St. Louis Blues sign Oskar Sundqvist to two-year extension; also fined for embellishment

The St. Louis Blues have announced that forward Oskar Sundqvist has signed a two-year contract extension worth $1.5 million per year.

The Swedish center is in his second tour of duty with the Blues, scoring six goals and 21 points in 62 games with the club this season.

“It was my plan the whole time,” Sundqvist told the St. Louis Blues’ team site. “I wanted to be part of the team and turning the ship around. For me personally, I didn’t want to abandon it and leave (at the Trade Deadline). I wanted to stay here, help this team get back to being successful and getting back into the playoffs and (being) a competitor again. It was a huge part to stay here and hopefully help this team win hockey games.”

Sundqvist was originally drafted 81st overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2012. Standing tall at 6-foot-3, Sundwqvist played parts of two seasons with the Pens – including winning the Cup in 2016 – before joining the Blues for 2017-18. He quickly established himself as a big-bodied, two-way forward, helping the team win the 2019 Stanley Cup on the heels of a nine-point run.

Sundqvist spent the next few seasons with the team before getting traded to Detroit in 2021-22. He played some of his best hockey there before moving to Minnesota at the deadline last year. Sundqvist moved back to Missouri for 2023-24, where he continues to have a significant depth role with the club today.

The 29-year-old was set to become a UFA this summer after the completion of his $775,000 contract, so the new deal is a significant raise. Sundqvist’s highest salary came during his four-year deal signed by the Blues in 2019 with an AAV of $2.75 million following an arbitration filing.

Additionally, Sundqvist was fined $2,000 by the NHL for embellishment for an incident at the end of the second period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 28.

The Blues currently occupy the second wild-card spot with 60 points, tying them with Nashville and putting them two points clear of Minnesota.