The NHL Trade Deadline is on March 6, but teams will likely be getting a jump on that this season. As front offices decide if they will be buying or selling at the deadline, one team seems to have already made that decision. Trade speculation around members of the St. Louis Blues, such as Justin Faulk and Robert Thomas, has grown, and now there is some backing up of the rumors.
The Blues are rumored to be sellers this season, and are “willing to listen on almost all of their players,” according to a report from The Fourth Period.
The Blues have already made two small trades this season. The first was in November when they shipped off Corey Schuenemen to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Calle Rosen. In December, the team moved Nikita Alexandrov to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Akil Thomas.
General manager Doug Armstrong has already been active in trade talks with multiple teams, as he works to reshape the roster and build a stronger unit going forward. The GM joined the Blues organization as the director of player personnel in 2008 and would take over as the GM two years later. He will be handing the reins over to Alexander Steen at the end of the season and will remain with the club as the President of Hockey Operations.
As Armstrong shops players such as Faulk, Thomas, Colton Parayko, Brayden Schenn, and Jordan Kyrou, multiple contending teams will be interested in their services. Armstrong is likely looking for younger pieces and draft capital to help prepare his successor for a positive future.
There is also some added pressure this year to get deals done early. While the trade deadline is on March 6, there is an Olympic break trade freeze. That runs from 3 PM ET on February 4 through 11:59 PM ET on February 22. This trade freeze could lead to some early moves. While some contenders could sit back and wait, making sure none of their current players or a player they are targeting is hurt in the Olympics, some fringe playoff teams who will be buying could be more aggressive.
Regardless, if the Blues decide to sell, the market should be ripe. Currently, every team in the Eastern Conference is within seven points of a playoff spot, meaning a solid run of games could take a team from the bottom to the playoffs quickly, as the Buffalo Sabres just proved.
Meanwhile, the Blues are 17-21-8 this year, placing them seventh in the Central Division, nine points out of the last wild card spot, and in a position to waive the white flag on the season. They take to the ice again on Tuesday night at home against the Carolina Hurricanes, putting their talent on display for rival teams to come and make offers.
