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Blues, Stewart Agree to 1-Year Contract (UPDATED - Agnew Hired)

June 14, 2012, 4:06 PM ET [26 Comments]
Jeff Quirin
St Louis Blues Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
--- Updated 1:45pm ---

The Blues have announced several updates to the coaching staff for next season and beyond:

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced Friday the club has named Brad Shaw as Associate Coach while also adding Gary Agnew to the staff as an Assistant Coach along with Ray Bennett.

All three coaches received multi-year contracts with the team.


Sounds like a promotion for Shaw which he has earned. Good to see the Blues are holding on to him. Agnew served behind the bench in Colimbus with head coach Ken Hitchcock. Not surprising one of "his guys" was the new addition to the family.


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Previous Update

The St. Louis Blues have critically important decisions to make regarding their restricted free agent forwards to be, TJ Oshie, David Perron and Chris Stewart this summer. One was made Thursday.
 
From the team’s official website:
 
ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced Thursday the club has signed Chris Stewart to a one-year contract.

 
The contract will pay Stewart $3 million according to reports. Had the Blues elected to take the 24 year old forward to arbitration - they had till Friday to do so - the figure could have been reduced by as much as 15%, to $2.76 million, per the current CBA. Stewart was paid $3.25 million in 2011-12 and carried a $2.85 million cap hit. In 79 games the Toronto native tallied just 15 goals and 30 points following back to back 28 goal campaigns.
 
His four year NHL career has to date been spent with the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues. In total Stewart has 82 goals and 166 points in 271 games.  Interestingly, that’s a pace very similar to Jarmoe Iginla’s through the same time span (.292 goals / game & .632 pts/game for Iginla |.302 goals/game &  .612 points/game for Stewart). The 18thoverall selection in the 2006 draft was traded to St. Louis in February 2011 along with defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk in exchange for the top pick from 2006, defenseman Erik Johnson, and forward Jay McClement. Colorado also sent their 2011 2nd round pick to the Blues in exchange for their 1st round pick that same year.
 
Both Stewart and General Manager Doug Armstrong had a fair bit to say to the media. Here is a bullet point synopsis.
 
Stewart
- Last season was not a good one.
- It’s my fault and I have to fix it. Get back to my game.
- This is the biggest summer of my career. I’m going to work hard to come back better.
- Come back in good shape in terms of conditioning. Work on speed and nutrition.

Armstrong
- Stewart is an important part of the team now and down the road.
- Work with him to maximize mutual benefit.
- Not giving up on him. Exercising patience. Development takes time.
- It’s not easy to score goals and he has in the past. Traded for him for a reason.
- Both sides wanted a deal to get done quickly.
- Needs to get back to where he was to discuss a long term contract.
 
Both said everything that was expected of them. Not that they wouldn’t or shouldn’t, but those thoughts and perspectives were conveyed with slightly different wording over the last six months. Are they to be believed this go around?
 
Certainly the Blues still think that Stewart can become the player he once was and more. Though the onslaught of youth jumping in fire straight from juniors has skewed perspectives, a 24 year old is still a young hockey player. There is plenty of time to correct course. Iginla didn’t become a perennial 30 goal scorer, 11 consecutive seasons, till his fifth year in the NHL.  Besides, if Oshie can do it, Stewart can as well.  There is no doubting the Blues perspective relating to Stewart.
 
Yes, that includes any potential trade talk.  A return to normalcy, a physical presence potting up to 30 goals, makes Stewart a steal at $3million considering the price that would be paid for a similar player on the open market. Further, the net reduction in salary, but net gain in cap hit is a benefit to keeping the payroll lean and meeting salary cap requirements. Why give that up? Doesn’t make sense unless there are suitors willing to pay a premium for potential.  At this point that scenario feels highly unlikely.
 
For Stewart’s part skepticism is understandable. Talk was cheap during the Blues’ rise to the second overall rank in the Western Conference and a Central Division title. There were multiple strings of games throughout last season Stewart appeared indifferent on the ice. Complacently coasting by and as if the ghost of Brad Boyes had possessed him. Both blessed with amazing talent and inexplicably the ability to optimize its use evaporated in one offseason. If conditioning, lack their of more accurately, truly was the primary reason for the downturn in production (thankfully it’s not the hockey sticks fault), then working with Toronto area trainer Matt Nichol and hiring a nutritionist is most productive step taken towards a positive resolution taken yet.
 
Admission and understanding of the problem. Realistic corrective measures. Again, Oshie did it, too. There is reason to believe, from one writer’s POV at least, Stewart and that he will turn his career around.
 
The more appropriate question may be, do the fans believe? A quick scan of Twitter, Facebook and other social media vices over the last two days shows mixed feelings.  Honestly, cheering or jeering is normal and understandable given the stark contrast between Stewart’s first 26 games in St. Louis and his last 86. The potential is there, but budget teams like the Blues cannot afford well paid passengers. Given recent history with Boyes, Paul Kariya, and Eric Brewer Blues fans certainly know the ramifications of failing to meet the expectations associated with significant contracts.
 
What’s your take on the deal? Good, bad, indifferent? Do you feel he is more likely to stay put, as Armstrong suggests, or will Stewart become this offseason’s version of Devin Setoguchi?
 
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One last tidbit to pass along. Armstrong was asked about the other two RFAs, Oshie and David Perron. His response was not surprising, but still noteworthy. He expects to see both in the opening night lineup. Currently looking long term with Oshie and evaluating what Perron’s injury history has to do with the next contract. We’ll see what happens over the next few weeks, but the Blues will take however much time is needed to work with both players.
 
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Thanks for reading. As always you’re welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1
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