The St. Louis Blues didn’t make a big splash during the first 24 hours of free agency. They re-signed Jori Lehtera to a 3-year deal, making moves to preserve their true first line (the STL line) and biding their time while Vladimir Tarasenko got married and enjoyed his wedding day. Surprise of the season, NHL-caliber defenseman Chris Butler was re-signed and Ivan Barbashev took to the Blues Twitter account to discuss Taylor Swift, among other things. (He’s a fan.)
While July 1 might not have seen blockbuster moves on the trade block or the signing front, Armstrong made lots of small deals that will set up a fruitful season both in St.