Pietrangelo, Blues have had contract talks again: report

Alex Pietrangelo and the St. Louis Blues have contract talks, the defender told The Athletic on Thursday.

“Yes, we had contact recently,” he said. “There was good discussion from both sides. So there was discussion, but we’ll see what will be presented tomorrow.”

Pietrangelo, who can become a full free agent on Friday at 12:00 PM ET, has played his entire 12-season NHL career with the Blues. He has scored 52 points in 70 regular season games that season, including an NHL career high of 16 goals. This was the finale of a seven-year contract for $ 45.5 million (average annual value $ 6.5 million) that he signed on September 13, 2013.

Pietrangelo had six points (one goal, five assists) in nine postseason games when St. Louis was eliminated by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the Western Conference.

When asked if he expected to hear about the blues on Friday, Pietrangelo told the website, “I sure would hope so. I can’t read your mind, to be completely honest. I have no idea, but I would expect that they do. ” would call. “

In September, Pietrangelo told The Athletic he expected to become a free agent but didn’t rule out a new signing with the Blues.

The NHL salary cap will stay at $ 81.5 million for the next season, which is slated to begin January 1, 2021.

“I think the best way to sum it up, we haven’t made that much progress,” said Pietrangelo. “We just think it’s best for both parties to see what’s going on in the free agency, what the team can research, what I can research, and if there are better fits for either side.”

“I never said I would rule out the blues. I never said that. … I don’t think you really go on until it’s pen on paper and you go somewhere else. I really don’t believe that because it is until then not officially. “

Pietrangelo, who has been the captain of St. Louis since 2016, said the option of having to sign elsewhere was a “hard pill to swallow”.

“Yes, it’s disappointing,” said Pietrangelo. “You spend your whole career somewhere and to have a situation where you go through this the reality hits that there is a chance that you might one day wear a different jersey … But again, this is no blame on either Sides. Both sides have their own opinions, and sometimes things just don’t work. “

Pietrangelo was selected by the Blues with No. 4 in the 2008 NHL Draft and has 450 points (109 goals, 341 assists) in 758 regular season games, the second in St. Louis history behind Al MacInnis (452). He also has 51 points (eight goals, 43 assists) in 92 postseason games, including 19 (three goals, 16 assists) in 26 games last season when he helped the Blues to the Stanley Cup for the first time in their history win.

Tweet from @jprutherford: Pietrangelo tells @TheAthletic that he and the Blues were negotiating a contract. “Yes, we had contact recently,” he said. “There was good discussion from both sides. So there was discussion, but we’ll see what will be presented tomorrow.” #stlblues