St. Louis Blues: What The Blues Can Realistically Offer In A Trade

The St. Louis Blues are linked to several high-profile trade rumors. However, they might actually be limited in what they can acquire based on what they can offer.

The St. Louis Blues, like 90% of the teams in the NHL this time of year, are looking to improve themselves. Whether that means adding a big piece for right now or a smaller piece that might help further in the future is up to the team.

Clearly, the majority of Blues fans would like the team to add a relatively big piece. We’ve heard a litany of names. They range from Rick Nash or Mike Hoffman to Pat Maroon or Derick Brassard. There are a few other names sprinkled in here or there, with various degrees of actual possibility. The silliest would be Carey Price, mainly since it comes from those that think goalies are the root of and solution to all problems.

The problem is that the Blues actually do not have a ton to offer right now. Most of the rumor reports list guys like Nash or Evander Kane going for an asking rate of a player, a first round draft pick and a highly touted prospect.

The biggest issue the Blues have there is they do not have a first round pick in the upcoming 2018 NHL Draft. They sent that to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of the Brayden Schenn deal.

Clearly that is working out superbly since Schenn leads the team in goals and points. However, it hamstrings the team in what they can offer in the trade market compared to other teams.

There is a very slim chance the Blues will have that first round pick if they fall out of the playoffs and earn a top 10 draft slot. However, you’re not going to know that until well after the trade deadline and that would require quite a freefall from their current position.

The bottom line is that unless teams are willing to take first rounders from upcoming seasons, the Blues are out of luck in that department. That means you’re going to have to offer more current players or prospects.

Fans love the idea of unloading several current players. Regardless of what you think of any one guy, does it truly make sense to deal two or three current roster players for one?

In terms of prospects, the Blues are pretty deep. Again, are you willing to trade this team’s future for a present that does not look that bright?

If we single out names, the ones that seem likely to go, you’d probably say Alexander Steen, Patrik Berglund or Vladimir Sobotka are the likeliest to go from the roster. They would bring the biggest amount of fresh air with a departure and have enough value to be seen as a positive for another team.

Don’t get me wrong, I like these guys as individuals. They’ve put in a lot of tears and sweat for this franchise. However, they have not helped it get over the hump and there is a lingering feeling that the first two names could potentially be part of the problem.