First NHL Buyout of the Offseason: Blues Move On From Jonathan Drouin

The St. Louis Blues have placed Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final year of his contract. The 12-year veteran becomes the first NHL player bought out during the first buyout period this summer. The window closes at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Blues placing Jonathan Drouin on waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract. He has one year left on his deal at $4 million AAV.

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) June 30, 2026

Drouin had one season left at $4 million, so the Blues will be charged $1.33M of dead cap the next 2 seasons, leaving them to save $2.67M on the cap hit for the coming season. 

The 31-year-old only played nine games in St. Louis after being acquired from the NY Islanders in a deal that saw Blues’ captain Brayden Schenn head to Long Island. Drouin recorded just four goals and 24 points in 64 games total for the season. 

In his dozen NHL seasons, the former 3rd overall pick (2013 Draft, Tampa Bay) has recorded 111 goals and 398 points in 671 games, averaging 16:35 of ice time per night. He's also added 27 points in 43 playoff games and appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.