The St. Louis Blues let it be known early on this season that they plan on retooling the roster. They were set to be one of the biggest sellers at the trade deadline. Even though a Colton Parayko deal with the Buffalo Sabres deal fell through, they did make some trades, and they were huge ones. Captain Brayden Schenn was traded to the New York Islanders in a blockbuster deal. But at the buzzer, the Blues traded defenseman Justin Faulk to the Detroit Red Wings.
As part of the Faulk trade, they get back defenseman Justin Holl, forward Dmitri Buchelnikov, a 2026 third-round pick from the San Jose Sharks, and a 2026 first-round pick from the Red Wings. The latter part of the trade package will be the most valuable for the Blues, as it gave them an extra pick in the first round.
Luckily for the Blues, they are seeing the value of that pick increasing by the day. That's because the Red Wings, who were in a playoff spot for the majority of the season, are now on the outside looking in.
Red Wings' late season collapse will benefit Blues newly acquired first-round pick
The Red Wings haven't had the best of luck since returning from the Olympic break. Their odds of winning games took a hit when team captain Dylan Larkin suffered a leg injury during the team's March 6 game against the Florida Panthers, and he hasn't played a game since. Since returning from the Olympic break, the Red Wings lost 7-of-12 games.
As a result of this bad stretch, the Red Wings are just one point back of a Wild Card spot, with 84 points through 70 games. The New York Islanders are in the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 85 points through 71 games.
In terms of the Atlantic Division, they are two points back of the Montreal Canadiens (86 points in 69 games) for third place. There is still plenty of room for the Red Wings to gain ground. But they are no longer a sure thing to make it into the Stanley Cup playoffs and end their nine season postseason drought. That would work in the favor of the Blues.
If the Red Wings were to miss out on the playoffs by the end of the regular season, that first-round pick would be locked into the Top 16. That would be a tremendous benefit for the Blues, as they look to reset their roster.
While the Blues didn't trade Parayko, center Robert Thomas, and goalie Jordan Binnington at the March 6 deadline, that doesn't mean they won't be moved in the offseason. Thomas was arguably the most talented player on the trade block, and the Blues had a high asking price for him. Given how weak the free agency class is, it's hard to envision teams exploring or circling back to Thomas in the offseason. If the Blues are to have two first-round picks in the Top 16, it could help with their retool if they were to move on from more of their big names.
There is less than a month left in the season, and for Blues fans, they have a bit more cheering incentive. To get another top first-round pick, they need the Red Wings to miss out on the playoffs.