St. Louis Blues Trade Possibility: Tyler Johnson

The St. Louis Blues have told us that they are going to pursue any avenue available to make their team better for 2018-19. They may want to look south for an addition.

The St. Louis Blues are heavily involved in trade talks, or at least the rumors going around, right now. There are several names making their way across the web, but some are more interesting than others.

Of course, leaving free agency to the side, Ryan O’Reilly would be the biggest name to acquire, in terms of players that are actually rumored to be available. That is definitely a sweepstakes the Blues have to be involved in.

However, the price always dictates whether a trade should be followed through on or not. According to the predictions made by The Score, the price for O’Reilly could be very high.

They predict the Blues will acquire the Buffalo center. However, they also predict the Blues give up a pick, Robert Thomas and Vince Dunn.

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Either of those two players might be too much to ask for, but both and a draft pick seems unreasonably steep, even for someone of O’Reilly’s talents. This might be the price of business, but it does not mean the Blues could not pursue other options as well.

Further down, in the same article, they predict Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson getting dealt to the Arizona Coyotes. Johnson is not on the O’Reilly level, but for what they might give up, the Blues might need to butt into those proceedings.

In that article, which like our articles is mainly an opinion piece, they have the Coyotes only sacrificing a pick and Pierre-Oliver Joseph. Don’t worry if you have not heard of him, because he was playing Canadian junior hockey with the Charlottetown Islanders last season.

The 2018 NHL draft is appearing top-heavy and weak through the rest of it, so dealing away a pick in any trade should not be seen as a sacrifice. If defense is what the Lightning would want, the Blues could give up Tommy Vannelli, David Noel or even Jake Walman.

It seems early to give up on Walman, but we don’t know what he’ll turn into. Johnson could be a good haul and he seems surplus to Tampa’s needs at this moment.

Johnson was seen as a solid, second-line center. The emergence of Brayden Point has thrown Johnson’s roster spot into flux, plus Point is on an entry-level deal.

As The Score pointed out, Johnson’s no movement clause is about to kick in on July 1. So, trading him at the draft would make the most sense, since he would not have to approve it.

A second line spot would fit for Johnson, should he come to the Blues. Many fans are hoping to have Brayden Schenn take up the second line, but you make the smart move if it saves you money/assets to spend elsewhere.

Johnson has had 45-50 points in each of the last two seasons. He also has a 70-plus point season under his belt. A disappointing 2015-16 with 38 points cannot be completely overlooked, though.

Johnson is not a pure goal scorer, but he can net you somewhere in the 20’s for goals. Regardless, 50 points would have put him in the top five for Blues scorers. 20 goals would have seen him fourth in that category.

Johnson, in and of himself, would be a good addition. Beyond his talents, we simply have to ask ourselves how much is too much.

If the price for O’Reilly really would be Thomas, is that too much? Will Thomas really be worth keeping instead of picking up a proven NHL talent? Would the Blues be kicking themselves for letting him go, years down the road?

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It’s too hard to tell. I find myself asking if Thomas really is that good or we, as Blues fans, have become too obsessed with him. Without a firm answer, many of us tend to lean toward not wanting to trade Thomas if possible.

So, until we can learn to let go if needed, Johnson would be a solid plan b (or plan C if you think John Tavares is the main option). Either way, the Blues would be getting a good player.

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