We have already gone over three players that the Blues should seek at the Trade Deadline, but let’s flip the script. These are four players the Blues should avoid at the Trade Deadline, as signing them will bring more harm than good. Of course, this is if the Blues are going to be buyers at the deadline, as they are in a good position for the playoffs. Not to mention, if they want these players at the trade deadline, their core group would have to be dismantled to make any of them work.
Brad Marchand
If the Bruins are looking to part ways with their veteran forward, Brad Marchand will hit free agency at the end of the season. He has never been anywhere other than Boston and was recently named the Captain at the beginning of last season.
But, as he approaches the twilight of his career, the Bruins may be looking to shop him to extend this playoff contender window they are in. His current deal worth $6.125 million is set to expire at the end of this year, and at his age, it could be significantly lower than that.
The Blues cannot bite on it. Marchand, as successful and capable as he is to continue being a great player, doesn’t fit the Blues scheme and doesn’t make sense to their payroll. Plus, he may want to remain a Bruin just a little bit longer to retire there.
John Tavares / Mitch Marner
These next two names are going to be a really hard pass, but a necessary one. We are gonna put these two together because the reasoning is the same.
John Tavares and Mitch Marner are both up for new deals at the end of this season, and likely one will be moving on to another team if this is another unsuccessful playoff run for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both, on paper, are superstar-caliber players that the Blues desperately need, but for their price tag, it could crush the rest of the roster.
Looking at the Blues roster, Jordan Kyrou, and Robert Thomas are a little north of $8 million AAV. Pavel Buchnevich, Brayden Schenn, Torey Krug, Cam Fowler, and Colton Parayko are over $5 million each. Good deals, but as you start to look at each of them more and more, the numbers are starting to stack up. The Blues will have a little over $11 million in cash to spend this offseason, barring any other deals at the Trade Deadline.
Bringing in Marner or Tavares, who could both bring in more than $10+ million AAV, would sink the Blues completely.
Jamie Benn
Finally, there is 35-year-old Jaime Benn. The longtime Dallas Stars forward is slated to be a free agent at the end of this season and, of this list, makes the most sense for the Blues to go after. But, they cannot give in and must stay away from the rough-and-tough veteran.
Benn still has plenty in the tank, and like Marchand, he is the current captain of the Stars. So, he is going to be a hard bargain for the Blues to take him away at the Trade Deadline or the offseason. He is currently under contract for the rest of this season for $9.5 million AAV, and he may still be hovering around that mark for the next few years.
Once again, the Blues need a superstar, but it has to be worth it. This is a crucial next step in this organization's path back to the Stanley Cup Finals. Make the wrong investment, and it could doom this franchise for years.