The Four Nations Face-off is off to a fantastic start, with two intense games featuring the best and brightest stars in the NHL. As great as this break has been, this season's final stretch is shaping up to be very interesting. All eyes are, firstly, the March 7 Trade Deadline.
What exactly should the Blues do, buy, sell or hold?
Buyers/Sellers
There are seven more games between the first game, returning from break, and the Trade Deadline. With that said, there is still a lot of time between now and then for General Manager Doug Armstrong and the rest of the Blues front office to evaluate their options. It all depends on if the Blues can gain some ground on the final few spots in the Western Conference playoff race.
Additionally, the recurring rumor is that if the Blues do make a move, it is going to involve their captain, Brayden Schenn. There are multiple teams interested, and the Blues can use him in a trade for either outcome. They can buy with him, gaining another star player who may be able to fit the system a little better than he has in his tenure. Or, they can sell him off to a playoff-ready contender for additional NHL-ready prospects and draft capital. The big thing to remember with this situation, Schenn has a No Movement Clause that he must rescind to go anywhere.
Whether or not the Blues buy or sell at the deadline is still very much up in the air. There is no way of telling what this franchise will do, as their ability to maintain this .500 performance this season has made it increasingly difficult to predict the future outcome of this season. Are they a playoff team, or are they not?
Hold steady
The other option is to hold entirely. This team has a solid core, a goaltender who has had an off-year, and a very promising prospect pool that is eager to make the jump. If they hold on to what they have, and look toward the offseason to snag the missing pieces, it might be a better option than to go all-in or sell-out this season.
This conservative plan has nothing to lose attached to it. The Blues will have to try and do this on their own with what they have, to try and make a playoff appearance. Seeing as though they can't string together more than three wins in a row, it is an uphill battle for sure. Impossible, no, improbable, maybe.
So, to answer the question of whether or not the Blues have a definitive motive for the March 7 Trade Deadline, the answer is a resounding no. It could be a fireworks display or just another plain old Friday. We will revisit this question around the first week of March when they show their true colors over the next seven games.