It’s time for another edition of NHL rumours. We’re just into the month of November, but teams may already be thinking ahead to the trade deadline. It’s still a long season and anything can happen. However, some teams may already be planning for the late February/early March trade extravaganza. There are some teams that are acting like contenders while others are facing a more uncertain fate. One of those teams is the St Louis Blues. This edition of NHL rumours deals with what could happen if things go south with the Blues.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Who Could Be on the Block for St Louis Blue?
Rumour: The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford recently hosted a mailbag and one of the questions was about what the Blues may do at the deadline. Rutherford talked about who may be available if St Louis falls out of contention.
Analysis: There’s still plenty of season to go. However, one can’t help but wonder what will happen if the Blues fall out of contention. St Louis is currently tied for fifth in the Central Division with the Colorado Avalanche going into Friday’s action.
The season is still young, but there are plenty of other good teams in front of the Blues. General manager Doug Armstrong and future GM Alexander Steen may want to get some of their higher-paid players off the books and to contenders.
The Blues do have some good players that could be useful to teams. Rutherford breaks down who could be the most-desired players that could be on the block.
Who May Be on the Move?
The main player Rutherford brings up is Brandon Saad, who carries a $4.5 million cap hit. Saad is a veteran player and multiple-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Pittsburgh native has 255 career goals and can be be a depth-scorer if needed. His cap hit would be easy to absorb for a contender if they have cap space. Veteran scorers can be hard to find.
The other names that Rutherford brings up may be harder to move. Goalie Jordan Binnington is a name that was mentioned. However, moving him would probably not be worth it. The 31-year-old netminder makes $6 million until the end of the 2026-27 season. Rutherford brings up the main problem of goalies not usually getting a lot of return at the deadline. Trading Binnington may not be worth despite Joel Hofer chomping at the bit to play.
The last name mentioned was Nick Leddy, who is on injured reserve at the moment. Leddy carries a $4 million cap hit, but he may not be easy to move. The 33-year-old is a veteran blueliner, but Armstrong may have to retain some of his salary in order to move him. Leddy still has another year on his deal and teams may wait until next season before they come calling. The Blues can take up to $2 million of his salary and aren’t currently retaining any deals at this time.
Main photo by: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
