On the second day of NHL free agency, the St. Louis Blues acquired center Radek Faksa from the Dallas Stars and forward Mathieu Joseph from the Ottawa Senators. The goal of the agreements was to strengthen their offensive core, especially in the bottom six.
The 27-year-old Joseph leads the Blues’ middle-six forward line with a defense-first mentality. Playing in 72 games during the regular season, he finished with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) and 51 penalty minutes for the Senators last season. Joseph, who was originally selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning with the 120th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, has established himself as a dependable penalty killer.
Though Joseph had a difficult season offensively, the Blues are hoping he can return to his usual third-line form. The two further years of Joseph’s contract have an average annual value (AAV) of $2.95 million. The Blues also acquired an Ottawa third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft as part of the deal.
After playing with the Dallas Stars for his whole nine-year NHL career, 30 year old Faksa has joined the Blues. Faksa participated in 74 regular-season games in the previous year, racking up 19 points (seven goals, twelve assists) and 20 penalty minutes. In eight postseason games, he also added a goal.
Trades Strengthen The Blues’ Bottom Six Unit
The Blues’ forward group is strengthened with the arrival of Joseph and Faksa, who emphasize penalty killing and defensive tenacity. Although these transfers may not appear significant, they fulfill certain demands in advance of the forthcoming season.
