The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Tyler Tucker to a two-year, one-way contract with a cap hit of $800K, the team announced today.
Tucker, a 23-year-old hailing from Thunder Bay, Ontario, was originally selected by the Blues in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft but has already far exceeded his draft billing. Last season, he made his defensive, physical presence felt in a 26-game callup with the Blues and, as a result, is a very strong candidate to make the team out of camp next fall.
He contributed four points in those 26 games for St. Louis, posting rather strong advanced defensive metrics in the process. He’s the furthest thing from flashy, but there are much worse options for a young, budding shutdown defender at the bottom of your lineup.
That’s not to say he will never put up points. He did have some offensive success in the minors, especially this season, playing 41 regular-season games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds and tallying 21 points (three goals, 18 assists).
He’ll be fighting for an everyday spot in the lineup, especially if the Blues are able to clear out one of their defenders via trade. He’s able to play both the left and right sides.