Bleedin' Blue
Fansided

3 supposedly unreasonable offseason moves that would actually make sense for the St. Louis Blues

Sometimes, making counterintuitive organizational transactions could pay dividends, and that’s the case with these five moves for the St. Louis Blues.

By Todd Matthews

Mar 28, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Pavel Buchnevich (89) is congratulated by defenseman Torey Krug (47) after scoring an empty net goal against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Pavel Buchnevich (89) is congratulated by defenseman Torey Krug (47) after scoring an empty net goal against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next

Extend Pavel Buchnevich

I would neither be surprised nor disappointed if the Blues traded Pavel Buchnevich, but again, we’re looking at the circumstance St. Louis is in. Had the Blues finished the season with 81 or fewer points again this year, trading players with full no-trade clauses like the blueliners wouldn’t be tough, and Doug Armstrong would get a lot of sound compensation in return. 

But that’s not the reality, so perhaps instead of trying to trade even those on modified no-trade clauses like Buchnevich and potentially failing to work out deals to send a blueliner or two elsewhere, why not extend the proven winger and continue to improve the roster that’s already there? The Blues can do this without blocking their up-and-comers like Zachary Bolduc and Zach Dean, so an extension would make sense. 

Now, if Armstrong wanted to move Buchnevich in an effort to keep making the roster younger, it would also work. I’m just pointing out that there are multiple moves he could make regarding Buchnevich that would result in the ‘right answer.’ 

Like Vatrano, Buchnevich is a solid scorer and one who can play top-six and top-line minutes, deliver 26-plus goals per season, and even put up serviceable defensive performances. Extending Buchnevich in a situation where the Blues trade for a player like Frank Vatrano adds not just firepower offensively, but security, especially if Armstrong acquired and extended the latter. 

But acquiring one avid scorer and extending another still wouldn’t be enough, considering the Blues scoring struggles last season. In a counterintuitive but reasonable scenario like this one, St. Louis would need one more sound forward to turn them back into legitimate playoff contenders. 

Home/St Louis Blues News