Blues sign twice-bought-out defenseman Ryan Suter to 1-year, $775,000 contract

Mar 2, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter (20) takes a shot on goal against the San Jose Sharks during the second period at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Jul 10, 2024

The St. Louis Blues signed veteran defenseman Ryan Suter to a one-year, $775,000 contract, the team announced Wednesday night.

The deal includes $2.225 million in potential performance bonuses. The terms were not immediately known.

Suter, 39, was bought out by the Dallas Stars in late June. He ranked 62nd on The Athletic’s NHL big board heading into free agency opening on July 1 and was fourth among remaining unsigned players as of Wednesday.

The left-shot defenseman scored two goals and 17 points in 82 games in 2023-24, averaging 18:56 per game for the Central Division-winning Stars. He added one goal and four points in 17:50 per game during the playoffs, playing 19 games as Dallas made its second straight Western Conference final run.

Suter is the second player in league history to be bought out twice, after Tony DeAngelo. Suter was previously bought out by the Minnesota Wild in 2021, when he signed a four-year, $14.6 million deal with the Stars. This season, he will be paid by all three teams.

Why did the Blues sign Suter?

The Blues had interest in Suter when he signed in Dallas. Now available again, Suter was likely attractive to them because he can provide depth on the left side as they navigate through their retool.

He joins a group on that side which includes Nick Leddy, Torey Krug, Scott Perunovich and Tyler Tucker. If the Blues find a trade partner for Krug, Suter can be counted on for limited minutes and to support Perunovich and Tucker.

What does this mean for the salary cap?

This is a low-risk addition because Suter comes in on a league-minimum salary. There are performance bonuses in the deal, and the terms aren’t yet known, but even if he maxes them out, he would cost only $3 million, and the club is currently well under the NHL’s cap with $7.3 million available, according to PuckPedia.

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(Photo: Chris Jones / USA Today)

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Jeremy Rutherford is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the St. Louis Blues. He has covered the team since the 2005-06 season, including a dozen years at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He is the author of "Bernie Federko: My Blues Note" and "100 Things Blues Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die." In addition, he is the Blues Insider for 101 ESPN in St. Louis. Follow Jeremy on Twitter @jprutherford