The St. Louis Blues have signed young cornerstone Jaden Schwartz to a new five-year contract, worth $26.75 million. The two sides avoid salary arbitration in the process.

Schwartz, 24, became a restricted free agent when his two-year deal ended on July 1. General Manager Doug Armstrong made it clear at the start of the off-season, Schwartz was going to be a priority.

“He’s part of that core we have moving forward,” Armstrong said. “Schwartz and (Vladimir) Tarasenko, Robby Fabbri, Colton Parayko, Alex Pietrangelo, Jake Allen, we’re trying to build around these guys. Having Schwartz wrapped up in that group, we know we now have a core that we can build around and try to win a championship around.”

Schwartz scored 8 goals in just 33 games this past regular season as he dealt with an ankle injury. A healthy Schwartz showed how dynamic he can be with 4 goals and 10 assists in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His new deal will keep him in St. Louis through the 2020-21 season.