We are just a few days away from the NHL’s trade deadline on March 6. We have a good idea of who will be buyers and sellers. The St. Louis Blues will certainly be in the sellers category. At 22-29-9, the Blues are tied with the New York Rangers for the second fewest points in the league (53).
There’s no question that St. Louis has to sell. They need to come to the reality that this core they have’s window has shut. They must begin the process of rebuilding.
Blues In a Good Position to Rebuild
Fortunately for them, this is the perfect situation for them to do it. They are in the running for the No. 1 pick in next year’s NHL Entry Draft. They will have the chance to get a new franchise player to rebuild around. Names that stand out are Penn State’s Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, and Chase Reid.
On top of that, they have several players who can get them substantial hauls that can potentially expedite the rebuild process.
The first name is goalie Jordan Binnington. What he did in 2019 to help the Blues win their first Stanley Cup will never be forgotten. However, that was seven years ago, and the reality now is that he and the team are nowhere close to contending. He is in his fifth year of a six-year pact at an AAV of $6 million. He also has a 10-team no-trade clause.
With there being several goalie-needy teams, it makes all the sense in the world to move on from the 33-year old netminder.
The next player the Blues could sell is Jordan Kyrou. The 27-year old right winger has scored 30+ goals in each of his last three seasons. However, due to injury and poor play, he has totaled just 14 goals in 48 games played.
Kyrou’s name has been in the trade rumors for a while now. He’s still in the prime of his career and is on a fairly good contract until the end of the 2030-31 season. Kyrou, however, has a no-trade clause, so he has complete control as to where and if he gets traded. If it all works out and the Blue are able to move him, they can get a sizable haul from a lot of teams for a prime scoring winger.
Who Should the Blues Look to Move?
One other big name is Robert Thomas. At just 26 years of age, he is another player who can score at a high rate and is a reliable two-way center. Like Kyrou, he’s having a disappointing year due to injury and poor play. However, there’s no denying the talent he brings. He’s in the third year of his eight-year contract at an AAV of $8.125 million. Also like Kyrou, Thomas has a no-trade clause until 2030-31.
Blue’s general manager, Doug Armstrong, knows that he must begin to evaluate his entire team and come to the tough conclusion. The time to rebuild is now, and the Blues must move the assets they have to better the future. Doing so, while hopefully securing a top pick, will give Armstrong and the Blues the chance to get going right away on making “the gateway to the west” a contender once again.
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