Blues Re-Sign Defenseman Barret Jackman to Three-Year Pact

Blues Re-Sign Defenseman Barret Jackman to Three-Year Pact
Fitzgerald Cecilio

St. Louis, MO

Despite struggling in the playoffs, the St. Louis Blues have re-signed Barret Jackman to a three-year, $9.5 million contract.

Jackman was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent July 1 but the Blues acted immediately to keep the defenseman from going elsewhere.

A first round pick by the Blues in 1999, the 31-year-old Jackman has played his 10-year NHL career with St. Louis.

"St. Louis is our home and my family and I are excited to be staying," Jackman said in a statement issued by the Blues. "I am proud of the progress we made this season but our fans deserve a championship and our team will not be satisfied until we achieve that goal."

"Barret has been a solid leader for our club, on and off the ice, and we're happy to have him in the fold for the next three years," said Blues general manager Doug Armstrong.

"He's a staple of the organization and the community and his positive influence on our young core has and will remain an invaluable asset," he added.

Jackman, 31, dressed for 81 games for the Blues last season recording 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) and 57 penalty minutes while tying for second on the club with a +20 rating and leading the team overall in blocked shots (153) and shorthanded time on ice per game (3:26).

"He felt he wanted to stay here and continue to grow what we're building right now," Armstrong said. "It just became a business decision, an economic decision, and we were able to work through that."

The 6-foot, 205-pound defenseman has compiled 139 points (20 goals, 119 assists) and 843 penalty minutes in 598 games while also becoming the club's only Calder Trophy winner in 2003.

Jackman is currently tied for 10th overall in franchise history in games played, ranks 7th overall in penalty minutes and 10th in points among Blues defensemen.

Now that Jackman has been signed, Armstrong needs to focus in re-signing defensemen Carlo Colaiacovo and Kent Huskins, who are set to hit the free-agency market next month.

"We have to make decisions internally or look externally via trade or free agency," Armstrong has said. "We do need to improve the left side of our defense."

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