Maroon unsure of future with Blues

ST. LOUIS --
Pat Maroon
is unsure if his future in the NHL will be with the St. Louis Blues.

The 31-year-old forward, who is an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract with the Blues prior to last season and helped his hometown team win the Stanley Cup.
"I would love to be with St. Louis. I would love to play here again," Maroon said Saturday, when he enjoyed his day with the Cup in the city. "... Me and (general manager) Doug (Armstrong) talk. We've had conversations, and I think it's tough right now. [There are] a lot of restricted free agents right now, and everyone's trying to find their number. The [NHL salary cap] really didn't go up.
"I'm just enjoying it. I'm just going to take the time and really soak it all in. I know I've got a lot left in the tank, a couple years. I've got three solid years I can give someone."
The Blues this offseason re-signed restricted free agent forwards Sammy Blais and Robby Fabbri and goalie Ville Husso each to a one-year contract, and restricted free agent goalie Jordan Binnington and defenseman Carl Gunnarsson each to a two-year contract. St. Louis has to re-sign RFA forwards Ivan Barbashev and Oskar Sundqvist, and defenseman Joel Edmundson. Sundqvist (July 24) and Edmundson (Aug. 4) have a salary arbitration hearing scheduled.
"I'm ready to compete and play for any team that wants me," Maroon said. "I'm a guy you can probably use in the locker room, a good veteran guy. I don't really pump my tires up too much, but I feel like I've done a good job of bringing guys together and being a locker room guy. I think anyone can use me right now."

Maroon, who had 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 74 regular-season games and seven points (three goals, four assists) in 26 Stanley Cup Playoff games, scored in double overtime of Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Dallas Stars to send the Blues to the conference final.
The St. Louis native, a sixth-round pick (No. 161) in the 2007 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, has 206 points (88 goals, 118 assists) in 449 NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils and Blues.
"What Doug [Armstrong] has done for this franchise for so many years to bring a Stanley Cup back (after) 52 years, it says a lot about this city, what we've been through, and I think we can say it's a hockey city now and not the baseball city," Maroon said.