Home / Sports / Blues Trade Freeze: Big Moves Loom After Olympics
Blues Trade Freeze: Big Moves Loom After Olympics
5 Feb
Summary
- Blues traded Nick Bjugstad to New Jersey Devils before Olympic freeze.
- Teams await Olympic break end for trades to avoid injury, cap hits.
- St. Louis lists top players like Thomas, Kyrou, and Binnington as trade candidates.
The St. Louis Blues made a minor transaction, trading forward Nick Bjugstad to the New Jersey Devils for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional draft pick before the NHL's Olympic trade freeze took effect. Many teams are strategically delaying larger trades until after the Olympic break, which ends on February 22nd, to mitigate risks of player injury during the Olympics and to avoid immediate salary cap implications.
This waiting period is expected to culminate in a flurry of activity in the 13 days between the freeze's end and the March 6th NHL trade deadline. St. Louis General Manager Doug Armstrong, who also manages Canada's Olympic team, is anticipated to be very active in reshuffling his NHL roster. Several prominent Blues players, including Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk, Jordan Kyrou, and Jordan Binnington, have been mentioned as potential trade candidates.
Despite the Blues' stated desire to refresh the team, high asking prices and salary cap management are complicating potential deals. Players like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas are underperforming relative to previous seasons, while veterans such as Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn are older with significant contract terms remaining. The presence of no-trade clauses for key players further complicates any trade scenarios.
Considering these factors, trades involving aging veterans like Faulk, Schenn, and Binnington, or middle/bottom-six forwards, appear more probable before the deadline. Blockbuster deals involving higher-profile players might be deferred until the offseason due to the complexities of contracts, salary caps, and player consent.
