Offseason Talk: These three players should be untouchable for the St. Louis Blues

St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong is no stranger to making bold moves, especially regarding trades.

Ryan O’Reilly arrived in St. Louis and became an integral part of the Cup-winning team in 2019.

The Blues have substantial contracts protected by no-trade clauses. Although it may seem like it offers protection to certain players, fans know that a no-trade clause can still be worked around in a deal, especially if the player wants to be moved.

Three players should be off-limits for the Blues to move.

Robert Thomas

Perhaps the most obvious choice is Robert Thomas. Thomas is the current star of the team and a bit of a leader himself, earning the alternate captain status.

With a total of 86 points in 2023-24, he earned his first All-Star Game spot.

Being young, still at 25 years old, Thomas must be untouchable for the years to come. He’s a great teammate and models an ideal leader who is still learning his way.

It is arguable that Blues fans haven’t witnessed Thomas at his peak since he is still in his prime.

Jordan Binnington

Another obvious choice is goaltender Jordan Binnington. Binnington’s unofficial role as a team leader is not unnoticed.

He possesses the leadership qualities of a sought-after veteran, but more tellingly, he’s still remarkable in his play.

What complicates things is the emergence of Joel Hofer, who finished with a .914 SV% to Binnington’s .913 SV% in 2023-24.

As tempting as it may be to trade Binnington and commit to a younger Hofer, it would be a terrible decision. Binnington’s unmeasurable attributes, particularly his tough and competitive style of play, undeniably contributed to the Blues 2019 Cup win.

Jake Neighbours

The logic is that Blues fans haven’t seen Jake Neighbours at his best yet. His performance this past season was a bit of a breakout year, surprising several hockey pundits.

This season, he was a top-three goal scorer and top-five hit leader for the Blues. On top of those stats, his shooting percentage set him as one of the best in the league.

He attacks the net and doesn’t back down from opponents. Oh, and by the way, he’s only 22 years old.

While it’s entirely possible that Neighbours stays at the same level or even puts up deflating statistics, from what we saw of him this year, that’s highly unlikely. Neighbours could potentially be the future of the St. Louis Blues.

While the Blues are in a rebuild mode, as evidenced by their deals in the past few seasons, they are still close to competing in the playoffs.

A team centered on Thomas and Neighbours has a legitimate chance of success, especially when you have good players like Jordan Kyrou, Colton Parayko, and others. Despite facing criticism, the Blues and GM Doug Armstrong have a talented team that, with proper coaching, can excel in the playoffs.