General manager of the St. Louis Blues, Doug Armstrong, doesn't like to trade for rentals before the deadline. He will
often try to extend a player whose contract is about to expire when he acquires him. It was not surprising that news broke on day one of
free agency about Nick Leddy, a free agent defenseman. Some were surprised by the four-year contract and its $4 million annual
average value (AAV). Leddy spent 21 minutes on average with the Blues during his short time there. The contract is not
unwarranted. However, it reminds Armstrong of a contract that has become a problem: the Marco Scandella Extension.
After acquiring Scandella at the trade deadline, Armstrong offered Scandella a four year contract. Although he had struggled
for many seasons, Scandella was a great player during his brief tenure with the Blues. Scandella is one year older than Leddy
when he signed his contract. The deal signed by Leddy was a curse for Blues and not a blessing. In fact, it indirectly led to the
departure from free agency of David Perron. Armstrong is making the same mistake again by making this move. Let's take a closer
view. Leddy has played only 20 regular season games for the Blues so it is not fair to compare their time in St. Louis. We must
look at the careers of both players as they progress towards becoming Blues. Evolving-Hockey's RAPM Charts allow us to do this
by grading players on key metrics at both even strength and on power play. These charts will show the three seasons