Vladimir Sobotka signs extension with Blues, expected to play Saturday

Patrik Laine scored twice and Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist as the Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Tuesday night for their season-high fifth straight victory.

The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Vladimir Sobotka to a three-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday.

The deal is worth $10.5 million and begins with the 2017-18 season.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong also announced that the Czech centreman will join the Blues immediately to fulfill his one-year obligation with the team, and is expected to suit up for the club’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

Sobotka spent four seasons in St. Louis, from 2010 to 2014, before leaving the NHL for the KHL where he played three seasons with Omsk Avangard. The 29-year-old registered nine goals and 21 assists in 2016-17.

Sobotka’s NHL resume also includes parts of three seasons with the Boston Bruins. Overall, the forward has 35 goals and 123 points in 381 career NHL regular season games.

It’s been a long three years filled with plenty of speculation between the Blues and Sobotka. The forward was awarded $2.725 million in an arbitration ruling in July 2014, but played the following season in Russia. That one-year arbitration deal was to be carried over until the player’s return to the NHL, and will be burned now that he’s joining the team for their final few games of the season.

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April 6, 2017

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Vladimir Sobotka
SIGNED BY
St. Louis Blues
LENGTH
3 yrs
CONTRACT TYPE
Contract Extension
SALARY CAP HIT
$3.5
TOTAL
$10.5

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