The St. Louis Blues were one of this season’s most pleasant surprises. Their team-record 12-game winning streak following a disappointing start to their season proved they could be poised for big things in the near future.
The Blues’ successful retool gave them an opportunity to contend in short order without enduring the pain of a decade-long rebuild.
That being said, the Blues came up short against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets, pushing them to Game 7 in the first round. We could argue that a couple of bounces here or there could have made the difference in the series.
Regardless, the fact is that the Blues are one or two pieces away from becoming genuine contenders in the Central Division.
So, let’s explore a trade idea that could reshape the St. Louis Blues’ roster for the 2025-26 season as they look to become contenders in the Western Conference.
A trade that could redefine the 2025-26 for the St. Louis Blues
Solving a team need
Let’s start by defining the team need that this trade idea would solve. The Blues have a solid forward core with Brayden Schenn leading the way. Robert Thomas had a breakout season with 81 points in 70 games, while Jordan Kyrou knocked on the door of 40 goals.
But the most important revelation was Dylan Holloway, whose 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games made the Blues look like geniuses for gambling on his offer sheet last season.
So, we know that barring bottom-six additions, the Blues don’t need any significant upgrades. That allows us to turn our attention to the blue line.
Philip Broberg chipped in with eight goals and 29 points in 68 games this season. That’s a good start for a defenseman who could turn into a legit top-pairing guy in a few seasons. Then, there’s Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko. Each looks solid, but lacks the star power that a true, number-one defenseman could bring to the team.
As such, the Blues could use a number-one defenseman to anchor the blue line and solidify the team on the back end. So, here’s a thought experiment:
The St. Louis Blues could look at prying RFA Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. This idea wouldn’t have made sense prior to the Islanders winning the NHL Draft lottery earlier this month. The Isles stunned the hockey world by moving up nine spots to land the top pick in this year’s draft.
Why this deal makes sense for both sides
The consensus among scouts is that Matthew Schaefer should be the top overall pick. He’s projected to be a top-pairing defenseman, with a solid offensive-defensive upside.
Additionally, Alexander Romanov, another RFA, emerged as a solid top-pairing blue liner. Romanov’s rise mitigated Dobson’s down year somewhat. That’s an important point because, before this season, Dobson was expected to command big money.
Now, that’s not so certain anymore.
By drafting Schaefer, the Isles can replace Dobson while allowing Romanov to take over as the team’s top defenseman. While that situation doesn’t necessarily make Dobson expendable, it does open the door for another club, like the Blues, to make an offer the Isles can’t refuse.
I can only speculate what the return for Dobson would be. The Isles would likely want to get another defenseman back. The Isles already claimed Scott Perunovich off waivers from the Blues this season. Perhaps the Isles might have their eye on another depth blue liner, someone like Tyler Tucker.
Maybe it would just take a combination of draft picks. Given how complex re-signing Dobson might get for the Islanders, moving his rights in exchange for some help would make sense if the club was convinced it couldn’t re-sign Dobson.
There’s one last thing.
The Blues recently announced that Torey Krug is most likely done playing. Of course, there’s a chance he comes back. But that doesn’t seem in the cards at this point. That is why adding a blue liner to replace Krug would make sense, especially as the Blues seemed poised to become contenders in the years to come.