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In signing center Pius Suter to a two-year contract with a $4.125 million cap hit, the Blues addressed their need for a middle-six center on the second day of free agency. Suter is coming off a career season with Vancouver in which he scored 25 goals and assisted on 21 others.

Behind Mikael Granlund (three years, $7 million cap hit with the Ducks), Suter was widely regarded as the second-best center on the open market. Suter figures to slot in either as the second- or third-line center in Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ, likely bouncing between the options with Brayden Schenn depending on the lineup configuration.

Suter, 29, has scored at least 14 goals in all five of his NHL seasons with Chicago, Detroit and Vancouver.

When the Canucks traded J.T. Miller in January, Suter became the team’s de facto No. 2 center behind Elias Pettersson, averaging more than 18 1/2 minutes in the final three months of the season. His 17:21 of average ice time across the entire season was a career-high, and Suter scored 22 of his goals at even-strength.

Even if Suter’s production falls from his career-high peak (he did shoot 18.1% last season), his all-around game is still solid enough to make him useful. He has consistently limited high-danger chances when he’s on the ice (according to analytics from Natural Stat Trick) and was Vancouver’s most used forward on the penalty kill.

Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ can now boast Robert Thomas, Schenn, Suter and either Oskar Sundqvist or Nick Bjugstad down the middle, improved depth at the center position last season.

The Blues signed Bjugstad to a two-year contract with a $1.75 million cap hit on Tuesday to replace the departed Radek Faksa.

The Blues are getting Suter at a price much lower than many expected going into free agency. AFP Analytics predicted Suter’s contract to be four years at $5 million per. Instead, the Blues shaved about a million off that annually, and halved the anticipated term.

At two years, Suter’s contract will also not block prospect Dalibor Dvorský when he is ready to make the full-time jump to the NHL.

Suter’s signing comes on the same day that the Blues waived defenseman Nick Leddy. If Leddy ($4 million cap hit) is claimed by another team, much of the cap space needed for Suter will be created by that transaction. If not, the Blues are still in a good position with Torey Krug ($6.5 million cap hit) available to go on long-term injured reserve.