St. Louis Blues steal Patrick Maroon on one-year deal

The St. Louis Blues announced on Tuesday the signing of hometown product Patrick Maroon, effectively nabbing a top free agent at an incredible price.

In the pandemonium of a NHL offseason, it can be easy to lose sight of who’s winning the smaller battles. Our interests lie of course in which team will take home the superstud or who’s currently running as leader of the pack in trade rumors.

For the St. Louis Blues, things have been anything but calm since July 1. Yet in the frenetic pace of hour-to-hour news, maybe we’re forgetting how good of a week and a half they’re really having.

By signing Patrick Maroon to an absurd one-year deal worth total peanuts ($1.75 million), the Blues are signaling that not only do they plan to get compete this year, but they don’t always need to break the cash drawer to do it.

It helps that Maroon, who scored 17 goals last season as a part of both the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils, is a full-blooded Missouri boy, having been born in St. Louis. The Blues also signed former Toronto Maple Leafs Centre Tyler Bozak to a three-year deal the first day of free agency and they brought back David Perron.

Maroon and Bozak put up 43 points each last year while Perron hit 50 in his only season with the Vegas Golden Knights.

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The signing of Maroon isn’t sexy, no doubt. But when you have a chance to nab a player who’s only a year removed from putting up 27 goals in 81 games (2016-17), especially at $1.75 million, you do it. If he remains healthy and puts up another 20/45 year, this contract will look like one of the best of the offseason. Especially if it gives the Blues a boost into contention in the Central Division.