The Blues have taken another UFA off of the market today by signing gritty fourth-line center Scott Nichol to a one-year contract extension. Nichol played in every game but two, scoring three goals and five assists, but his real asset is in the face-off circle. His 57.6% on the dot all but guaranteed that whoever was on his line was going to get the puck and get it out of the Blues' zone, contributing to the league's best defense.
Nichol is a non-stop hard worker, and a great veteran presence. He adds all of this at a cap hit that should be less than a million dollars (terms of the deal not released yet). All one has to do is watch a Blues game to understand how important a fourth liner like him is to the squad.