The St. Louis Blues will have numerous roster decisions to make before the 2026-27 regular season officially begins.
And those decisions could lead to some players being moved out in the coming days or weeks.
According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the Blues have made it known around the league that NHL-caliber players that won’t be making their full-time roster could be available for trade.
In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman pointed specifically to the Blues’ bottom six as the spot where the next batch of trades could be coming.
“One thing I kind of heard is that in St. Louis, for example, they have a bunch of NHL guys who are kind of in the bottom six, and not all of them are going to make their team. And I think the Blues have let it be known that if you want some NHL depth, deeper in your roster, guys who’ve played, we have extras.”
While the notable insider did not name names, there is some idea as to who these guys on the bubble could be.
In particular, Friedman made the following reference to the types of players who could become available.
“And so, I think, for example, that’s already a team that’s kind of looking and saying, these guys who are either one-ways or high two-ways, ‘we’re not going to have room for all of them. So, who’s interested?’”
As such, the question is: Who could these players be?
Blues have several names that might be of interest around the league
Friedman's description is about as clear as it gets without actually naming players directly.
One of the first names that comes to mind is Oskar Sundqvist. He’s on a two-way deal and could be an interesting option for a team looking to get a versatile fourth-liner.
Another guy in a similar vein who comes to mind is Jack Finley. The 6’6”, 227-pound forward could be an interesting option for a team looking to add size and looking for one of those relatively skilled grinders.
Other guys to keep an eye on will be Jonatan Berggren, Nathan Walker, Dillon Dube, Alexei Toropchenko, but perhaps the most notable name would be Pius Suter.
Suter is entering the final year of his two-year deal this season. He has a $4.125 million cap hit, which is high for a bottom-six grinder. But he could play higher up in the lineup if need be. Now, it’s not that the Blues would necessarily want to trade Suter. But if a good offer came along, the Blues could be enticed to part ways with the Swiss forward.
Ultimately, depending on who could be on the move, the focus will shift to the potential return the Blues could get for these players.
Let’s be realistic. The Blues won’t be getting more than draft picks for these guys, or potentially prospects.
And that’s fine. It’s worth keeping in mind that the Blues will be looking to stock up on ammo, especially for next year’s trade deadline. Having extra, say, third- and fourth-round picks could come in handy when looking to round out the roster.
So, let’s see what Alex Steen can drum up, especially if teams are looking to offset potential injuries before the start of the season.
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