The St. Louis Blues will need to look outside of their own franchise to improve their chances of returning to the top of the mountain in 2021-22. While they have some decent prospects, we are starting to figure out that the currently constructed team is not up to snuff with some of their rivals.
Whether it’s teams that will be in the Central Division next season, or simply in the Western Conference, the Blues have to figure out a way to keep pace. That does not automatically mean they need to up their pace, as so many will suggest. It does mean they need to make moves that improve this team in the near and mid-term.
Due to the Blues proximity to the salary cap ceiling, trades might be more likely to alter the upcoming roster. That does not mean you do not look at the free agent market at all.
In fact, looking at teams that crashed and burned out of the playoffs might be the perfect spot to see who might be available. Toronto is a great opportunity to look at just that.
The Toronto Maple Leafs go into every season hoping this will be the year they end their over-50-year Stanley Cup draught. 2021 was high on that list due to the mixture of top-end talent and veteran presence.
After a heart-breaking first round exit at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto might be looking to make serious changes. If they do, some talented players could be available.
With that in mind, here are the three pending free agents from Toronto that the Blues should investigate more.