The St. Louis Blues re-signed defenceman Joel Edmundson after his arbitration hearing awarded him a one-year, $3.1 million deal. The deal is a $100,000 raise from his previous contract.
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St. Louis Blues Re-Sign Joel Edmundson
This is Edmundson’s second time filing for arbitration. He filed for a hearing last summer as well, going through similarly difficult talks with the Blues front office. The two sides were able to agree to a deal the day before his hearing was scheduled, though, agreeing on a one-year deal worth $3 million. This carried him through the 2018-19 season and straight into the arms of another arbitration hearing.
Edmundson didn’t drop any jaws with his play last year. He often lined up on the team’s top-pairing, alongside captain Alex Pietrangelo. Despite being a partner to the team’s star defenceman, Edmundson only managed 11 points in 64 games. In the post-season he was equally as unproductive, recording seven points in 22 games. As the end of the year, and playoffs came around, the Blues began to favor Carl Gunnarsson over Edmundson. Gunnarsson was plagued with injuries last season but managed to record three goals and eight points in 25 regular-season games. He tallied three more points in 19 playoff games.
Despite the lack of scoring, Edmundson was still an important part of the Blues Stanley Cup-winning season. He recorded a Corsi For of 50.8 percent. He also averaged 19:44 in ice time each game, ranking third among the team’s defensemen.
Edmundson is likely to face much more competition for his top-spot role next season. Gunnarsson will be an immediate threat, assuming he can stay healthy. Vince Dunn could also be a major thorn in Edmundson’s side. Dunn was prolific in the latter half of the season. In 78 games, he recorded an admirable 35 points, second-highest among Blues defensemen, despite playing on the team’s bottom-pairing. As next season rolls around, it’s safe to assume that the Blues will be looking to give the young Dunn every chance to succeed, even if this mean’s limiting Edmundson’s minutes.
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