The ball has started to roll on the 2026 NHL offseason, and several St. Louis Blues players find themselves in constant rumors.
Every year heading into the offseason, pundits will put together their own trade boards, a list of players and assets who could be heading to a different organization. These boards don’t mean that every player listed is sure to get traded, but they show fans what conversations their general managers may be having.
On his June 18 trade board, Chris Johnston of The Athletic listed four Blues players on his 30-item list. According to Johnston, players and assets are ranked by “how closely they demand watching, based on their potential impact and the current amount of buzz around them.” Let’s take a look at each of these players and see what Alexander Steen may elect to do in the weeks to come.
The Blues’ Elephant in the Room
Checking in at No. 7 on Johnston’s board, the first Blue to be named is RW Jordan Kyrou. It’s hard to remember a more polarizing player among Blues fans than Kyrou. The analytics crowd loves him, while the eye test shows inconsistencies in both production and effort. Both sides can agree on one thing: He has another gear that might not be reached in St. Louis.
Kyrou has become the Blues’ whipping boy, and it doesn’t help that he had a dreadful season by his standards. He came short of 20 goals and 50 points for the first time since the Covid-shortened 2021 season. He was also a healthy scratch early in the season, a 3-0 win in Buffalo. As the Blues looked to have found their top line going forward, Kyrou remained on the second line without a consistent center to produce with. This is as much of an indictment of the Blues management as it is of Kyrou himself.
Jordan Kyrou Is Slipping on the Depth Chart
Coming into his second full season, Jimmy Snuggerud has already eclipsed Kyrou on the depth chart. Add 2025 first-round pick Justin Carbonneau to the mix, along with the traffic jam in the middle-six; Kyrou is expendable from the team’s perspective.
Last year, the Blues reportedly came close to trading Kyrou to the Kraken ahead of the Draft for an unconfirmed package that included the Kraken’s 2025 first-round pick. They’ve been down this road before, and it seems likely that they will cross the finish line this offseason.
The only catch is Kyrou’s no-trade clause, which kicked in on July 1 last year as part of his deal that pays him over $8 million until 2031. No reports are suggesting the Blues have approached him to waive it yet, but finding a new destination that he is happy with seems likely.
Trade Attempt 2: Electric Boogaloo
Right beneath Kyrou at No. 8 is a player the Blues agreed to trade last year — Colton Parayko. The problem was that Parayko exercised his no-trade clause, keeping him in St. Louis, and defensive prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick in Buffalo.
While Parayko said no to Buffalo, it doesn’t sound like he’s insistent on staying in St. Louis. The report is that Parayko could be open to a trade, but he prefers to go West. Specifically, San Jose (who just acquired Michael Kesselring) and Anaheim need help on the right side of their blue line.
This is another situation where the Blues don’t need to move off of Parayko. He’s under contract at $6.5 million until 2030 and has returned to form after a few rough, injury-riddled seasons. The Blues clearly value Parayko, both the player and the person. However, if the price is right, like Buffalo’s offer, they are willing to make a move.
Additionally, there is no telling if the incomplete trade getting leaked out could affect Parayko’s feelings about staying. It can be hard to return to a place that tried to move you. Torey Krug remained in St. Louis after the near trade to Philadelphia before his likely career-ending injury came to light, but every situation is different. Parayko is the longest-tenured athlete in the city and played a crucial role in the team’s only Stanley Cup. Whether there is an offer or not, it’s his call if he wants to stay.
Taking Advantage of a Weak Goalie Market
At the No. 12 spot sits goaltender Jordan Binnington, who is entering the final year of his six-year contract paying $6 million. Simply put, last year was a disaster for Binnington — he had a -22.4 GSAx and lost the starting job to Joel Hofer.
If that were the end of the story, there wouldn’t be much of a market. However, Binnington is an extremely unique goalie.
He still has flashes of his 2019 form, particularly when the lights are at their brightest. He stole the Four Nations tournament for Canada in 2025, and then put up solid numbers at the 2026 Winter Olympics en route to a silver medal.
The Blues aren’t going to get the type of package for Binnington that they could for Kyrou, but there will be a market there. Goalies are always a hot commodity, and nobody available has reached the heights that Binnington has. The Blues’ backup goalie situation will be questionable, but that shouldn’t deter them from making a move at the right price.
Name Him Captain or Send him Packin’?
Dropping down to No. 22 is where Robert Thomas comes into play. Arguably, no player in the league had as much noise around him at this past trade deadline as Thomas, with teams like Buffalo and Utah particularly looking to make something happen. Talks with the Mammoth reportedly fell through when they refused to include both Caleb Desnoyers and Tij Iginla in the deal.
Reports have surfaced that Armstrong’s price for Thomas was the equivalent of four top-15 picks. Other fanbases have criticized how high this price is, but there are some things to consider.
The first part is that the Blues have leverage over other teams in this instance. Thomas, like Kyrou, is under contract until 2031, so the Blues are not being forced into a decision they might not want to make. This would change if Thomas, who has a no-trade clause, requested to be moved, but that hasn’t happened.
Secondly, nobody values Thomas more than the Blues organization does. This is a player they see as their franchise face for years to come, who they will likely name the team’s Captain should he remain a Blue.
Lastly, Thomas was on the short list of best players in the NHL after the deadline. In the 20 games following the trade deadline, Thomas scored at a 49-goal, 110-point pace with Dylan Holloway and Snuggerud on his wings. If four top-15 picks were the price before this run, the price only went up.
This saga has likely reached its end, with sources confirming that the Blues will not move Thomas this offseason. He will be the Blues’ Captain and first-line center.
This Offseason Is Pivotal for St. Louis Blues
It can’t be understated how crucial this offseason is for the St. Louis Blues. With a new GM coming in, all bets are off on how things progress. The Central is strong and will only get stronger as Utah appears destined to take another step.
The Blues need to pick a direction — is this a rebuild, or was the end-of-season surge legitimate?
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