It long has been understood that in order to sign Alex Pietrangelo, the St. Louis Blues and all of his other suitors would have to pony up quite a bit of cash.
So it should come as little surprise that the Blues' latest offer was a hefty one -- though still not enough.
According to the Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford, St. Louis proposed an eight-year deal worth $8 million annually. And while Rutherford says that's less than what Pietrangelo will accept, there's more to it than just dollars and cents.
"What has also contributed to the two sides being unable to find common ground," wrote Rutherford, "is that the captain’s camp still wants to know the structure of the contract -- specifically, whether it will include buyout protection in the form of a signing bonus at the end of the deal and a no-movement clause."
Pietrangelo is 30 years old, and will turn 31 in January. While his play has earned him the right to seek a lucrative, long-term deal, teams certainly must know they'll likely be eating the final years of that contact if it starts nearing the decade mark.
Pietrangelo posted 16 goals with 36 assists over 70 regular-season games in 2019-20. He is joined by the Boston Bruins' Torey Krug as the top defensive free agents.
Both have spent the entirety of their careers with one organization.
Thumbnail photo via Perry Nelson/USA TODAY Sports Images
