NHL Scribe Hints Blues Alex Steen to Retire?

Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently took a look at rumors the St. Louis Blues might try to buy out Alex Steen this offseason, in an effort to make room for pending UFA Alex Pietrangelo. As has been reported by many insiders, there are serious questions in St. Louis about whether or not the Blues can afford what Pietrangelo is going to command, despite the fact they’d like to keep him.

Timmermann isn’t buying that Steen and Pietrangelo are related, at least as far as a buyout goes.

Considered one of the most popular players on the team and a leader for the franchise, the Blues are not keen on the idea of buying out Steen. And, it’s possible Steen doesn’t want to end his career that way. With the writing on the wall, Timmermann suggests that Steen might elect to retire from the NHL.

He writes:

Everyone always wants to buy Steen out. The team loves him. The players love him. He’s a leader on and off the ice. For those reasons alone, it would be a very difficult thing for the team to do. A more likely scenario would be Steen retires after this season.

source – ‘Quick Hits: Timmermann on the Blues’ Tom Timmermann – St. Louis Dispatch – 04/29/2020

If Steen chooses to retire, it saves the Blues from having to make a tough and likely unpopular decision. Or, should they feel they don’t want to buy him out, his retirement forces them into saying goodbye, which could be considered the smarter long-term play. If the Blues don’t move Steen’s salary, they need to find cap room in another way.

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