Blues & Flyers Have Some Trade Options to Consider

The first hurdle is the asking price, which could be sky-high. He has two seasons left on his contract with a salary cap hit of $5.5 million, that’s a reasonable contract for a player of his caliber. The Flyers should ask for a first-round pick in the 2023 Draft, which could be the 10th pick from the Blues and a plethora of other picks. They could also ask for a prospect in this deal on top of the draft capital.

The other hurdle is his fit with the Blues. Although he’s listed as a center, he’s a winger. Their only need within the forward group right now is a top-three center and Konecny is not that. Unless they plan on playing Pavel Buchnevich at center or trading another forward, it doesn’t work. To be honest, I don’t think the Flyers trade Konecny unless a team comes to the table with an astronomical offer.

Might Make Sense: Scott Laughton

The Blues are reportedly interested in trading for Flyers center Scott Laughton. Reports suggested that they offered one of their late 2023 first-round picks, which are slated at 25th and 29th, and a second-round pick. This is a heavy price to pay for Laughton, who’s likely a third-line center in the Blues’ current lineup. Blues general manager (GM) Doug Armstrong worked with Laughton at the 2023 World Championship for Team Canada and he was terrific. The connection is there, but the potential cost is not worth it if it’s a first and second-round pick.

Laughton has a great contract right now with an annual average value (AAV) of $3 million for three more seasons. He’s a two-way forward that could be valuable for a playoff-caliber team. The two reasons that a trade for Laughton might make sense are his fit within head coach Craig Berube’s system and his favorable contract. The reason it might not make sense is if the Blues are giving up two picks in the first two rounds. I like Laughton as a player, but they should tread lightly on what they sacrifice to get him.

Makes No Sense: Travis Sanheim

The answer for the Blues’ blue line is not to add another hefty contract to the books. Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim is about to play his first season on an eight-year contract with an AAV of $6.25 million. By the numbers, it’s a similar contract to Colton Parayko’s with the Blues, except Sanheim has one extra season left and a slightly lower cap hit. The Blues could trade contract for contract with the Flyers and move Parayko to Philadelphia, but that makes zero sense either.

Sanheim is a solid defenseman with over 400 NHL games under his belt. He would be the Blues’ best left-handed defenseman right now, but he’s not the answer. The Blues need to fully reset their blue line by offloading as many big contracts as possible, so adding Sanheim’s to the mix makes zero sense. The other issue is that he has a full no-trade clause for the next four years. The Blues should not even consider trading for him.

I expect the Blues to be active over the next week with the 2023 Draft taking place in less than a week. They could connect on a deal with a team like the Flyers, but I’d be surprised if it’s Sanheim or Konecny. Armstrong needs to be careful with his assets in the 2023 Draft and beyond. There’s nothing wrong with using the picks to draft prospects. The road to fixing a Blues roster that missed the playoffs in 2022-23 is just beginning.