Welcome to our latest installment of NHL Rumours! The NHL trade deadline is not until March 7th. However, rumours are floating around as to who could be on the move before that date. Today’s rumour looks at the St. Louis Blues and a veteran centre who could be a trade target for teams. We are referring to Radek Faksa.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Radek Faksa Trade Rumour
Rumour: In an article on the Atheltic, Chris Johnston gave a list of 30 players who are either rumoured to being shopped by their current team or could be targeted by other teams. Listed at #24 was Blues centre Radek Faksa.
Analysis: The Blues acquired Faksa in a trade over the summer. The team was in the market for a centre for their bottom-six lines at the time and made the trade to bring in the 10-year ceteran. A former 17-goal scorer, Faksa went into the season as an underrated X-factor for the Blue Note.
However, things have not worked out so far. Faksa has missed time due to injury and only has seven points in the 29 games he has played. Granted, he has not been a negative prescence on the ice, but he has not been a needle mover by any means. This is the first time in Faksa’s career he has played for another team, so it is possible there is some rust still present, not to mention his injury.
Faksa is the Latest Blue Mentioned in Trade Rumours
Brandon Saad’s name came up in trade rumours this past weekend. It is a little weird seeing these names appear in trade rumours given the Blues latest moves and their subsequent change to their playoff chances. However, it is important to remember that the Blues are still in a retool. While general manager Doug Armstrong and future general manager Alexander Steen are looking to make the team competitive now, they are still looking towards the future.
This is actually not an uncommon thing for Armstrong to do. In two occasions in the past, he has traded key pieces despite the Blues being playoff contenders. In 2017, defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk was traded despite the team being in the thick of the playoff race. Furthermore, in 2018, forward Paul Stastny was traded despite the team again being in the thick of the playoff chase.
Armstrong made these trades because he recognized that despite being playoff contenders, the Blues were not Stanley Cup contenders. As a result, he found the need to get value moving forward more important than retaining the players for a playoff chance. The same is true now. The Blues may be playoff contenders right now, but they are still not Stanley Cup contenders. Furthermore, Saad and Faksa have not been major producers this season, making them expendable in a possible trade.
Return Likely Small in Faksa Trade
If the Radek Faksa trade rumour comes to fruition, it is important to understand the return will likely be small. Faksa is a free agent after this season. Whoever trades for Faksa, if anyone does, may not retain his services for the 2025-26 season. As a result, the return for Faksa may be lower. However, any value is good value, especially if it is draft capital. We talked about this in the Saad rumour, but it would make more sense for the Blues to acquire draft capital as opposed to NHL-ready talent, unless said talent is exceptional.
Main Photo: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
