The St. Louis Blues are stuck. Their 3-6-1 record has them last in the ultra-competitive Central Division, third from the bottom in the Western Conference, and, with seven standings points, the third-worst team in the entire NHL. They've lost by two or more goals in six of their seven losses, with their only one-goal loss coming against the Los Angeles Kings in overtime.
The goaltending is a disaster, so much so that Jordan Binnington's roster spot on Team Canada for the Olympics could be in jeopardy. The defense group has some serious questions, and the forwards haven't seemed to click. The power play is mediocre, and the penalty kill is the 26th worst in the league. Things are not going well.
Perhaps it's time to bring in some outside help.
That's much easier said than done, of course: we're barely a month into the season, and teams aren't exactly rushing to trade away impact players--especially considering how many unexpected teams are making waves to start the year. Perhaps a rebuilding club would usually be willing to part with a solid veteran player for some premium draft capital or a prospect, but even the Chicago Blackhawks have a better record than the Blues at the time of writing. There are no easy trades to make yet.
For now, the Blues' best course of action has to be "wait and see." Desperation often leads to unnecessary risks, like overpaying for a just-okay player or upsetting an otherwise strong locker room. Other general managers likely aren't in a rush to make trades unless someone knocks their socks off, and whoever's making that lopsided offer is likely losing the deal.
Maybe a player or two will shake free and be available as the season progresses--like Rasmus Andersson on the Calgary Flames, who'd give the Blues defense a major boost. The Blues will have to start getting some wins first, though, because if this underwhelming play keeps up, they could end up being the sellers instead of the buyers.