It would appear that GM Doug Armstrong has learned not to sign aging defensemen to long-term contracts with an Annual Average Value (AAV) of $6.5 million. Instead, he's extending an aging defenseman with an AAV of $6.1 million.
The newest recipient of one of Armstrong's overpays for a defenseman exiting his prime is Cam Fowler, acquired in a midseason trade last year from the Anaheim Ducks. The good news is that Fowler has been a good-to-great defenseman for most of his career--especially considering his surroundings on an awful Ducks team. When he joined the St. Louis Blues, he immediately went through a career renaissance, scoring 36 points and driving the Blues' top pair.