The St. Louis Blues are all over social media, as the Trade Deadline is fastly approaching. Friday at 3 PM EST will come sooner than you think.
All eyes are on Robert Thomas, and the inevitability that he will be moved. There are a ton of possible suitors, with Buffalo being the frontrunner, at least, until this morning when talks reached a sudden halt.
But, with how many eyes are on No. 18, there should not be a foregone conclusion that he will be the only player moved. Rumors and some reports have Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, Jordan Binnington, and Pius Suter potentially on the move. The emphasis there is on Binnington, as he stands the best chance of being moved by the Deadline.
One more note on Faulk is that Buffalo is also in on him as well. We could see one of three situations, in which either both Thomas and Faulk go to Buffalo together in a single, high-return deal. Or, Thomas goes, and Faulk is not traded there. Or, this halt stays full-stop, and nothing is done between the two sides.
A new era is ahead of the Blues
The Blues are going to look very different for their game on Friday night, when they face off against the San Jose Sharks after the trade frenzy comes to a close. General Manager Doug Armstrong has some high prices for his most prized possessions, but he would not still be dangling them if he was not seriously considering moving them.
This franchise is going to head into its next era this week, closing the door on a failed run stemming from the 2019 Stanley Cup victory. After so many seasons of roller coaster hockey, it is time to knock it all down and start again, younger and quicker. The game of hockey is evolving, and players like Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer are coming into the NHL and making an immediate impact. It is time for the Blues to catch up with the times and grab their next franchise centerpiece.