Blues, EJ Agree on 2 Year Contract Extension

[dmiles2186]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... 78c22.html

Blues defenseman Erik Johnson has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the club, a source has told the Post-Dispatch.

Financial terms of the deal weren't immediately available.

An announcement on Johnson's extension could be made by the club later today.

Johnson, 22, had been a restricted free agent who was not allowed to receive offer sheets because he missed the entire 2008-09 season with a knee injury.

Johnson was the first overall pick in 2006 and in two seasons with the Blues, he has 15 goals and 57 assists in 148 games. Last season, he had 10 goals and 29 assists.

He is the last of the Blues' restricted free agents to re-sign with the club. As recently as a week ago, negotiations were moving slowly, according to Johnson's agent, Pat Brisson.

"Being the first overall pick, you still have to prove yourself," Brisson told the Post-Dispatch. "Unfortunately, he got hurt, but you can see his progression. Normally after two years, whether he has offer-sheet rights or not, the trend is to explore a longer-term deal and lock up your core players. That doesn't seem to be the case with the Blues.

"So the course of the conversation has changed a bit. This is perhaps a direction we weren't intending to go down, but the Blues are looking for a shorter-term (extension). Whether it gets done now or a month from now, I don't know. We're progressing but it's not there yet."

But two days into August, the deal is done, and it appears that the Blues got their wish with a two-year deal.

Recently, Blues GM Doug Armstrong told the Post-Dispatch: "Our younger players, when they're coming out of entry level, they've all progressed, but they haven't been defined. By taking contracts at shorter term, you allow them to grow and make a fair-market value moving forward."

Blues forward David Perron also signed a two-year extension following the expiration of his entry-level contract.

[cprice12]

I'm not sure I understand the desire to sign EJ for 2 years...unless they just don't want to take on any long term contracts with the ownership situation a bit of a question.
Why not more years? Signing him for 2 years only means that when this contract is up, the new contract EJ & his agent will want will be substantially bigger.
You'd think the Blues would like to lock EJ up for at least 4 years and not have to pay the big bucks for him until 2014.

[fargoblues]

I'm not sure I understand the desire to sign EJ for 2 years...unless they just don't want to take on any long term contracts with the ownership situation a bit of a question.
Why not more years? Signing him for 2 years only means that when this contract is up, the new contract EJ & his agent will want will be substantially bigger.
You'd think the Blues would like to lock EJ up for at least 4 years and not have to pay the big bucks for him until 2014.

This is all about the ownership situation. There's no other logical choice.

[Leedog]

EJ isn't gonna sign long term at lower $$ and the Blues aren't gonna give him the big $$ before they have to. Seems pretty simple. The incident is biting him in the ass. The Blues paid him a year for nothing and also had his development slowed by his stupidity. He cost the Blues money in 08-09, if for no other reason than they may have had an extra home playoff game or two if he was healthy. Now it's costing EJ money.

[Leedog]

So, the cap payroll for the Blues with 13 forwards, 6 D, and 2 goalies is about $47.5 mil. What is the floor this year?

[WaukeeBlues]

So, the cap payroll for the Blues with 13 forwards, 6 D, and 2 goalies is about $47.5 mil. What is the floor this year?

I was thinking the same thing.

[Winning Unlimited]

[cprice12]

According to TSN, EJ's cap hit will be $2.6 million per year.

The St. Louis Blues signed defenceman Erik Johnson on Monday to a two-year contract extension worth $5.2 million.

[kodos]

That seems quite low.

[WaukeeBlues]

God we are getting some bargains this year.

But srsly, are we going to have to sign somebody to get over the salary cap floor for the season? We might have to

[WaukeeBlues]

That seems quite low.

Yea and in two years when he's developing into a stud he's going to command $4+ a year. Oh wellz. Hopefully by then the ownership situation is resolved. It'd dann well better be.

[JPonder94]

Its a double-edged sword. Its a great bargain for us imo, but it also sucks because he will command more money in two years. That is where the long-term deals help teams. We need to get our financial situation in order and FAST.

[thedoc]

I wonder if we are gonna start having "Blue Light Savings Specials" at the games this year. This team is starting to look like it came from K-Mart.

[Leedog]

Umm, see Kmart sells their stuff at a bargain price. The Blues just raised their prices for a lesser product. I wish I could do that at my job!!

[philco_3]

I like it we resigned him, but don't like the length.

[Slim]

IMO, (outside the owner situation) I believe it's a "We'll give you this for now, if you want more, prove you're worth it" type of thing. Seeing as how he missed that season, and people speak of enormous potential he has(and you see glimpses; like a lot of the others), he has to go and prove/earn it. But like I said, just my opinion.

[Robb_K]

The floor is $43 million. So, they're already above. But getting E.J. for $2.6 million a year (a million less than they probably expected), and Perron for less than they expected, and not having to pay Mason $3.5-4 million, actually might allow them to pay Guerin $1.7-2million for one year, or Langenbrunner $2.8 million (if they can get him in a cap relief trade), to help round out 3 scoring lines and help the 2nd PP shift. I hope they do that.

[WaukeeBlues]

The floor is $43 million. So, they're already above. But getting E.J. for $2.6 million a year (a million less than they probably expected), and Perron for less than they expected, and not having to pay Mason $3.5-4 million, actually might allow them to pay Guerin $1.7-2million for one year, or Langenbrunner $2.8 million (if they can get him in a cap relief trade), to help round out 3 scoring lines and help the 2nd PP shift. I hope they do that.

I would be shocked.

Ownership just does NOT want to spend the bones, even if it IS something small like a $1.7-$3 million contract. These pu$$y-footed two year deals with Perron and EJ prove that. They addressed one of the needs- goaltending, and signed a responsible contract for Halak in that deal. Army says they're done and I believe him.

I agree with you and I think Guerin is one of those no-brainer decisions with little to no negative impact (which would realistically only be his roster spot- prob. 3rd line at that) for the low cost he would command but I just don't think ownership wants a single contract on this team that they don't have to have.

[DaDitka]

The floor is $43 million. So, they're already above. But getting E.J. for $2.6 million a year (a million less than they probably expected), and Perron for less than they expected, and not having to pay Mason $3.5-4 million, actually might allow them to pay Guerin $1.7-2million for one year, or Langenbrunner $2.8 million (if they can get him in a cap relief trade), to help round out 3 scoring lines and help the 2nd PP shift. I hope they do that.

I would be shocked.

Ownership just does NOT want to spend the bones, even if it IS something small like a $1.7-$3 million contract. These pu$$y-footed two year deals with Perron and EJ prove that. They addressed one of the needs- goaltending, and signed a responsible contract for Halak in that deal. Army says they're done and I believe him.

I agree with you and I think Guerin is one of those no-brainer decisions with little to no negative impact (which would realistically only be his roster spot- prob. 3rd line at that) for the low cost he would command but I just don't think ownership wants a single contract on this team that they don't have to have.

For the most part I would generally agree that they do not want to sign anyone, but it appears they are having so much trouble selling tickets, they may have to rethink that approach a little. Not holding my breath, just connecting the dots.

[Leedog]

I think they will get a bargain as camp approaches, just like they did a couple years ago with Dvorak, and thought they did last year with Sydor.