The Blues signed forward Matt Luff, defenseman Hunter Skinner and goaltender Vadim Zherenko to one-year, two-way contracts, the team announced Monday morning.
Each player will earn the league-minimum $775,000 in the NHL, while Luff will make $400,000 in the AHL and Skinner and Zherenko will earn $125,000 in the minors. All three players are expected to play for AHL affiliate Springfield (Massachusetts) in the fall.
The signings leave Nikita Alexandrov as the Blues’ only remaining restricted free agent this summer.
Luff, 28, was one of the most productive players for Springfield last season, with 45 points in 50 games while playing on an AHL contract. He began the season with Charlotte but was released from his professional tryout and signed with Springfield.
Now that he’s signed to an NHL contract, Luff (106 career NHL games played) can be recalled to ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´.
People are also reading…
Skinner, 24, was the most consistent presence in the Springfield lineup last season, playing a team-high 71 games and producing 23 points. The physical right-handed defenseman also logged 98 penalty minutes. He was acquired from the Rangers in the Vladimir Tarasenko-Niko Mikkola trade.
Zherenko, 24, lost his job as the starting goaltender to Colten Ellis last season. He played in 32 games and owned a .897 save percentage and 3.44 goals against average. Zherenko enters the season as the fourth goaltender on the organizational depth chart. He was a seventh-round pick in 2019.
Both Skinner and Zherenko are expected to become Group 6 unrestricted free agents next summer. To become a Group 6 UFA, a player must be at least 25 years old, have at least three years of professional experience and play fewer than 80 games for a skater and 28 games for a goaltender. Neither Skinner nor Zherenko have played in the NHL.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong speaks with the media on Thursday, July 3, 2025, after the team acquired center Pius Suter. (Video courtesy ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ Blues)