For the past few days, reports have power forward Patrick Maroon linked to free agent contract with his hometown St. Louis Blues.
Comes word Sunday night that the Blues are just one of the suitors that have lined up to deliver Maroon to their team.
Maroon, 30, started last season playing for the Edmonton Oilers. He was later traded to the New Jersey Devils. Maroon scored 14 goals and 16 assists in 57 games with the Oilers. In 17 games with the Devils, Maroon scored 3 goals and 10 assists. His 43 total points were a career high for the power winger.
In 2016-17, Maroon ripped a career-high 27 goals (42 points) while playing alongside Connor McDavid.
Maroon, a power left winger, also added 3 goals and 5 assists in 13 playoff games for the Oilers.
Maroon averaged 17:03 TOI last season.
At 6’3” and 225 lbs., Maroon wins wall battles, holds pucks and creates time and space for his line mates via the cycle game. He loves getting greasy. Maroon drives opposing goalies and D-men crazy with his power and pugnacity.
In 375 career NHL regular season games, Maroon has scored 78 goals and 100 assists. He is plus-12 lifetime and has earned 451 PIMs. Maroon adds pop to the PP. He has scored 11 PPGs and 32 PP points in his career. Maroon has scored 14 games winning goals in his career.
Which NHL teams are interested in adding the scoring tough guy?
When Evander Kane exited Buffalo for San Jose at the NHL trade deadline, Phil Houlsey and Jason Botterill have been looking for a replacement who can give Jack Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt protection on the top two lines. Botterill is lacking left wing depth inside the organization. He has a need and cap space is not an issue.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens are also pursuing a power winger. The Devils are also interested in re-signing Maroon.
We already know about St. Louis, who are running out of salary cap space.
In the past week, Blues GM Doug Armstrong has added for quality veterans to their core group. Armstrong has only $5 million in cap space left after acquiring centers Ryan O’Reilly and Tyler Bozak via trade while winger David Perron and goalie Chad Johnson were free agent signees.
Armstrong now needs to invest in the second contracts of restricted free agent defensemen Joel Edmundson and Jordan Schmaltz to new contracts. New deals for Edmundson and Schmaltz will gobble up the majority, if not all of the $5 million in salary cap slush.
Then how can Armstrong acquire Maroon, who earned a $2,100,000 salary and was a $2,000,000 salary cap hit in 2017-18?
Maroon recently underwent a needed back surgery. He is expected to be at full strength for the start of training camp in September.
Today's National Hockey League is in fact a young man’s league.
Need proof?
Look no further.
According to Cap Friendly, there are currently 67 unrestricted free agents on the market aged 30 or older. They range in age in descending order from 39 to 30.
It appears that there is no love at all for the old guys.
Maroon is the exception and not the rule. There is high demand on his services right now.
More on the other 30-somethings at another time.
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