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Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo picks up a loose puck during the Blues’ 5-2 win against Colorado on Dec. 16 at Enterprise Center. (Post-Dispatch photo by Troy Stolt)
QUESTION: Would it be in Petro’s best interests to sign a 2-year deal with the Blues and then test the free agency waters? The salary cap might be increased in two years, plus the Blues would have more money as Steen, Bozak, and Allen will be off the books. There might be even more money freed up from the expansion draft.
JT: In general, I would say, yes — a one- or two-year bridge deal makes sense. Especially a two-year bridge deal, since reportedly the cap will stay flat at $81.5 million over the next two seasons. Then again, there are reports that the cap will go up only $1 million — to $82.5 million — three years from now. So a one- or two-year bridge deal might not open up much for Pietrangelo, other than some teams getting a better handle on the new economic reality.
I should caution, as I’ve mentioned several times in the past on the chat, that even at $81.5 million there are some teams with lots of potential cap room next year, including Colorado. So Pietrangelo (and his agents) might want to see what’s on the market this offseason.
