Five realistic trade targets for the 2025-26 St. Louis Blues

K'Andre Miller (NYR)

One of the biggest needs of the Blues this offseason is acquiring a young defenseman. Doug Armstrong emphasized the importance of getting someone in the new age bracket around Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, who both just finished up their age-23 seasons. A young defenseman with a good track record who could be on the table is K'Andre Miller.

Miller just finished up his age-25 season and is due for a new contract with the Rangers. He played through his entry-level deal and is now entering the arbitration period, meaning his signing rights are on the table.

The fact that the Rangers haven't signed their second-pair defenseman to a multi-year deal yet is odd, meaning they are probably looking ahead to Artemi Panarin's impending free agency and trying to save what money they can.

This leaves Miller, who has been a very solid defenseman with three years of experience, open for acquisition via trade or via offer sheet. Given what happened last summer, however, I don't think another team would be very willing to let Doug Armstrong pull off another offer sheet move.

K'Andre Miller is a very solid defensive defenseman who provides enough offense to register some decent point totals. As a 25-year-old, he falls right into that age bracket of this new Blues core. Acquiring Miller would probably take a mid-size trade of a couple of prospects and a pick in the back half of the draft.

Trevor Zegras

Trevor Zegras burst onto the scene in 2022 as an exceptionally skilled young forward who can make highlight reel plays on any given night. His signature became a hockey move so flashy but risky that the NHL almost forgot about it, the Michigan.

Zegras has since struggled in the toil of Anaheim as the Ducks have failed to rebuild into a competitive roster yet. His point totals in his first full seasons sit at an impressive 61 and 65 in close to a full season's worth of games, but in the two years since, these have dropped to much more pedestrian levels.

Zegras, clearly, has more than enough skill for the NHL, but a perceived lack of toughness has held him back from blossoming into a true everyday star. This lack of toughness could very well be the result of his environment, as Zegras is often seen visibly disappointed with the team on the ice.

Zegras might be the riskiest target on this list, but his value is at its lowest now, making him a great buy-low candidate. Zegras currently has one more year on his current contract at a very manageable $5.75 million, and then he is still arbitration eligible after his current contract is up, meaning he could be around with the team for years after this coming season.

This makes him a more enticing target as a young, controllable forward who could accelerate the timetable of this team if he can return to form as an incredibly skilled middle-six winger.

Simon Nemec

New Jersey has a bit of a logjam at defensemen, especially on the left pair. Simon Nemec seems like the most likely candidate to be dealt from this position, given that the other three starters are established and productive left defensemen.

Nemec has the upside of a good two-way defenseman, but has yet to put together a consistent season of offensive production. He has shown flashes of solid offensive upside but hasn't found a consistent run of success in his two seasons with the Devils so far.

As a 21-year-old, Nemec fits right into the need of finding a young defenseman to man the blue line for many seasons to come. And given his profile and experience, Nemec has a very similar timeline to another player the Blues brought in before he put together a consistent run of success, Philip Broberg.

There is still a lot of promise with the young skater, given that his development is not yet complete, and if New Jersey is looking to sell, Doug Armstrong and the Blues should be looking to buy. Acquiring Nemec could take an NHL-level contributor or another mid-size package of picks and prospects.

Brandt Clarke

Similar to Nemec, another team looking to clear cap space to make an all-in move this offseason, with a bit of a logjam of LD could be the LA Kings. The player the Blues should be most interested in acquiring is Brandt Clarke.

Clarke is a great defender. Los Angeles has been one of the league's best defensive teams for several years now, so it is difficult to say with certainty whether this is entirely Clarke's skill or a mixture of team and player, but watching the tape reveals that he is certainly a great defensive defenseman.

Brandt Clarke also notched 33 points in 78 games played this last season, a very respectable mark for a 22-year-old defenseman. It seems there could be some playmaking upside with Clarke, especially as he looks to be able to take on extended minutes of ice time.

Clarke checks all the boxes of a defenseman the Blues are looking to acquire. Young enough to transition with the new core of Broberg & Holloway's age? Check. Controllable for years beyond his current contract? He has one more year of his entry-level deal, so check check. A player who has shown flashes of greatness and an upside to become a plus NHL player? Check, check, check.

Given his very young age, it is possible that LA won't be so ready to part with Clarke's signing rights, so this could be the most expensive package on this list. I imagine an NHL-level talent or a high pick and/or prospect would get the deal done.

Ryan O'Reilly

I believe former Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly is the perfect missing piece for the 2025-26 St. Louis Blues.

O'Reilly is the only player on this list north of 25, but he still fills a very essential need for this team. He would slot in perfectly to that 2C role the Blues need to address this offseason, and he is still a very productive player despite his age.

In his age-34 season, he tallied 21 goals and 53 points in 79 games played. On top of this, he did so on a hapless Nashville Predators team, finishing with the third-most points in the most disappointing situation in the NHL.

O'Reilly still showed an impressive ability to shoot the puck and play a very tenacious style of hockey for basically the full season, both of which individually would be an impressive accomplishment on their own at his age. It seems Father Time has not yet caught the likes of ROR, and he still has some very good hockey left in him.

Furthermore, in terms of team fit, there is no one better to lead a young Blues team and teach them how to reach and win in the playoffs than the one who led the Blues to their first-ever Stanley Cup. We saw the benefit of a player like current captain Brayden Schenn in his locker room presence and mental development for the younger players, and O'Reilly could serve as another veteran presence to bring the squad together.

O'Reilly's contract is very manageable and would not cost all that much to acquire, either. He has two years remaining at $4.5 million with no no-trade or no-move clauses attached, meaning it's a very cheap veteran deal on a team looking to stack picks and prospects with no strings attached and very low risk at two years.

There is the obvious fan side bonus to this move, where Doug Armstrong can steal back a fan favorite from a division rival and bring him back to the Blue Note. Despite his age, O'Reilly still offers a lot to any NHL team, especially his most recognizable franchise.