Pietrangelo leaves Blues, signs seven-year contract with Golden Knights

Captain who helped lead franchise to first Stanley Cup in 2019 departs 

via free agency, gets $61.6 million, full no-movement clause to join Vegas

By LOU KORAC

ST. LOUIS -- Alex Pietrangelo chose the city that never sleeps.

After what seemed like a months-long debate where Alex Pietrangelo would be playing hockey in 2020-21, it won't be in St. Louis for the first time in 12 years.

Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo holds the Stanley Cup after a Game 7
win in Boston on June 12, 2019.

What's been a rumored hotbed since the 30-year-old NHL Draft hit the free agent market on Friday at 11 a.m. and compounded after the Blues stunned the hockey world when they signed former Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract Friday night, Pietrangelo made his next destination Las Vegas when he agreed to a seven-year, $61.6 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night. It carries an average annual value of $8.8 million and includes a full no-move clause.

So the first captain in Blues history to lead them to a Stanley Cup just 16 months ago is here no more. Instead, he gets $800,000 more per season in face value money from the Golden Knights, who traded away two popular players (former Blue Paul Stastny and defenseman Nate Schmidt) in separate deals to help Vegas be cap compliant before signing Pietrangelo, who gets a full no-move clause in a contract that runs through the 2026-27 season.

Pietrangelo's contract benefits in Nevada due to no state tax there, and with a 5.4 percent state tax in Missouri, for the dollars to equal out, Pietrangelo would have to get $9.4 million per season in St. Louis to make the dollars work at face value, but there's the cost of living factor that's higher in Nevada as opposed to Missouri that brings that number down some.

The Blues were reported to have offered Pietrangelo an eight-year, $64 million contract ($8 million AAV) and, according to general manager Doug Armstrong, a partial no-move clause in the ladder portion of the contract with undisclosed signing bonus money.

But after Pietrangelo rejected the Blues' last offer and St. Louis moved ahead and signed Krug for $6.5 million AAV, Pietrangelo was on a chartered jet to Las Vegas to meet with the Golden Knights brass before returning to St. Louis Monday and finalizing his deal later in the evening.

It ends Pietrangelo's 12-year run with the Blues, who selected the King City, Ontario native with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. He finishes his Blues career with 758 regular-season games played, which is fifth in franchise history to go with 450 points (109 goals, 341 assists). In 92 Stanley Cup playoff games, Pietrangelo had 51 points (eight goals, 43 assists), including 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 26 games en route to winning the Cup in a seven-game series against Krug and the Bruins in 2019.

Pietrangelo's 341 assists go down as third in Blues history behind Bernie Federko (721) and Brett Hull (409), and his 450 career points are ninth in franchise history (two behind Al MacInnis).

Pietrangelo did not speak to the media on Monday but is expected to address the situation on Tuesday, but Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon told the media via Zoom conference on Monday night that Vegas "wouldn't have gone to these lengths for anyone but a player that we think can do as much for our team as Alex can. ... With Alex, we get a guy that's in the discussion for the Norris Trophy each year."

Pietrangelo finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting this past season behind winner Roman Josi of Nashville, John Carlson of Washington and Victor Hedman of Tampa Bay. Pietrangelo was named to the NHL's Second All-Star team this past season for the third time in his career (2011-12, 2013-14).

But with that, comes an end to a Blues career that can be compared to the likes of Hull, Chris Pronger and Federko, prominent players to finish their respective careers elsewhere.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (27) departed the Blues after 12 seasons 

when he signed a seven-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Pietrangelo was the Blues' 22nd captain and had the distinction since taking the reigns from David Backes in 2016.

"Trust me, Alex, we tried to re-sign him," Armstrong said Friday. "... The contract I think is well-documented that was out there that was offered, we used every tool under the CBA to ensure that we could get something done and it just didn't work out. There's no good or bad person in this. It's just the business side of it. Alex is a great guy and we had a great conversation (Thursday) night. 

"I look back on it, and I'm not really sure why (a Pietrangelo contract wasn't completed). I was hoping to get something done. He has great representation from Newport Sports. We talked a lot, we exchanged offers during the season, during the pandemic, multiple offers post-pandemic. We couldn't find something that made everyone comfortable. It's not the first time and it won't be the last time this happens in the NHL. You just wish it didn't happen because of the desire and the respect we had to keep Alex here."