It’s August, and while there is nothing exciting going on in the NHL at the moment, it doesn’t mean the rumor mill isn’t at an all-time high. While there’s nothing seemingly on the horizon for the St. Louis Blues, it doesn’t mean general manager Doug Armstrong will just stand idle for the rest of the offseason.
Right now, the Blues don’t look like a top-four team in the Central Division, with the Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, and Nashville Predators looking like stronger units. Likewise, the Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Hockey Club won’t be the pushovers they were at times last season.
Thankfully, there’s still time for Armstrong to make a move that could at least drive fan optimism early. One of those moves should be at least trying to inquire for forward Frank Vatrano, whose time in Anaheim has reached its twilight.
And overall, this would be a no-risk move for the Blues, whose prospect pool is almost in overstock with talent at forward. Add to the fact Armstrong has draft picks to throw into a trade, plus a youngster on the blue line who may be organizational depth at this point, and he may have a risk-free trade for Vatrano.
St. Louis Blues would be a different team in 2024-25 with Frank Vatrano
Frank Vatrano wouldn’t need to come into the Lou and put up 37 goals, as the Blues have plenty of talents like Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou capable of getting close to that number. But if he put up just 20 goals, and that’s a conservative number, his help would be invaluable to a team that never gained consistency in the offensive zone last year. That said, the Blues would get way, way better in the offensive zone quickly with someone like Vatrano.
At this point, trading for Vatrano is a pipe dream, meaning it probably wouldn’t happen. But with a respectable cap hit plus no clauses attached to what is the final season of his contract, Vatrano poses little-to-no risk for the Blues.
Getting him to Gateway City will be competitive since there are plenty of contenders out there who would undoubtedly vie for his services. But again, with no real contract clauses, it’s not impossible to work out a trade that will get Vatrano to St. Louis.
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