The St. Louis Blues might have lost out on the Bowen Byram sweepstakes, but that doesn't mean they can't try and look elsewhere to fix their needs. With an uncertainty regarding the return of Ryan Suter, the Blues are in need of a seventh defenseman.
Who is still out there that the Blues can target, and could potentially make an impact immediately?
Tyson Barrie
Barring a return from Ryan Suter, the Blues can certainly use Tyson Barrie as a seventh defenseman. Still without a contract, the 33-year-old blueliner could follow in the footsteps of another aging defenseman who found the right team, Cam Fowler. This union of Barrie and the Blues could echo what happened with Fowler last season.
Over his 14-year NHL career, he has eclipsed the 10-goal plateau seven times and has been a solid defenseman for the duration of that time. He can be a big help as a leader and mentor to newcomer Logan Mailloux, who might be on a short leash in his first season with the Blues.
For Barrie, the Blues don't have a ton of money to shell out, but with a few moves and things to iron out, they could give him a one-year trial at $1 million to give it a shot.
Calvin De Haan
Following the fallout of his tenure with the New York Rangers, Calvin De Haan is another defenseman with something left in the tank to help fill the back end of the defensive rotation. The 13-year veteran player is the complete opposite of Barrie, as De Haan is more defensive-minded. That also closely translates to who he is replacing, in Suter.
De Haan was traded to the Rangers in the Ryan Lindgren deal from Colorado. He would sit out for most of the rest of the season as a healthy scratch, enticing De Haan to go nuclear in the media on his treatment from the organization. If he were to sign with the Blues, there undoubtedly would be a difference, as this team could use him more often than not. The third pairing of Mailloux and Tyler Tucker still has a ton of uncertainty, meaning that things could change. De Haan would be a welcome change if things go south.