St. Louis Blues: 5 burning questions for 2018-19 season

DENVER, CO - APRIL 07: Goaltender Jake Allen #34 of the St. Louis Blues stands in net prior to the game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on April 7, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Blues 5-2. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

3. What Should They Do With Alex Pietrangelo?

The New York Islanders became undone thanks to the John Tavares situation. They decided to hang onto him despite their captain not signing a long-term extension. In the end, it bit them in the butt, as Tavares signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now the Blues are the ones with a potential lame duck captain. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is among the NHL’s best defensemen. He only has two years left on his deal, as he will become an unrestricted free agent following the 2019-20 season. However, it’s never too early to start preparing.

This season will be a critical one for Pietrangelo. The Blues have sky-high expectations. Whether it’s fair or not, the captain gets credit if a team manages to meet or exceed expectations and gets blamed if they don’t. After a disappointing end to the 2017-18 season, Pietrangelo’s leadership will be key as he tries to help the Blues return to the postseason.

Unfortunately for St. Louis, it won’t be cheap to keep him around. John Carlson, Drew Doughty, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have set the new bar for top-pairing defensemen. A year from now, two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson will set yet another bar.

Pietrangelo will be 31 when his contract expires. Whether or not the Blues keep him could largely depend on this season.

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