As the 2025-26 NHL season heads into the Christmas break, an unusually high number of clubs still have playoff hopes. Among them, the St. Louis Blues remain in the hunt. Despite a tough first half of the season, the Blues have rebounded well enough to escape the Central Division cellar.
Despite the Central being dubbed the “Death Valley” division, the Blues are a three or four-game winning streak from jumping into a wild card spot in the Western Conference.
That’s why it’s too soon to punt on the season. Some of the chatter around the club has posited the notion of the Blues calling it a season. That same chatter has called for the Blues to sell off as many pieces as they can.
While that might make sense down the line, it doesn’t now. A more reasonable timeline could be selling closer to the trade deadline. That might mean waiting to see how the last couple of games in December and January play out.
By the time the NHL hits the Olympic break in early February, the Blues could have a good idea of where they stand.
Selling now would be a fool’s errand. Unless a trade brings back a massive haul, it just doesn’t make sense. For instance, if trading Brayden Schenn brings back a package like the one the Vancouver Canucks got for Quinn Hughes, it might be best to wait longer for the season to take its natural course.
There’s no urgency for the Blues to sell off pieces. If anything, it would make sense for St. Louis to explore adding pieces to bolster its lineup. Of course, questions will linger with the goaltending situation. But then again, success in the NHL starts with the team playing in front of its goalies.
As implausible as it may seem, time is on the Blues’ side. As teams become more and more desperate for additions, the Blues can cash in if and when they choose to sell. That’s why the best course of action is patience. Doug Armstrong can bide his time and wait for the market to come to him.