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Stastny picks the Blues -- four years, $28 million

Paul Stastny

Colorado Avalanche center Paul Stastny celebrates after scoring a third period goal against the Phoenix Coyotes during an NHL hockey game on Thursday, March 22, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

AP

The St. Louis Blues have added the premier center of the free-agency period, signing Paul Stastny to a four-year, $28 million contract.

Stastny, 28, leaves Colorado, where he scored 25 times with 35 assists in 2013-14. The 28-year-old joins a Blues lineup that already has David Backes at center, giving St. Louis the kind of 1-2 punch down the middle that Stanley Cup-winning teams often possess.

For the Avs, the loss of Stastny is significant, and it puts even more pressure on management to work out a long-term deal with Ryan O’Reilly.