Most NHL teams know where they stand at this point in the season. They’re either going to be serious contenders heading into the NHL trade deadline, or they’re not. Take the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks: Neither team figures to contend this season or next year unless a serious revamp says otherwise.
Then, you can take teams like the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers, who are shoo-ins to buy at some point this week. And finally, you have teams like the St. Louis Blues and Utah Hockey Club, who are so middle-of-the-road that they can go one way or another.
Fortunately for Blues fans, selling is looking less and less like an option since, with a 6-2-2 record over their last 10 contests, they’re surprisingly right in it. No, they aren’t slated in one of the two wild card slots just yet, but the Blues have shown enough prowess to where they don’t look like they’ll sell this season.
St. Louis Blues (probably) not selling is great news for fans
Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of speculation surrounding Blues captain and fan favorite, Brayden Schenn. And for a while there, Schenn appeared to be non-committal, which probably didn’t sit well with Blues fans. But those concerns should evaporate now, considering the latest batch of news coming out.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said, "One point behind the Vancouver Canucks in the West. They have 21 games remaining and Doug Armstrong and the Blues have said all along 'we don't have to trade our captain. He's under contract here.' Maybe they revisit in the off-season. So he is not going to soften on the expectation, the ask, and what it would take to consider trading Brayden Schenn."
For Blues fans everywhere, this is a welcoming call, as there was growing concern about Schenn potentially heading elsewhere, with the Toronto Maple Leafs believed to be the front-runners. That said, barring a complete meltdown in the Blues upcoming slate this week, a Brayden Schenn trade is highly unlikely.
What can we expect from the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline?
Now that it’s highly likely we don’t see Brayden Schenn playing in another uniform, the burning question is, what can we expect from the Blues this week? Look, I’m not going to sit here and pretend that the Blues are the class of the NHL just yet, as they’re still one of the blander teams in the league.
They’re still building out their core that will, eventually, transform them into contenders for the next five-to-seven seasons, and it’s a long game the fans will be grateful for. That said, I wouldn’t expect anything more than bargain deals, or rentals, at this point. Players who will provide supplementary roles, and perhaps even auditioning for something more down the road.
They could buy, but they won’t buy much, and they still might also sell, but don’t expect them to sell much, either. Overall, I’m looking for a rather quiet deadline from the Blues as they gear up and seek to contend for one of those two wild card spots.