The St. Louis Blues have been the talk of the National Hockey League this week, as they have made a number of moves and been rumored in just about every single other one. Nearly all of the social media posts from top Hockey insiders are almost guaranteed to have a Blues reference in it.
Most recently, it seemed like the Blues were making a bid on Dallas Stars' cornerstone piece, Jason Robertson. But, before that, there was an evergrowing interest, and still a present one, on Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish. General Manager Doug Armstrong is pulling out all the stops leading up to tonight's big draft and ensuring that his legacy is absolutely perfect.
The interesting tidbit with McTavish is that he is another center in a really crowded position group. Robert Thomas is staying put, and the Blues just got a solid second-line center in Connor McMichael from the Jordan Kyrou trade. That would leave Dalibor Dvorsky and Pius Suter to battle for the third and fourth lines.
Why would Armstrong continue to try to find an established center?
Suter is the odd man out?
Between Suter and Dvorsky, both players are adequate at their position. Both are solid centermen who fill whatever role they are needed. But, in terms of future hope and expectation to lead the next era of this franchise, Dvorsky leads the charge there.
Suter's draft stock has fallen a bit, and thus, a move for a young center like McTavish makes complete sense. If Armstrong gets it done, Suter's days as a Blue are as good as done.
It is a harsh business, but Armstrong has to leave this franchise in the hands of Alexander Steen in pristine condition. Suter can be used as a solid trade piece to bring in some additional help on the wing or even grab another defenseman.
Expect this trend to continue throughout the day and into tonight, as Armstrong is still dangling one or two of those first-round picks for an elite-tier player. And, the way that this week has been leading up to the draft, it should not surprise fans for something crazy to happen in the next few hours.
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