St. Louis Blues' Veteran Named Trade Candidate

The St. Louis Blues are a struggling team right now. There were pretty high expectations after making it into the playoffs last season and taking the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets to Game 7 of the first round. Not a lot was done in the offseason, but not much has gone right for a team somewhat stuck in the middle.

The Blues don't exactly have superstars, even though Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou are very good. Other pieces that are expected to perform, just haven't so far, like Dylan Holloway, Cam Fowler, or Jordan Binnington. With that being said, the Blues are second-last in the league with a record of 3-7-2 and have allowed the most goals in the NHL with 51.

There is a ton of work to do, but it might prove too much for a team that hasn't figured it out yet. Marco D'Amico said, "(Brayden) Schenn's leadership and playoff experience make him a highly coveted piece for contenders, while speculation around (Jordan) Kyrou or (Robert) Thomas would ignite league-wide frenzy. For now, St. Louis remains the team everyone is watching."

I think it would be a big mistake to tear it all down because of a bad start or bad season. The Blues have a lot more solid pieces coming beyond what is already on their team. Joel Hofer, while struggling, could still be what the Blues hope. There are young pieces like Jimmy Snuggerud, Jake Neighbours, Holloway, Dalibor Dvorsky, Philip Broberg, Logan Mailloux, Otto Stenberg, Nikita Alexandrov, Justin Carbonneau, Adam Jiricek, and more.

The Blues have Thomas and Kyrou, the two best players, signed to identical, very good deals, for five more years after this. It isn't a matter of the team heading in the wrong direction, it is about figuring it out and letting this team grow. Players should absolutely be sold off, like Schenn, if the season continues to go the way it is, and the Blues will get a nice return. But for now, St. Louis should see how things play out and if players start to get healthier.