“I think towards the end of the season last season, it wasn’t easy because of the amount of bodies we had and what we were looking to accomplish in the last part of the season. I thought he really stepped up his all-around game. I thought defensively, he was very sound. We like him as a player. I know Monty and his coaching staff like him as a player.”
Kessel, 26, was originally a fifth-round pick by the Blues in the 2020 draft. Across parts of four seasons in the NHL, Kessel played a total of 99 games, scoring three goals and assisting on 10 others.
During the stretch run of the 2023-24 season, Kessel received his heaviest workload, logging top-four minutes alongside Torey Krug and averaging close to 17 minutes a game. Last season, he was scratched 53 times and played just 29 games.
“Kess, it was a difficult year for him last year,” Steen said. “I think both sides felt like this was the time where it might be good for him to seek other opportunities.”
McMichael was due a qualifying offer of $2.1 million. He has arbitration rights, and AFP Analytics projects a five-year contract with McMichael to be worth about $6.5 million per season.
Loof, a third-round pick in 2020 by the Blues, will play next season in Finland for Ilves. He spent the last three seasons playing for Springfield in the AHL, but the Blues will retain his rights thanks to the qualifying offer.
“We keep his rights, and we’ll continue to work with him,” Steen said. “We still see him as a prospect, and he’ll grow a relationship with Mikko (Koivu) and the development staff.”
Drouin buyout
The team also announced that they placed Jonathan Drouin on waivers for the purposes of a buyout.