St. Louis Blues sign Carl Gunnarsson to three-year extension

Carl Gunnarsson and the St. Louis Blues have agreed to a three-year extension worth $8.7 million

One of the most underrated players on the St. Louis Blues is defenseman Carl Gunnarsson. He has been especially important to the Blues this season with fellow blue liners Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo each being out for a significant period of time. The Blues have rewarded him for his efforts with a three-year extension that is worth $8.7 million.

Gunnarsson plays roughly 17 minutes of ice time per game when everyone is healthy. He’s been a solid third pairing defenseman for them and has filled in quite capably on the second pairing when needed.

From NHL.com:

"Gunnarsson, 29, has dressed in 62 games for the Blues this season, tallying seven points (two goals, five assists), 27 penalty minutes and a +6 rating. During his tenure with the club, he has appeared in 123 regular season games, accumulating 19 points (four goals, 15 assists), 29 penalty minutes and a +16 rating."

The Blues star has 105 points (19 goals and 86 assists), 121 penalty minutes, 569 hits, and 820 blocked shots in 427 regular season games split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Blues. He has added one assist in 13 playoff games, averaging 20:08 of ice time per game during his playoff career. The blue liner was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

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