The St. Louis Blues have only two games remaining before the Olympic break begins at the end of the week; they're 20-26-9 on the season and more than 10 points back from a playoff spot in the Western Conference. It is, without a doubt, a disappointment of a season, and the expectation is the Blues will be sellers at the trade deadline in March.
However, why wait until March? On Wednesday, at noon, a roster freeze goes into effect, limiting trades and the like--and the Blues should treat this freeze as a mini-trade deadline and make a trade or two.
Obviously, Robert Thomas is unlikely to get traded this week, as he's still on Injured Reserve and the price to get that deal done is reportedly quite high. Jordan Binnington can probably be ruled out as well, as he's going to the Olympics as a representative of Team Canada and teams are--rightfully--wary of trading for Olympians in the event they get injured in Milan. Trades involving either of those players will have to wait until the March deadline or even the offseason.
The rest of the roster, however? If a team comes calling in the next day or two with a deal GM Doug Armstrong can accept (and any player involved is willing to waive their no-trade protections, if necessary), there's no reason to wait. Players like Justin Faulk or Brayden Schenn--even Jordan Kyrou--aren't going to the Olympics, so should come out of the break refreshed. The Blues need to focus on bottoming out for a high draft pick, and sending these players on their way would expedite the process.
If the roster freeze passes without any moves, it's not a big deal--but it may be viewed as a missed opportunity. Deadlines spur action, and the Blues should seize the moment and start the selloff.