Who Are The St. Louis Blues Really Looking to Trade?
Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period joined SiriusXM NHL Network Radio with Steve Kouleas and Dennis Bernstein and was asked about the St. Louis Blues and who GM Doug Armstrong could move this season.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Steve Kouleas: “Doug Armstrong, I’m sure you heard him say or read the quote, no untouchables. End of quote on the roster. I don’t know if that’s true with Robert Thomas, per se, but it’s been a season from Hades for the St. Louis Blues, among other teams. Where do they go from here? Where does Doug go from here?”
Dave Pagnotta: Yeah, I mean, no untouchables in a sense that if you make me an offer I can’t refuse, then I guess, fine, I’m going to have to part with this guy. But the preference is to keep his young pieces intact, to keep a player like Robert Thomas in the fold, and to try to insulate this roster in a similar mindset to what Vancouver and Jim Rutherford had been suggesting and alluding to getting young NHL caliber, or NHL ready, or cusp of talent.
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So you’re looking at early 20s. And one of the things Doug Armstrong also indicated was that we can move some pieces and get first-round picks back, and first-round picks are going to be the later part of the first round. That’s not our primary objective. Fair, but can you package those pieces? Can you collect all of those, package them up, and then go out and get some of the other additional assets that you’re looking for? That’s certainly a possibility too. So I think he’s keeping his options open.
He’s one of the guys who, in November, basically said, I’m open for business. It didn’t mean necessarily wanting to start making moves then, but at least get ahead of the eight ball so you have an understanding as to who your players are, in terms of trading partners, what potential assets could be available. And then when those discussions happen, it speeds up that process a tiny bit.
The usual suspects, Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk, two guys with one year left on each of their contracts. They each have a 15-team no-trade. They continue to generate interest. And they would be guys that would generate a first-round pick, another asset, at least, anywhere from one to three pieces coming back in a return. So you’re looking at those guys.
He acknowledged Jordan Binnington as a possibility, too, although kind of hinted that it would have to take something pretty significant for them to part with them. And really, guys, the goalie market in this season isn’t that robust. So I think they’re keeping it open.
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I’m curious about Jordan Kyrou‘s future. That they haven’t been afraid to listen on him for the last year, and they’re going to be creative, or tried to be, especially with some guys that have no trade clauses, like a Kyrou, like a (Pavel) Buchnevich.
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