The St. Louis Blues placed veteran forward Jonathan Drouin on waivers for a buyout on June 30. Multiple outlets reported this move aims to clear salary cap space for the team. The Blues also issued qualifying offers to a pair of restricted free agents that day, one of whom was Drouin. This buyout action cancels the qualifying offer deal earlier extended with the forward. Canadian and American news sources reported on the transaction. The team did not give a detailed explanation beyond the usual waiver and buyout procedures. Drouin joins the pool of players eligible for other NHL teams to claim without cost before the buyout is finalized. Payments will be divided over future seasons rather than incurred as a single payment.