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The Blues haven't had to go to arbitration with one of their players since 2004 and Pavol Demetra. That streak is going to continue, as the Blues have locked up last season's top goal scorer. Chris Stewart and the Blues have agreed to a two-year contract extension at a total value of $8.3 million.
Stewart had 18 goals and 18 assists last season, but was a non-factor in the playoffs. To be fair, most of the rest of the team were non-factors against the Kings as well, so you can't place the blame totally on Stewart for the Blues' playoff problems.
It's a reasonable contract an a good deal for the Blues, who risked Stewart being awarded more money than they signed him for. It's not so much of a "prove yourself" contract, as everyone is more than well aware of what Stewart is capable of. It's more along the lines of "please play consistently good hockey over the course of an entire season" contract. The extra year past a "prove it" deal gives the Blues some leverage for a trade if circumstances call for it. Hopefully they won't but it's a nice safety net for the team to have.