The St. Louis Blues’ season is over. Sure, they’ve still got 25 games left to play but, unless they go undefeated, they’re going to miss the playoffs–and if the current standings hold, it won’t even be a near miss.
The Blues are 20-28-9 through 57 games and have 49 standings points, which is the second worst mark in the league, ahead of the Vancouver Canucks who have 42. The Blues are last in a top-heavy Central Division, second to last in the Western Conference, and on a collision course with a top draft pick this summer. What’s left to play for at this point?
The trade deadline–the real one
Well, for starters, there’s the March trade deadline. GM Doug Armstrong got the ball rolling before the roster freeze for the Olympic break went into effect, trading Nick Bjugstad to the New Jersey Devils. Signed just last summer and with one year remaining on his contract, moving Bjugstad this quickly was a little puzzling, but it also signals how serious Armstrong is about a sell off: nobody’s off the table, and several Blues are atop the major trade boards.
This will be Armstrong’s last trade deadline, as he’s named Alex Steen his successor as general manager, and it may be his most important. Armstrong has to set Steen up for success if this rebuild (retool?) is going to have any chance at gaining traction–he can’t make trades as a lame duck, knowing he won’t be around to deal with the consequences of the transactions. That means that, if Robert Thomas or Jordan Kyrou–two players in their primes and young enough to be here when the team could turn the corner–are dealt, Armstrong has to nail the returns.
There are other players that could be traded, including Olympian Jordan Binnington, Justin Faulk, and captain Brayden Schenn. None are likely to bring back truly premium assets (think high draft picks or blue chip prospects), but they can’t be sold off for spare change, either. Getting solid value will be crucial for the next era of the Blues.
Let the kids run
After the deadline, rookies Dalibor Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud should be getting minutes piled onto their plates. Recall Otto Stenberg. If Dylan Holloway’s healthy, give him ample opportunity to earn his next contract; Philip Broberg’s already signed his extension and is representing Sweden at the Olympics.
As veterans are traded and the roster turns over, it’s an opportunity for young players to step up and play in high-pressure situations–for the kids to work out their kinks in real time against the best players in the world. If the Blues want to turn things around quickly, they’ll need the kids to up their game sooner rather than later.
The summer and beyond
If the standings don’t change dramatically, the Blues are likely to have a high draft pick–perhaps even first overall for the second time in franchise history. Regardless, selecting in the top five of a draft is the best way to find game-changing, franchise-altering talent. The Blues absolutely have to nail that pick, and there are a few prospects with the potential to change the organization’s outlook in the short and long term. It would be especially fun if the Blues were able to draft Otto Stenberg’s brother, Ivar; who doesn’t love having brothers in the same organization?
Beyond the draft, many of the Blues’ players being floated as trade targets at the deadline could also be moved in the summer, as they all have some number of years remaining on their contracts and would still be tradeable then. Whoever the Blues haven’t moved at the deadline should be on the table throughout the offseason. Most importantly, it would give Alex Steen an opportunity to cut his teeth in trade negotiations as he officially becomes the general manager of the Blues and Armstrong moves upstairs.
There’s no denying things are bleak right now and that, in the short term, they’re not going to markedly improve. There is still hope, though: in the prospects in the system, those that are yet to be drafted, the rookies who are already here, and the players the Blues could acquire as they move on from beloved veterans. It may be over for now, but it’s not over forever.