Out of the three rookie success stories on the Blues this season, Joel Edmundson’s has been discussed the least. Colton Parayko and Robby Fabbri have received the bulk of the attention (deservedly so), but Edmundson has been a solid, reliable defenseman throughout the year and his play was rewarded by the Blues with a two-year, $2.1 million extension.
Edmundson was set to become an unrestricted free agent after 2015-16, but the Blues now have him locked up through 2017-18. He’ll make $900,000 next season and $1.2 million in 2017-18 and carry an average cap hit of $1.05 million each season.
The deal seems like a great one for both parties. Edmundson deserved a new deal based on his play this season and the Blues were able to keep him in the mix at an affordable price. No one is going to complain about a defenseman with a cap hit just over one million per year. At the same time, the deal allows Edmundson plenty of flexibility. Barring any surprises, his game should only elevate over the next couple years and the length of his new deal will allow him to negotiate a new contract at an opportune time.
The timing of the deal – right before the playoffs – seems kind of odd, but it may be nice to remove the distraction. Of course, the Blues still have to decide on David Backes’, Jaden Schwartz’, Troy Brouwer’s and Kevin Shattenkirk’s future, but those are bigger problems to tackle.
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