The St. Louis Blues placed veteran forward Jonathan Drouin on waivers for a buyout on June 30. Multiple outlets reported this move aims to free up salary cap space for the team. The Blues also issued qualifying offers to two restricted free agents that day, one of whom was Drouin. This buyout action voids the qualifying offer deal previously made with the forward. North American news sources covered the transaction. The team did not provide a detailed explanation beyond the standard waiver and buyout procedures. Drouin joins the pool of players available for other NHL teams to claim without cost before the buyout is finalized. Payments will be spread over the coming years rather than incurred as a single payment.