

[Captain Creampuff]

5.5 for a 1st line two way winger capable of 60-65 points. Love it.

 

[Curufinwe]

Given the age of Schwartz a 7/8 year deal would be fine.

Buying out those UFA years would have raised the AAV by at least a million.

 

[gilfaizon]

2nd best forward on the team. Good on St Louis to get it done. Players want to play there.

 

[Chojin]

Finally confirmed.

 

[bleedblue1223]

2nd best forward on the team. Good on St Louis to get it done. Players want to play there.

Healthy Steen is still better than Schwartz IMO, but they are about even. On any given night, the other one could be better. And honestly, after the all-star break, Fabbri was our best forward, so he could easily be consider our 2nd best behind Tarasenko at some point in the near future.

 

[Chojin]

As bad as Armstrong is at negotiating trades, he is among the best at negotiating contracts. $5.35m for a player of Schwartz's caliber for 5 years is nothing short of thievery, even if I'd like the deal to be a bit longer.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

He is a good player, and this is a fair contract.

 

[SEALBound]

Heck of a deal for Schwartz! I thought for sure he was getting $6mil similar to Forsberg and the recent UFA signings.

 

[quat]

This sums it up very nicely.

The Blues core is Tarasenko (24), Schwartz (24), Fabbri (20), Pietrangelo (26), Parayko (23) and Allen (26). Throw a couple vets like Stastny (30) and hopefully Steen (32) in there, and that's what the Blues will be competing for a Cup with over the next 5 years. That's a good young core, and they need to win a Cup with them.

They will likely need to add a young top 6 center to that group, but hopefully with this low cap hit for Schwartz, letting Backes go, probably trading Shattenkirk, they will have some added flexibility to do that and pay that player as well.

6-7 years would have been nice, but getting Schwartz for that cost at that term was simply unrealistic. He will get a bigger payday at age 29. Works for both sides.

Great core group. Now, if they can assemble enough depth, the coaching doesn't suck and the GM doesn't lose his nerve, then I'd say the Blues have a very good chance at winning a cup.