The St. Louis Blues announced early Friday afternoon that they had re-signed forward Alexander Steen to a four-year contract worth $23 million. The contract has an average annual value of $5.75 million. The deal will last through the 2020-21 National Hockey League season, at which point Steen will be 36 years old. The deal comes shortly after Steen was named alternate captain of the team, alongside Vladimir Tarasenko and newly named captain Alex Pietrangelo.
BREAKING NEWS: Alexander Steen has signed a four-year extension with the #stlblues through the 2020-21 season. https://t.co/YjPcV6sjB9 pic.twitter.com/kWGLQRbhpj
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 23, 2016
St. Louis Blues Sign Alexander Steen to Contract Extension
Alexander Steen had this to say about being signed back and staying in St. Louis- “It’s been an incredible journey and St. Louis is definitely somewhere I see as home now. I’m extremely happy to be staying in St. Louis. I feel extremely attached to St. Louis and the community.” (Via @StLouisBlues on Twitter).
General manager Doug Armstrong had this to say as well- “We are extremely excited to have Alexander signed for the next four seasons. He has developed into one of the League’s premier 200-foot players and is a key member of our leadership group.”
Steen is indeed a key member of the team. Since arriving in St. Louis during the 2008-09 season, Steen has played a total of 493 games, scoring 147 goals and adding 208 assists. He has had four 50+ point seasons, including this past season (17G, 35A, 52P). Steen is a reliable veteran player who serves as a role model for the Blues’ younger players. His gritty playing style helps to lead by example and he plays solid two-way hockey.
Steen had shoulder surgery in June and was not able to play for his native Team Sweden in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, having been replaced by Anaheim Ducks forward Rickard Rakell. He was given a recovery time of four to six months in June, thus leaving him with about another two months of recovery ahead of him.
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