Trades
Another primary way to improve the roster is by making trades. Again, the Blues employed this tactic to add on the fringes, most notably by trading for Mathieu Joseph, Radek Faksa, and Alexandre Texier. But what about blockbuster trades to land a star player?
Those kinds of trades will cost you valuable prospects that the Blues will need to rely on if they hope to establish a new core of players that lead them back into contention. Hanging onto Dalibor Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud is the right idea. And again, once the Blues' window for contention reopens, Doug Armstrong and Alexander Steen must not be afraid to address big needs on the trade market. But, for now, I'm glad they resisted trading away the future of hockey in St. Louis.
The NHL Draft
When it comes to building a core of young players for the future, the NHL Draft is probably the most important roster construction strategy. For the Blues especially, the young players they have drafted in recent years will be a key part of any success the team hopes to achieve in the long run. But can the Blues rely on the NHL Draft to address their current needs?
The Blues need some fresh talent, and the NHL Draft helps to address that need, but not for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Most of the players drafted in the 2024 NHL Draft won't see NHL playing time for several years. Not to mention the volatility of the NHL Draft - it's difficult to predict which players will pan out and which ones won't.
The Draft is a key part of roster-building, and the Blues should continue to place a key focus on collecting and developing young players. But, for now, I'm glad that Doug Armstrong and the Blues have not relied entirely on the draft, and they have instead been proactive about acquiring young talent in creative ways, which brings us to our final method of roster construction.