Blues' Veterans Enter Trade Rumors
There is a ton of talk surrounding the St. Louis Blues as changes are imminent and the team won't look the same come summertime. Players like Jordan Binnington, Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou, Justin Faulk, and Oskar Sundqvist have all been in trade rumors, but another name, plus some others who haven't really been talked about could enter the conversations this season as well.
David Pagnotta said, "I think they'll listen on guys like Pavel Buchnevich and others too that have a little bit of no-trade protection."
Buchnevich has a full no-trade clause for the next three seasons after this one, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be open to a trade. That clause just means that any trade would have to be approved by him, and he could go to a team that has a better chance of winning while making the same money, potentially taking home even more on a team with no state tax.
Most players on the Blues look bad this season, Buchnevich included as he has just five goals and 14 points in 30 games. He is in the first year of a six-year deal at $8 million AAV and his full no-trade clause doesn't get reduced to a 20-team modified no-trade clause until 2029-30. The veteran plays on the power play, penalty kill, and averages over 18 minutes per game. He is still a top player who could use a different environment to play in to elevate his game back up to where it can be.
The only other two logical players Pagnotta could be talking about when speaking of potential trade candidates with some trade protection are Cam Fowler and Colton Parayko as the rest of the team is young, has no trade protection, or doesn't hold much value on short-term deals.
For this season, Fowler has a four-team no-trade list, but on his upcoming three-year deal, has a full no-trade clause for the first two years and a 15-team no-trade clause for the second half of the third year. If the Blues want to trade Fowler, it would be before his new contract kicks in. His cap hit on the Blues is $4 million AAV this season and $6.1 million AAV for the next three years.
As for Parayko, the 32-year-old might have been on Team Canada at the 4 Nations Faceoff, but he's not having a great season and his making the team had something to do with the Blues' GM being the GM of the team. Parayko has four more years left on his deal after this season and has a full no-trade clause for this season and the following two before his contract drops to a 15-team. He has a $6.5 million AAV.
A good number of Blues could be discussed this season, but seeing the team sit still and do nothing is the least likely possibility with how the season has gone.
Photo credit: © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
