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Doug Armstrong, General Manager of the St. Louis Blues (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

Blues Should Take Bold Approach to 2025 Trade Deadline

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Ethan Carter | Last updated Feb 15, 2025 3:30 PM ET

The St. Louis Blues have been the picture of inconsistency this season. Before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the club went 3-2-0 in five games while still being inconsistent overall. They’re 25-26-5 and sit in sixth place in the Central Division, as well as eight points out of a playoff spot.

Taking everything into account, it’s clear that this is a team that’s incapable of being consistent enough to find success in the postseason. The idea of firing Drew Bannister and hiring Jim Montgomery as head coach was to think about the long-term vision of the franchise. The front office must ensure that Montgomery’s voice is heard throughout the deadline process and in the offseason to build this roster to fit his vision as the head coach. I think it’s time for Doug Armstrong and co. to take a bold approach to the March 7th deadline.

Blues Should Shop Almost Everybody

I’d make the argument that the Blues should not label any of their players as “untouchable.” Players like Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and other young pieces probably won’t be moved, but it’s the job of this front office to listen to everything. This core group hasn’t seen any success after the departure of leaders like Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron. They need to take another step forward and that could happen next season if they approach this deadline properly.

Youngsters such as Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Zachary Bolduc, and Jake Neighbours have made strides while playing for this franchise, so I’d hold onto them unless something unforeseen occurs. The rumors surrounding captain Brayden Schenn indicate that the club is open to making a move there and they should be. He could benefit from a change of scenery and they could get off of his bloated salary cap hit of $6.5 million through 2027-28. I also believe they should look into the market of Pavel Buchnevich, Colton Parayko, Nick Leddy, and Justin Faulk. All four of those players are under contract beyond this season and exploring their markets makes a ton of sense. The same can be said for goaltender Jordan Binnington as well. The time is coming for Joel Hofer to leap into the starting role as he has the better numbers of the two this season.

Accumulating assets while not entering a full rebuild has been the front office’s strategy over the past few seasons. It’s worked in many ways but hasn’t reached the point of the NHL roster becoming a perennial contender again. They have the opportunity to do so again before the March deadline. They should operate as if they are one more season away from playoff contention. With the proper decision-making, I could see this group becoming playoff-bound in 2025-26.

Blues Can’t Afford to Be Quiet

The simple fact is that the Blues can’t afford to have a quiet deadline. They need to prioritize flexibility for the future. That will be easier to achieve with the league salary cap increase coming, but that doesn’t mean they should sit on their hands. If other teams express interest in players on this roster, then Armstrong has a job to do. Currently, they have zero second-round picks in the next three drafts and hold no picks in the second, third, or fourth rounds in the 2025 Draft either. The prospect pool has improved over the past few years of drafting and stacking assets, but that doesn’t mean it should stop now. Having more picks won’t hurt.

If the Blues are able to sell off veteran pieces for real value, then I’d view this as a successful deadline. There must be a serious effort within the front office to be active and ready to make moves within the next few weeks. The time has come for this core group to face the reality of this season.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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