The St. Louis Blues are stuck in a bit of a tough spot. They’re seven points out of a playoff spot at this point. While anything can happen, the chances that the Blues could rally to make a strong postseason push are getting dimmer.
That said, the Blues aren’t really desperate to make the postseason. As insider Marco D’Amico pointed out in a January 18 piece, the Blues have undertaken an under-the-radar retool. Said retool has been ongoing for about the last three seasons.
The comment stems from a nameless Western Conference source, who told D’Amico about how the Blues are looking to get younger in hopes of remaining competitive for the long term.
The source stated:
“If you look at their decisions over the last few seasons, they haven’t really bought or sold major pieces, and they’re likely to miss the playoffs for a third time in the last four years. They want to get younger. (Brayden) Schenn and (Justin) Faulk are likely going to go, which means it’ll take a few years to get to the point of being able to compete again in the West.”
Rumors surrounding Faulk and Schenn are nothing new. They have been in the media for quite some time now. However, things could take an interesting turn if trade efforts pivot towards other pieces like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas.
As D’Amico noted, Thomas is not untouchable. He could go, for the right price. Per D’Amico’s source, the Blues are willing to let Thomas go for a package similar to the one the Vancouver Canucks got for Quinn Hughes.
Yikes!
That’s a substantial haul that few teams could put together. The prevailing thought is that for such an offer, the Blues would be willing to move Thomas regardless of how their season is going. The caveat, as the source indicated, is that a Thomas trade would most likely happen in the offseason.
What could Blues get for Thomas?
So, let’s assume for a second that a team is willing to pay a similar price for Thomas as the Wild paid for Hughes.
The Wild gave up four pieces for Hughes. The pieces were their top-line center, a top defensive prospect, a mid-tier forward prospect, and a first-round pick.
That’s what the Blues could be looking to get for Thomas. The Blues will likely want a center under 25 with top-six potential to replace Thomas. A defensive prospect could be a good idea, potentially taking over for older guys like Colton Parayko and Faulk. Perhaps a goalie could be in the mix, as well, especially if the Blues move on from Jordan Binnington at some point.
Then again, the Blues may be willing to take a combination of draft picks in lieu of prospects. That situation, however, would work if the Blues felt those picks could translate into other trades down the line.
It’s tough to envisage such a deal happening this season. But talks could pick up at some point in the offseason, potentially as the 2026 NHL Draft gets closer.