Earlier this week, we looked at whether the St. Louis Blues could address their most pressing needs in unrestricted free agency on July. It only stands to reason then that, today, we're going to see if they can solve their problems among the league's pending restricted free agents. That, of course, presents a much different hurdle than the mere dollars and cents against the cap that comes with UFAs; teams can't just sign an RFA on the first day of free agency.
Blues fans should know this song and dance well: last summer, St. Louis sent two offer sheets to players on the Edmonton Oilers, Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. They were able to do this because both were restricted free agents who had not yet signed a new contract with their current team. The Oilers had a week to match, failed to do so, and Broberg and Holloway joined the Blues.
It's difficult to imagine the Blues pulling off something quite as stunning this summer, as they have no 2nd-round picks through the summer of 2027. They do, however, have all of their 1st-round picks, which opens the door to offer sheets in the $4,680,077 - $7,020,113 AAV range, per PuckPedia. The compensation for an offer sheet in that range would be two draft picks, a 1st and a 3rd-rounder in 2026. Giving up an unprotected 1st-rounder is a risk, especially for a team in the Blues' position where they may only be viewed as a wildcard team; trading a future high pick (with lottery protection) for the same RFA may be a more prudent course of action.
The Blues have two major areas of need: another top-four defender (preferably a right shot), and a good second-line center. At the time of writing, there are numerous RFAs who could fortify the Blues' lineup. Earlier this week, Elliotte Friedman said that the New York Rangers are exploring the market for K'Andre Miller; he's a left-shot defenseman, but a player with upside as intriguing as his should absolutely be on the Blues' radar. Another lefty defenseman who is likely available is Bowen Byram, as the Sabres seek to shake up their core after another disappointing season. Byram brings draft pedigree (he was selected fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2019), youth, and serious offensive upside to a Blues defense corps that could use someone like that. There are fewer options available on the right side, as it's hard to imagine a world where Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson fail to re-sign with their respective teams.
Up the middle, Marco Rossi may be the highest ceiling RFA center available--and it's clear the Minnesota Wild have no interest in keeping him. He doesn't need to be a star in St. Louis (Robert Thomas is the high-end 1C the team needs), but he'd be a great second-line center as Brayden Schenn ages out and Dalibor Dvorsky grows into an NHL role. Beyond that, pickings are thin, as all signs currently point to Jack McBain, Mason McTavish, and Gabe Vilardi staying put.
If offer sheets are off the table, trades are always an option. The Blues have the 19th-overall pick and, while it's always useful to fortify the pipeline, they might be able to use that to trade for an player who can make an impact right now. As GM Doug Armstrong has shown in the past, just because a player is an RFA doesn't mean they're unavailable--where there's a will, there certainly is a way.