Should the St. Louis Blues consider a veteran Edmonton Oilers player in free agency?

The start of free agency is scheduled for July 1. The St. Louis Blues have limited cap space, although enough to add a quality-friendly contract or two.

The Blues will have approximately $16.3 million to spend on the market. The Edmonton Oilers have a talented team that is at risk of losing several key players.

Connor Brown, Sam Carrick, Warren Foegele, Sam Gagner, Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Corey Perry, Vincent Desharnais, Troy Stecher, Calvin Pickard.

Blues fans probably know many of these names, including Connor Brown, Warren Foegele, Sam Gagner, Adam Henrique and Corey Perry.

There are three players to consider for the Blues.

Brown played this past season on a one-year, $4 million contract. He’s been a bit of a journeyman but has had success in Toronto from 2015-2019 and in Ottawa from 2019-2022.

His name came up several times in the Stanley Cup Final, scoring on an impressive breakaway.

Although he is only 30 years old, he brings a wealth of experience from competing teams in Toronto, Washington and Edmonton.

If the Blues are looking for additional veteran leadership and are willing to pay for his services, he would be a reasonable consideration. His speed was on full display in the final. He had a 14.3% shooting percentage in the playoffs.

Henrique joined the Oilers from the Anaheim Ducks in a trade, and he’s a bit older than Brown at 34.

Similar to Brown, he has a wealth of experience in the league and is considered a bigger scoring threat.

His last contract paid him just under $6 million per year. However, his contract, which was for five years, has now expired.

The thinking is that, given his age and the current market, he could be a bargain for $4 million or less on a short-term deal.

If the Blues were interested in an assist, Henrique would be a good choice. This season, he scored 24 goals with the Ducks and Oilers.

Foegele is the youngest of the three and perhaps the one who will benefit from a longer and higher contract.

He is 28 years old and scored 41 points in the regular season.

His expiring contract was worth $8.25 million over three years.

Did he perform above expectations? Or will he get similar numbers? If the Blues could pay him around $2.75 million for a one-to-three-year deal, he should also be considered.

He’s coming off his best statistical season, which will help him hit the open market and perhaps even find a team willing to pay more for his services.

While the Blues need some defensive help, none of the Oilers defensemen in the UFA class are standout names or talents.

Winning is contagious. If the Blues allow the departure of a few offensive players like Sammy Blais, Armstrong should consider one of the players mentioned above.

We left out Corey Perry, who is 39, mainly because of his age. But some fans might be concerned about his losing streak and the superstition surrounding him that he has been losing Stanley Cup teams lately. I’m kidding, of course. It’s his age.