The Blues did not make a qualifying offer to Matt D'Agostini on Monday, which could make the forward an unrestricted free agent Friday if he is not re-signed by the club.
D'Agostini, who had a career-high 21 goals and 46 points for the Blues last season, was set to become a restricted free agent Friday. But restricted free agents who were not given qualifying offers by their team before Monday's deadline automatically become unrestricted when free agency opens Friday.
The Blues have been negotiating a contract extension with D'Agostini and could continue to do so before Friday, but it appears that he will hit the market. The team's decision to not make D'Agostini a qualifying offer, which would have retained his rights, is tied to the fact that the case then could have gone to an arbitrator.
D'Agostini made $550,000 last year. His 21 goals were nine more than his career high and his 46 points were 25 more than his previous high. In arbitration, he could command as much as $2 million a year.
People are also reading…
"We had good dialogue leading up to making this decision," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "Arbitration is very inflationary. The comparable group (of players to D'Agostini) is a small group. We felt that it was best to negotiate with a larger pool of players, without the backdrop of arbitration. ... We're going to continue to talk and hopefully he'll still be a Blue."
Steve Bartlett, D'Agostini's agent, said the absence of a qualifying offer does not mean D'Agostini would not re-sign with the Blues.
"Our first hope is to get something done (in St. Louis)," Bartlett said. "Doug (Armstrong) said they don't want to throw it to an arbitrator ... they want to negotiate something that everyone feels is a mutual decision, not a third party.
"I'm not looking at it like talks have blown up, or that we're not trying to get a deal here."
If D'Agostini walks in free agency, the Blues will have a hole to fill up front.
"We think that there's a large group of players available on July 1 that represent what we're looking for," Armstrong said. "If we can't find a common ground (with D'Agostini), there are options we can explore."
The Blues did make qualifying offers to T.J. Oshie, Ben Bishop and Ryan Reaves, holding on to their rights while negotiations continue. Each will become restricted free agents Friday and can receive offer sheets from other clubs.
Updating negotiations with Oshie, Armstrong said: "There's continual dialogue, but not to the point where there's comfort with the other side's position. I'm very comfortable that T.J. Oshie is going to be a St. Louis Blue, very comfortable we'll find common ground there."
PISTONS HIRE CHECKETTS
Blues Chairman Dave Checketts has been hired by the NBA's Detroit Pistons, a spokesman for Checketts confirmed.
ESPN first reported that Checketts, who is in the process of selling the Blues, would be a consultant to Pistons owner Tom Gores. The spokesman said that Checketts is simply helping a friend in an advisory role and his involvement would not affect his responsibilities with the Blues.
Checketts has longed for a return to the NBA. He was president and general manager of the Utah Jazz at age 28 and also worked in the New York Knicks' management.
