1 player Blues must trade before 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Blues are in the middle of a disappointing season and the chances of head coach Jim Montgomery turning the team in the right direction like he did last year seems all but impossible. The Blues have a 20-28-9 record and their 49 points ranks 31st out of 32 teams in the NHL.

When the Olympics comes to an end, NHL teams will get back to the business of completing their 82-game schedule and preparing for the playoffs or the future. It seems clear the Blues are one of the teams that will be preparing for the future because it would take a near-miracle to become a playoff team at this point. General manager Doug Armstrong is likely to be a very busy man because the Blues have a number of players that other teams will consider desirable and could help their chances to have an impact down the stretch and into the postseason.

Names like Jordan Kyrou, Justin Faulk, Oskar Sundqvist, Jordan Binnington and Brayden Schenn are all on the list of players desired by contending teams. Armstrong and the Blues are not going to trade all of them, but the Blues could end up moving two or three players.

It seems almost certain that the 34-year-old Schenn will be one of them. At this stage in his career, he is a player who can contribute in the short-term and has some value for teams that are going to play postseason hockey. However, if the Blues are going to rebuild over the next couple of seasons, he is unlikely to be one of the players that keys their turnaround.

Blues tough trade stance likely to loosen up as Trade Deadline approaches

Armstrong has to be willing to deal. At this stage, with the NHL Trade Deadline dead ahead — March 6 is the day in question — the Blues general manager is reportedly playing things in a very challenging way for other general managers to complete a deal.

Armstrong wants things done on his terms, and he is acting like he holds the most valuable cards in any potential deal. However, as the trade deadline gets closer, he is likely to become more willing to make a deal.

Schenn has value to contending teams because he has played in 82 postseason games during his 17-year career. He was a part of the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup championship team. Schenn has scored 13 goals and 30 assists during his playoff career. He scored 5 goals and 7 assists during the Blues’ title run. He also had 8 assists during the 2022 postseason.

The team that is most likely to come up with the best offer for Schenn is the Vegas Golden Knights. Head coach Bruce Cassidy knows he has star power on his team with Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Mitch Marner, but the VGK needs quality depth.

That’s what Schenn can provide at this point in his career. He is not a star forward, but he can play on the 3rd or 4th line for the Golden Knights and make them a team that has a chance to win in the postseason. The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup each of the past two seasons because they had quality performers on their 3rd and 4th lines. That is not lost on Cassidy or the coach of any team that wants to make a long postseason run.

The Golden Knights have shown a willingness to make the late-season deals that can turn good teams into great ones. Making a deal for Schenn is not likely to break the bank. A second-round draft choice and a prospect may well get the job done. That would make Armstrong and Montgomery feel good about any potential deal.

Kyrou is also a potential huge acquisition

Kyrou is a star who has scored 31 goals or more in each of the last 3 seasons. He is not on that pace this year as Kyrou has scored 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 51 games, but he is a 27-year-old player who is in the prime of his career with several more good years to follow.

Kyrou is the kind of player who can fetch a first-round draft pick and a young player who has already started to make a contribution at the NHL level.

A team that is looking at a potential championship run should look very highly at Kyrou. He has played in 28 postseason games in his 4 playoff appearances with the Blues. He has scored 9 goals and 2 assists. While the playmaking has not been overwhelming, he has shown he can score key goals in the postseason.

Armstrong looks like he could be difficult when it comes to compromising and making a deal. However, with a player like Kyrou, the Blues trading partner will almost certainly be willing to pay extra to make a deal for a star player who could make the difference between Stanley Cup contender and Stanley Cup winner.

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