One pending free agent the St. Louis Blues can sign away from each of their Central Division rivals
The St. Louis Blues have shown resilience down the stretch, even if winning the Central Division is no longer possible. But there is a way they can weaken their rivals.
The St. Louis Blues are so, so, so close to snagging a playoff berth, yet with just a few games to go at this point in the season and following a blowout loss to the San Jose Sharks, it’s tough to see them getting there. Yeah, they have otherwise been hot lately, and they may bounce back through the final eight games this season, but it may be a little too late.
The good news? This season was a definite upgrade over what they gave us last year, and it could entice general manager Doug Armstrong to keep most of this group together heading into October 2024. But it’s also clear they need a little more help if they want a top-three or a wild card spot heading into the final stretch of the season in March 2025.
Luckily, there is talent within the Central Division that Armstrong could pry from a rival organization in free agency this year. This article shares seven players - one defenseman and six forwards, who may be there for the taking if they don’t re-sign with their current Central Division teams.
Travis Dermott, Defense/Arizona Coyotes
Here is the truth about the St. Louis Blues this season: They are (sometimes) good defensively and below average offensively. That said, Travis Dermott is the only defenseman on this list, as St. Louis desperately needs to improve their forward rotation.
But with Marco Scandella likely heading elsewhere, they may need someone to fill the void on the bottom-pairing or, ideally, as a seventh blueliner. Travis Dermott is one player who could come into St. Louis, take a spot as the seventh guy on the blue line, and just play a physical game that involves getting in front of the puck when in the defensive zone and landing body checks.
Dermott wouldn’t cost much to bring into Gateway City, as his AAV in Arizona sat at just $800,000. He would also give St. Louis a boost in short-handed minutes should Doug Armstrong be interested in bringing the 27-year-old over, as he’s logged a career-best 119.1 minutes through his 46 appearances.
Colin Blackwell, Forward/Chicago Blackhawks
Hey, we had to name someone from the Blackhawks, right? Overall, the best of the bunch was Colin Blackwell, the first of many potential forwards on this list. No, it won’t be possible for Doug Armstrong to sign everyone mentioned, but this exercise is all about identifying real possibilities, and Blackwell would serve this team well when in the correct role.
It’s been a rough year for Chicago, so predictably, Blackwell’s production has been far below average. But the lower lines are where he plays his best hockey, something that hasn’t always been the case with the Hawks, as he’s logged a career-high in average total ice time.
His basic stats won’t wow you, but Blackwell has, in previous stops, shown off a decent shot selection. Through 47 games in 2020-21, that shot selection led to an 18.8 shooting percentage before he ended the 2021-22 season with 13.0 percent.
We haven’t seen much of it over the past two seasons, but Blackwell is also a player who can finish checks and add a much-needed edge to the Blues. Overall, Blackwell would be an adequate, serviceable signing, but as you would have guessed without even reading this section, there are much better options out there, especially for the lower lines.
Yakov Trenin, Forward/Colorado Avalanche
If the Blues want to be more competitive next season, they need to get more physical, and that hasn’t been the case this year. Not counting last night’s loss to San Jose, St. Louis has just 20.0 hits per game, and besides a handful of big hitters, they need to play with more of an edge.
One of their most physical players is Sammy Blais, but there is a good chance he won’t return next season, so perhaps Doug Armstrong looks outside the organization to fill the void. One player is an ultra-familiar face for the Blues as Yakov Trenin has played for not one but two division rivals this season - the Nashville Predators and the Colorado Avalanche.
Trenin is a player teams could place onto their third line, but the fourth line would be ideal for the edgy forward who has finished 191 body checks in 69 games this season. He won’t give the Blues much offensively should they pry him from their Central Division rival, as he’s never scored over the 24-point threshold. But it doesn’t mean Trenin can’t score, as he once found the net 17 times in 2021-22 through 80 contests.
He would give the Blues short-handed value but nothing on the power play. However, his 5-on-5 game has been solid this year, even in Nashville, where he landed a Corsi For of 51.1 and was on the ice for 28 goals.
Matt Duchene, Forward/Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars could be the hottest championship contenders in the Central down the stretch despite Colorado’s and Winnipeg’s presence. One major reason for their success is a player named Matt Duchene, who, like just about every forward in Dallas, is enjoying a fantastic season.
Duchene would likely return to the Stars when they figure to be just as competitive in 2024-25, but until he inks an extension, let’s have fun and imagine what he could do for the Blues. He will be 34 next season, so Duchene would provide a strong, productive veteran presence, and he could be a top-six player in St. Louis or, at worst, the middle-six.
He has 62 points in 72 contests and 24 goals, good for a 15.5 shooting percentage, and he’s also someone who could bolster the power play. Six of the 24 times Duchene found the net have come on the man advantage, and he has 15 total power play points through March 29th.
The burning question here would be whether he would keep up such productivity on a team that hasn’t scored the way Dallas has. On paper, the answer is no, but it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t boost the Blues overall play in the offensive zone.
Jake Lucchini, Forward/Minnesota Wild
There was hardly anybody worth considering on the Minnesota Wild, with the aging Alex Goligoski and Marc-Andre Fleury as the two most notable pieces. But defense and goaltending are the Blues strengths, so it makes no sense to add them to this list.
Almost everyone else would make great organizational depth and nothing more, but Jake Lucchini could be the best of the rest. He has seen time with the big club this season, playing in 31 games so far while logging the penalty minutes (23) in favor of scoring - just three points and two goals.
Should he enter unrestricted free agency and if Doug Armstrong were interested in bringing him to the organization, it’s likely you will see him spending more time with the Springfield Thunderbirds than with the Blues. But if injuries strike, someone like Lucchini could factor in as an early recall.
He played well with the Iowa Wild this season, logging 23 points and 11 goals in 30 games, and this came one season after Lucchini scored 19 goals and 53 points with the Belleville Senators. If nothing else, an experienced AHLer like Lucchini would provide leadership to some of the Blues upcoming prospects, and that’s a valuable but underestimated quality.
Anthony Beauvillier, Forward/Nashville Predators
Anthony Beauvillier hasn’t produced well this season, and few have been as much of a journeyman. Since the 2022-23 season began, Beauvillier has played for four different franchises, but look back at his numbers between 2016-17 and even last season, and he has more than shown he could be a force on the checking line.
Last year, he had 40 points and 18 goals with 16:16 of average total ice time, 78 hits, and 32 takeaways. The 2021-22 season was a down year for Beauvillier but as last year’s numbers have shown, in the right situation, he can produce. That wasn’t always the case with the New York Islanders, but when he went to Vancouver, Beauvillier had 20 points and nine goals in 33 games for the Canucks.
After landing in Chicago this season, few were playing well on the Blackhawks outside Connor Bedard, so we don’t need to pay too much attention to Beauvillier’s six points and two goals in 23 contests. Should Armstrong want to add a forward who can be physical to the lower lines, Beauvillier is a good bet. But if he was looking for more of that “prize” free agent, the next player on the list is who he must go after.
Tyler Toffoli, Forward/Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are true Stanley Cup contenders, and bringing in Tyler Toffoli is a huge reason that trend will continue into the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite some struggles recently. Toffoli has only appeared in 10 games with Winnipeg, but he’s already scored four goals with a stellar 19.0 shooting percentage and two assists.
His production in New Jersey this season before the trade deadline foreshadowed what the 31-year-old would do in Manitoba - 44 points and 26 goals in 61 games with a 14.5 shooting percentage. With rather weak productivity from the Blues that has seen them score only 213 goals, someone like Toffoli would change the team’s 2024-25 outlook should they keep most of their current talent and add in the well-traveled winger.
Toffoli doesn’t need to record top-line minutes, as he can sidle into a middle-six role should he be a rental with the Jets and sign somewhere else next season. That can also be the case for the Blues, and his presence would complete a deep top-six.
With just short stints over the last few organizations he has played for, nobody should expect the Blues to sign a player like Toffoli long-term unless he demands such a deal in free agency. If not, then Toffoli should be on Armstrong’s radar.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of March 29th)