The St. Louis Blues avoided arbitration with restricted free agent Chris Stewart, signing the forward to a two year $8.3 million deal on Friday. The deal carries an annual cap hit of $4.15 million per season. Stewart will be scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the contract. He earned $3 million last season. Stewart and the Blues were the first scheduled arbitration hearing of the season, with the hearing booked for Monday.
Stewart, 25, led the Blues in scoring last season with 18 goals, 18 assists, and 36 points in 48 games. However he had just one assist in St. Louis’ six game first round playoff series loss to the Los Angeles Kings. It was still a major improvement on a disappointing 2011-12 campaign which saw Stewart score just 15 goals and 30 points in 79 games for the Blues, and land in Ken Hitchcock’s doghouse as a healthy scratch during the 2012 playoffs.
Stewart was acquired by the Blues from the Colorado Avalanche in a 2011 trade, where he was sent to St. Louis along with defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk, for Eric Johnson and a draft pick. Stewart was originally drafted by the Avalanche with their 1st round pick, 18th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
Over his NHL career, Stewart has scored 100 goals, 102 assists for 202 points in 319 career games.
“We’re excited to have Chris signed for the next two seasons,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. “He led our team in scoring last season and is entering the prime of his career. We are expecting big things from him as he continues to grow with our club.”
The deal leaves the Blues with just one key restricted free agent, in their star defender, Alex Pietrangelo. Pietrangelo is coming off his entry level deal and is not eligible for salary arbitration.
“We are going to do what is necessary to get him signed,” said Armstrong, as per a tweet from Lou Korac, who covers the Blues for NHL.com.
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