There's no question that the Blues have a long list of moves they need to make, but what often isn't taken into account is that Blues GM Alex Steen may be forced to move not just his players, but some of his former teammates as well.
Although we saw Steen move his former teammate Jordan Kyrou on Tuesday, the two overlapped for only about a season and a half. His connection to Kyrou can't really be compared to the impact that star defenseman Colton Parayko and Vezina-caliber goaltender Jordan Binnington had during the years they shared with Steen.
The problem
The problem this creates is pretty clear. If the Blues feel they're ready to move on from Parayko and Binnington, Steen may be influenced by his firsthand experience with the magic of the 2019 Stanley Cup run. On top of that, even if Steen wants to move one or both players, it's important to remember that Parayko has a full no-trade clause and Binnington still has a partial no-trade clause.
That puts Steen in an awkward position if he's trying to convince his former teammates to waive their protection. You'd have to imagine he'd want to avoid any risk of upsetting players who mean so much to him and the organization.
We saw firsthand at the trade deadline how much value Colton Parayko still has, based on Buffalo's reported offer. Additionally, with Binnington entering the final season of his contract, if the team no longer sees him as its goalie of the future, you'd have to think they'd want to get something for him rather than risk losing him for nothing.
Parayko is no longer the 30-plus-point defenseman playing top-pairing minutes that he once was, and Binnington is coming off the first season of his career in which he started fewer games than another Blues goaltender. The writing seems to be on the wall that the team should consider parting with both players in the near future. That raises the question of whether Steen will be willing to have those difficult conversations with two of his close friends.
The final piece to consider is whether Steen will be willing to move on from his former teammate and fellow Swede, Oskar Sundqvist. Jim Montgomery seemingly phased Sundqvist out in favor of Jack Finley late in the season, and although Sundqvist has never been a major minutes eater, you have to wonder whether keeping him in the lineup could hinder the development of younger players like Finley.
The solution
The solution for the Blues is simple. Steen has as much respect as anyone for everything Binnington and Parayko have done for this franchise, but he needs to do his due diligence and listen to offers.
If Parayko wants to stay put, then obviously there's nothing Steen can do. However, if a contender comes calling with an offer similar to or better than Buffalo's, Steen needs to pull the trigger if Parayko is willing to waive his no-trade clause.
When it comes to Jordan Binnington, he only has a 10-team no-trade list. Because of that, Steen can still listen to offers from most of the league, and he should do so regardless of whether Binnington wants to stay. If the Blues don't receive a worthwhile offer, I'd have no problem seeing Binnington return next season, as he'd help form one of the best goaltending tandems in the league alongside Joel Hofer.
However, if the Blues can acquire a first-round pick or a prospect of similar value, that's not the kind of return teams typically receive for a backup goaltender. The Blues would need to seriously consider taking advantage of that opportunity.
The Blues are at a point where change is necessary, and holding on to players solely because of the magic they helped create in 2019 is unrealistic and could ultimately hurt the future of the franchise. It's important that Steen recognizes this and doesn't shy away from potential moves simply to avoid upsetting franchise legends.
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