Former Blues Defenseman Remains Without A Contract; Isn’t Forcing It

Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Ryan Suter is still without a contract, but the longtime NHLer isn’t forcing a deal.

According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Suter is still open to playing in the NHL, but isn’t chasing opportunities; he’s waiting for a team to come to him. 

Now 40 years old, Suter is as proven as they come, and if a team needs a veteran defenseman with 1526 games of NHL experience, he’ll answer the call. 

“The 40-year-old defenseman instructed his longtime agent, Neil Sheehy, not to be proactive in calling teams. Suter didn’t want to force it, Sheehy said Thursday. If a team called with interest, so be it; they would listen. But they weren’t going to chase it,” said LeBrun in his NHL rumblings story. After 20 NHL seasons, Sheehy said Suter is at peace with whatever comes. Perhaps a contender calls in the coming weeks, or maybe that’s it after an amazing career. The former Team USA Olympian played for the minimum $775,000 with the St. Louis Blues last season after three previous seasons with the Dallas Stars. But Suter has not retired just yet.”

Suter has had an illustrious career, skating with the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars and the Blues in his most recent stop. In what could be his final season and his lone season with the Blues, Suter notched two goals and 15 points, playing in all 82 games. 

The former seventh overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft never won a Stanley Cup. Still, he did bring home an Olympic silver medal, gold at the World Junior Championship and the U-18s as well as a second-place finish in Norris Trophy voting in 2012-13.  

Suter’s future is uncertain at the moment, but one of the most reliable players in the NHL has ever seen hasn’t closed the door on the NHL quite yet.