Although the St. Louis Blues continue to fight for a playoff berth in the Western Conference, the odds are stacked against them with 23 games left in the regular-season. Jim Montgomery’s club is currently 27-26-6 and four points out of the final wildcard slot.
Because of that, general manager Doug Armstrong is listening to offers on various roster players — but he’s not planning any kind of fire sale, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported on Wednesday.
Kypreos included five Blues on his latest NHL trade board: Jordan Binnington, Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn and Colton Parayko.
“And they will be listening on even more as GM Doug Armstrong considers how to take a new approach with this team before handing over the reins to Alexander Steen in 2026,” the hockey insider wrote. “We should be clear about something, however: this isn’t a fire sale for the Blues. They will look to move one or two of the big pieces they are listening to offers on in an effort to change the look and feel of the roster for next season. The only untouchable player is believed to be Robert Thomas.”
All of the aforementioned players would likely be attractive to contenders, especially Binnington after his heroic performance for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The 2019 Stanley Cup champion was masterful in the championship game against the United States, making a few key saves in both regulation and overtime before Connor McDavid scored the winning goal halfway through the extra frame.
“If you make the right decisions, you can quickly turn around your fortunes,” Kypreos continued. “So the Blues are one of the most interesting teams to watch as we approach the trade deadline, but are far from the only organization with tough decisions to make.”
Binnington has already been linked to the Edmonton Oilers, and he seems the most likely player to be dealt if Armstrong decides to make a big splash between now and the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.
But the Blues have won three of their last four games, and if they can string together a couple more victories over the next nine days, it might give the front office pause before parting with a key piece of the roster.
Blues aren’t out of the playoff race just yet
Often considered an afterthought in the race in 2024-25, St. Louis has played some inspired hockey since the 4 Nations break. With a confident Binnington between the pipes, the Blues have closed the gap in the Western Conference.
Before the trade deadline, the Blues have four games on the schedule — three on the road. The first is a tough matchup against the Eastern Conference’s best team in the Washington Capitals. Afterwards, they’ll play the Los Angeles Kings twice and Dallas Stars once, before taking on the Anaheim Ducks on deadline day.
Although the most likely route is the Blues missing the postseason for a third consecutive time, they are certainly not out of the running.
It’ll be interesting to see if the team can string a couple more wins together between now and March 7, and whether that will convince the front office to leave the roster intact, at least until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
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