The St. Louis Blues secured one of their depth forwards for another year. Forward Jacob de la Rose agreed to a one-year, $700,000 contract extension with the Blues earlier today.
Jacob de la Rose has been signed to a one-year contract extension. https://t.co/7sXWObU2Db #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 10, 2020
Jacob de la Rose signs one-year, $700,000 contract extension
de la Rose came to the Blues in 2019 in the trade for Robby Fabbri and has been a solid depth forward since arriving in St. Louis. He works hard on the fourth line to be physical and wear his opponents down. In 34 games played he had one goal and four assists for five points. In the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, de la Rose did not register a point and had a -1 rating on the ice. His CorsiFor percentage was 47.8%, with a relative Corsi of -2.5. Originally from Sweden, he was drafted in the second round, 34th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Future Outlook
Signing de la Rose to just over the minimum salary was a smart move for the Blues. Their forward depth has always been a strong suit of the team. De la Rose is a physical player that makes space for the skilled forwards to make plays. He finished fifth on the team in hits this season. Keeping de la Rose for another year on a cheap contract was the perfect scenario.
Needing to sign Alex Pietrangelo, the Blues need as much cap space as they can get to offer him a deal he’ll consider taking. Signing de la Rose may seem like an insult to Pietrangelo, considering de la Rose is usually considered the 13th forward and is often a healthy scratch. If the Blues want to bring back their captain, they will likely need more cap space. Signing de la Rose for $250,000 less than his last contract will help them in the long run to get their captain under contract.
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