The Blues extended qualifying offers to five of its restricted free agents on Monday.
Colton Parayko, Magnus Paajarvi, Oskar Sundqvist, Petteri Lindbohm and Jordan Binnington each received qualifying offers from the team.
Teams must extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents to retain their negotiating rights – without an offer, the players would become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
In addition, the Blues also re-signed forward Wade Megan to a one-year, two-way contract.
Parayko, 24, appeared in 81 regular season games for the Blues last season, posting a career-high 35 points (four goals, 31 assists), as well as 32 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-6, 226-pound defenseman has collected 68 points (13 goals, 55 assists), 61 penalty minutes, and a plus-35 rating in 160 career NHL regular season games across two seasons. The St. Albert, Alberta, native was originally drafted by the Blues in the third round (86th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Paajarvi, 26, recorded 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 32 regular season games with the Blues and 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 26 regular season games with the Wolves in 2016-17. In addition, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound forward tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in eight postseason games with the Blues. Overall, the Norrkopoing, Sweden, native has amassed 93 points (43 goals, 50 assists) and 60 penalty minutes in 308 career NHL regular season games. Paajarvi was originally acquired by the Blues via trade from the Edmonton Oilers on July 10, 2013.
Sundqvist, 23, was acquired by the Blues along with a first-round pick from Pittsburgh at the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago. The Boden, Sweden native has registered one goal and three assists in 28 career regular season games.
Lindbohm, 23, dressed in 52 regular season games for the Wolves last season, tallying 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) and 54 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman also dressed in seven regular-season games for the Blues, serving four penalty minutes. Drafted by the Blues in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Helsinki, Finland native has posted three points (two goals, one assist) in 40 career NHL regular season games and 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 148 career AHL regular season games.
Binnington, 23, posted a 16-7-3 record along with a .911 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average with the Wolves in 2016-17. The 6-foot-2, 177-pound goaltender also made two postseason appearances, logging a 1.86 goals-against average and a .950 save-percentage. The Richmond Hill, Ontario native made his NHL debut on Jan. 14, 2016 vs. Carolina, making three saves in 13 minutes of play. Drafted by the Blues in the third round (88th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Binnington has compiled a 59-41-12 record in 120 career AHL appearances.
Megan, 26, appeared in 73 regular season games for the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Chicago Wolves last season, leading the league overall with 33 goals and slotting fourth overall with 66 points. For his efforts, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward was named to the AHL’s First All-Star Team. The Canton, New York, native also made his NHL debut with the Blues on Dec. 22 in Tampa Bay, scoring his first career goal on his first career shot. Overall, Megan has appeared in 263 career AHL games, amassing 120 points (67 goals, 53 assists) and 172 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
