Pietrangelo: Lack of deal with Blues 'a little disappointing'

Pending unrestricted free agent Alex Pietrangelo is starting to feel the pressure when it comes to which team he'll play for next season.

"It's been a little disappointing that (the St. Louis Blues and I) haven't been able to get a deal done, obviously," Pietrangelo said, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "But this is the situation that we're in, we're over three weeks away from Oct. 9 (the beginning of free agency). ... There hasn't been much in terms of progress."

The 30-year-old signed a seven-year deal with the Blues in 2013 and has spent his entire career with the club that drafted him fourth overall in 2008. He's served as St. Louis' captain for four seasons.

Pietrangelo will be one of the biggest names in free agency if he hits the open market. He expressed his desire to stay in St. Louis but understands it may be difficult for the team to make room for him with just over $5 million in cap space this season.

"Yeah, I mean, there's players who have been in one spot their whole career but they change cities," Pietrangelo said. "I've been in the business a long time. I've been around. I've seen a lot of different things. I think you have to be willing to accept the fact that there may be a change one day. Whether it happens or not, it certainly changes your mindset and makes things a little easier if you ever get to that point."

He added: "My wife's family is here. We're really close to her family and my family is close with her family. But again, by the same token, it's a short period of time of your life in terms of trying to play the game. You just want to make the right choice for your family and do what's right."

Pietrangelo put up 16 goals and 52 points in 70 games during the 2019-20 regular season after helping lead the Blues to a Stanley Cup victory last year.