The salary cap has been on the rise the last couple seasons, and it's only going to continue ballooning. As a result, teams are throwing big contracts at players already in their organization--meaning very few impact players reach free agency, and the ones that do make it to July 1 are likely to be wildly overpaid.
So, how are teams going to have to improve this summer? Through trades--and we've got our first trade board of the season, courtesy of The Athletic. The St. Louis Blues have a whopping four players listed, though things have changed quite a bit since the trade deadline.
At number three on the list is the oft-maligned Jordan Kyrou, who's signed to an $8.125-million AAV contract through the end of the 2031 season. The Blues would be selling low on Kyrou, and would likely be considered the losers in any sort of trade, but there's been smoke around Kyrou for nearly two years now.
Next up for the Blues, at number eight, is goaltender Jordan Binnington, who's got one year remaining on his $6-million AAV contract. It's clear that Joel Hofer is the Blues' goaltender of the future, and management will have a difficult decision to make regarding Binnington. If Binnington's happy in a secondary role, then there's no reason to trade him--but there are some contending teams who's probably pay through the nose for a goalie with his pedigree.
All the way down at 15 and 16 are Robert Thomas and Colton Paryako, respectively. Thomas was nearly moved at the trade deadline and, after his blistering play down the stretch, the Blues' front office has no reason to augment the steep asking price. A Thomas trade would be franchise altering, and they'll need to be clear on the team's direction if they undertake such a monumental transaction.
Parayko, meanwhile, is a respected veteran leader, and was also nearly traded at the deadline, though he invoked his trade protection to block a move. He could still have a role to play on the Blues, but it'll largely depend on what direction the team's headed under incoming general manager Alex Steen.
We're less than a month out from the draft, and there's still a Stanley Cup Final to play, but it feels like we'll start seeing some action across the NHL. Hopefully, the Blues come out on the positive side of any deals they make.
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