Blues to Sign Patrick Maroon

[evil roy]

Report: Blues expected to sign Patrick Maroon
https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1568389

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[crazyhorse]

if this happens, the last 3 signings will almost make up for the Perron deal.

[ComradeT]

Saw this morning. Excited about this. The article mentions Maroon playing for St. Louis Bandits under John Cooper, the current coach of the Lightning. Would have been pretty awesome if the Blues made that hometown connection.

[JCShutout]

I like Maroon, but this depends on $ and term. I hope they aren't paying him for his 49 goals in 154 games with Oilers, and instead are paying him for the 29 goals in 221 games he has had with everyone else. Please pay him like a 3rd/4th liner.

[theohall]

With Edmundson likely to get up to 4M AAV, since he went to arbitration, and only 5M left in cap space with Jordan Schmaltz still unsigned, someone is going to have to be moved somewhere. Maroon will get somewhere between 2M and 4M depending on if he gives St Louis a discount for signing with his hometown team.

Maroon and Edmundson alone are likely to put the Blues over the cap. So even with Shchmaltz unsigned - he was tendered an offer, so that has to be taken into account - someone else has to be moved before some date. Not sure what the date is, though. I think it's before opening day.

For contract comparison, Rickard Rakell at 22 put up 43 points in his 15-16 season and signed a just under 4M AAV, 6 year deal. Rakell's deal is currently one of the top 30 "great deal" contracts in the league. Tyler Bozak at 31 is going to be a 3rd/4th line center and the Blues are paying him 5M per year and he only put up 43 points last season.

While Maroon is 30, he is coming off back-to-back 40+ point seasons which ups the value he can get right now. Granted, it won't be a 6-year deal. I'd expect he winds up around 3 to 3.5M AAV for 2-4 years. Fortunately, cap constraints will prevent Armstrong for over-paying Maroon, unless some trade happens that creates enough space he can over-pay him. His last contract was 2M AAV for 3 years. If Armstrong gets him to sign for under 3M AAV, it's a hometown discount.

Who gets moved? No idea. I know moving Bouwmeester would solve this, but he's coming off of hip surgery. Which also takes the buy-out option off the table that could have created the necessary space. It would have allowed them to create 1.8M in space this season at the cost of adding that to the 19-20 season. Too bad it's not even an option.

The issues I would have - it's another left-handed shot and Yeo would probably stick him on the power play as the net front presence, where Troy Brouwer proved a right-handed shot is more effective with all of the Blues lefties on the power play teams. Yes, he would be an effective 3rd/4th liners for the Blues. He'd wind up filling the Upshall role. Unfortunately, we've seen both Yeo and Hitchcock abuse this by pushing the big 3rd/4th liner to the top 2 lines simply for having one good game while on the 4th line. Would this happen again? Don't know. But it should be considered.

If one looks down the road to 19-20. Say Maroon and Edmundson cost 7M total AAV. With 3 UFA defenseman next season, the Blues would still have 13M to replace Bouwmeester, Gunnarson, Bortuzzo and re-sign Fabbri if he doesn't have issues again. The rest are all marginal RFAs who are more likely to be replaced by someone on an ELC, if they don't get supplanted this year already.

In summary, signing Maroon would likely force Armstrong to move someone, even if he is slightly overpaid, it wouldn't really hurt the Blues in terms of salary cap other than constraining moves they could make this season. But if any of the drafted talent works out, the Blues have the depth to just move players within the organization if something were to happen, vice having to rely on trades. Maroon would just add grit and a more talented than most 3rd/4th liner. The only question - which keeps arising - is how does Yeo use him? And until we see Yeo prove he can get a team to generate solid offense for more than just the 1st two months of the season, it's going to keep being asked.

Maroon should take the best paycheck he can get coming off his 2 best seasons, vice taking a hometown discount, unless he really wants to play in St Louis.

[ibldbl]

Seeing 1 year, 1.7M

[gaijin]

Seeing 1 year, 1.7M

If that's the case, it sounds like a good deal. That's roughly twice the goals of a Sobotka for half the price.

[theohall]

Seeing 1 year, 1.7M

If that's the case, it sounds like a good deal. That's roughly twice the goals of a Sobotka for half the price.

[ibldbl]

With nothing official coming out, I am starting to think this just isn't happening.

[theohall]

With nothing official coming out, I am starting to think this just isn't happening.

I doubt anything will happen, until the Edmundson arbitration is resolved. Even at 1.7M for Maroon, if Edmundson gets 4M, which is possible, 7k would have to be moved to create enough cap space.

[JCShutout]

1 year at 1.7 would be amazing. No way that isn't matched. Someone will at least give him another $2m/y deal.

[theohall]

Another rumor floating around...

The one year deal would be followed, per a gentleman's agreement, by an extension with more money for longer term in January. It has to be a gentleman's agreement, because putting in writing is against the rules and would lead to some ridiculous punishment from the NHL.

The 1st contract would just be to help the Blues stay under the cap. There aren't any serious cap constraints for the following 2 seasons after this one.

[ibldbl]

And it is official now!

1 year 1.75M

https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/maroon-s ... -299440520

[Toasted Oates]

Gotta hand it to Doug, that's a pretty nice group of forwards. He held up his end; it's on the players and Yeo now. No excuses allowed.

[JCShutout]

Great signing. Love the 1 year deal.

EDIT: Was digging around, came across this old interview.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ath5E3oyGbo[/youtube]

Super sweet interview with Maroon after a game where he scored in stl. Reporter shows Maroon the footage of his son cheering after the goal and Maroon gets choked up. Skip ahead to 50 seconds to get to the tears. Reporter had a really kind and sensitive response to Maroon's emotion too. I don't care if it makes me lame, that choked me up a little. Its a very nice moment and makes me pull for the guy.

And I'm not sure how to post the video. I'm a luddite.

[theohall]

[theohall]

Great article by JR on the Maroon signing from The Atheltic

Cliff Notes:
Blues offered Maroon significantly more the opening day of free agency. Think in the 3.5M range.

Other teams offered Maroon significantly more the opening day of free agency.

His agent likely advised him poorly not to take these early offers trying to drive his value up. Trying to get the Rickard Rakell 3.5 to 4M for 4-6 years deal.

All of those competing teams signed someone else first, including the Blues signing Perron.

Suddenly, all the offers are pulled and teams were offering less.

Maroon fired his agent.

Blues stayed in touch while making the deal that brought in ROR.

After the ROR trade, Armstrong sold Maroon on the following - look at the Blues center group now, meaning Maroon wouldn't be locked into one line if he isn't working well with one center, plus the hometown thing, which didn't need selling.

Just before he signed with the Blues for 1.7, the Devils offered approximately double, but staying in NJ, likely wouldn't be the best chance for Maroon to have another 43 point season, unless he were on a line with Hall - not likely. Blues center depth gives Maroon the chance to earn the 3-4M 4-5 year contract he wanted originally.

The craziest part - had Maroon taken the Blues earlier offer, either the Perron offer gets pulled or the ROR deal doesn't happen. Had the Blues signed Perron, Bozak, and Maroon (to the higher contract first offered), significantly more cap space would need to have been cleared (meaning move more players) to make the ROR trade work.

So thank Maroon's maroon of an agent for not taking the earlier deal.

My end take - if Maroon is on pace for another 40+ point season when the All-Star break hits, I wouldn't be surprised if the Blues offer him a 3-4M 4-5 year extension before the season ends. If Maroon's back winds up being an issue again, this is a great low-risk deal for the Blues, but high risk for Maroon.

[JCShutout]

Wow, the Blues got LUCKY. Bout time. Team could use some luck.

[WaukeeBlues]

Great article by JR on the Maroon signing from The Atheltic

Cliff Notes:
Blues offered Maroon significantly more the opening day of free agency. Think in the 3.5M range.

Other teams offered Maroon significantly more the opening day of free agency.

His agent likely advised him poorly not to take these early offers trying to drive his value up. Trying to get the Rickard Rakell 3.5 to 4M for 4-6 years deal.

All of those competing teams signed someone else first, including the Blues signing Perron.

Suddenly, all the offers are pulled and teams were offering less.

Maroon fired his agent.

Blues stayed in touch while making the deal that brought in ROR.

After the ROR trade, Armstrong sold Maroon on the following - look at the Blues center group now, meaning Maroon wouldn't be locked into one line if he isn't working well with one center, plus the hometown thing, which didn't need selling.

Just before he signed with the Blues for 1.7, the Devils offered approximately double, but staying in NJ, likely wouldn't be the best chance for Maroon to have another 43 point season, unless he were on a line with Hall - not likely. Blues center depth gives Maroon the chance to earn the 3-4M 4-5 year contract he wanted originally.

The craziest part - had Maroon taken the Blues earlier offer, either the Perron offer gets pulled or the ROR deal doesn't happen. Had the Blues signed Perron, Bozak, and Maroon (to the higher contract first offered), significantly more cap space would need to have been cleared (meaning move more players) to make the ROR trade work.

So thank Maroon's maroon of an agent for not taking the earlier deal.

My end take - if Maroon is on pace for another 40+ point season when the All-Star break hits, I wouldn't be surprised if the Blues offer him a 3-4M 4-5 year extension before the season ends. If Maroon's back winds up being an issue again, this is a great low-risk deal for the Blues, but high risk for Maroon.

How ANY agent can sit there with a straight face and tell a client to hold on beyond July 1 for MORE money is absolutely asinine. That has NEVER been true for free agents. As the signings go by the roster spots and the money dwindles quick. A relatively competent high school student who's an NHL fan could have advised Maroon better. And no, that's not an exaggeration.

Love the $$, love the term, another wonderful move by Armstrong. I'll admit I'm getting slightly concerned about Edmundson now but if the Blues have to shuffle a bit to make it work then we will.

[theohall]

Arbitration hearing for Edmundson is set for July 25th, so the Blues have until then to work something out.

Last I read, the Blues low-balled their offer (due to all the cap stuff) while Edmundson was asking for basically as much as he could get.

Edmundson could be asking for as much as 5.5M (Colton Parayko contract, which is a high ask on purpose)
Blues likely offered around 3M.

Thus, the arbitration. If it gets to a hearing, the max term is 2 years.

Whatever happens with it, the Blues are allowed to exceed the cap by 10% as long as the team is compliant under the cap when the season starts. So, if Edmundson winds up getting the 4M which is in the middle, like usually happens in arbitration, then the Blues will have to clear around 700K before the season starts by moving someone or renegotiating someone else's deal.

If it does reach arbitration, the maximum term is 2 years, which would just push the longer term contract Edmundson likely wants, to a later date. At this point, it would probably be smarter for Edmundson (age 25) financially to take whatever the arbitrator decides while asking for a 2 year term making him a UFA (age 27 and contract expired) in 2020. That's not the best case for the Blues, but this is also a business and the player should look out for his best interest when the opportunity arises.