Chris Stewart inked to a one-year contract extension

By Andrew Allsman| Posted: June 14th, 2012| Contact  | 

The Blues have locked up power forward Chris Stewart for the 2012-13 season with a contract extension reportedly worth approximately $3 million.  The announcement came on Thursday from the Blues, much sooner than anybody expected. 

The Toronto, Ontario native is a two time 28-goal scorer, and was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

Stewart came over to the Blues, along with Kevin Shattenkirk, from the Colorado Avalanche in 2011 as part of a blockbuster deal that sent Erik Johnson and Jay McClement to Denver.  He surprised fans by scoring 15 goals in 26 games to close out the season, but his numbers declined this past season, as he only accumulated 30 points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 79 games.  His inconsistency and lack of tenacity led to several line demotions and being scratched from the lineup on multiple occasions, including two times in the playoffs.  The Blues chose to present him with a one-year ‘prove it’ contract much like the one T.J. Oshie signed a year ago.

Stewart made $3.25 million in 2011-12, but the average of his expiring contract was $2.875 million, so it is a pay decrease in terms of what he made last season, but an increase based on the his average annual salary.

Jeremy Rutherford published Blues' general manager Doug Armstrong's thoughts on the re-signing of 'Stewie' in his post dispatch article.

Photo by TSNPhotography

"This is a huge year for Chris Stewart, not only as a St. Louis Blue but as an NHL hockey player," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said this week. "He's a player at (age) 22 and 23 had 28 goals in this league. It's a difficult goal-scoring league. He didn't have a season that he had hoped to have, or we expected him to have. But I don't think it would be wise for us to throw the baby out with the bath water."

"The easiest thing is to trade someone or make a change, but you better bring someone in more competent than the one you're leaving. I believe 'Stewy' has a chance to be what he wants to be and now it's up to him to become that. I think he can be one of the elite power forwards in the game."

The 6’2, 232-pound forward has dressed in 105 games for the Blues since his arrival in 2011, and has accumulated 53 points  (30 goals, 23 assists) with the note on his chest.

Stewart was drafted in the first round (18^th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.

With Stewart’s contract taken care of, the Blues still have several other key players they hope to get inked to a contract including: T.J. Oshie and David Perron.  Rutherford tweeted Armstrong's thoughts on re-signing both of these players.

On Oshie: "I'd like to talk to T.J. Oshie about something that might have a little bit of term to it."


On Perron: "David (Perron's) injury, as an organization, we want to make sure he's past that."