The Blues' trade of Nick Bjugstad before the Olympic break could be the first of several moves by them before the trade deadline, while speculation is growing over which players the Toronto Maple Leafs could peddle.
The St. Louis Blues' trading center Nick Bjugstad to the New Jersey Devils before the Olympic roster freeze was overshadowed by the New York Rangers shipping superstar Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings.
Nevertheless, The Hockey News' Lou Korac believed the Bjugstad deal could be the first of multiple trades by the Blues, who sit near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
The Blues have surfaced frequently in media trade chatter since autumn. Their ongoing struggles resulted in veterans such as Jordan Binnington, Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn appearing in the rumor mill.
Robert Thomas has recently been the subject of trade conjecture. A limited number of available centers, combined with management's willingness to entertain offers for most of their veterans, has raised the possibility of the 26-year-old Thomas being moved by the March 6 NHL trade deadline.
Following the Bjugstad trade, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic examined three factors that could shape the Blues' plans for a busy trade season.
One is high asking prices for Binnington, Faulk, Schenn, Thomas, Colton Parayko and Jordan Kyrou. Another is whether some of the clubs interested in those trade candidates can find the cap space to absorb their contracts. All of them also have some form of no-trade protection.
Kyrou hasn't surfaced as much in the rumor mill compared to the others. TSN's Travis Yost considers him an enticing option for contenders seeking speed and scoring punch on right wing. He noted that the 27-year-old has exceeded 30 goals in each of the last three seasons and attributed his decline in scoring this season to the Blues' overall poor performance.
The Montreal Canadiens were linked to Kyrou last summer before his new contract with a full no-trade clause kicked in on July 1. That speculation persisted, but whether Kyrou would accept a trade to Montreal if the Canadiens are still interested in him remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs' three-game win streak before the Olympic break did little to dispel the anticipation that they'll become sellers by the trade deadline.
Trade candidates included UFA-eligible players such as Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, Calle Jarnkrok and Troy Stecher, with McMann considered the player most likely to fetch the best return.
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal recently noted some trade chatter linking the Oilers to Leafs center Nicolas Roy and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He felt they must move Andrew Mangiapane and his $3.6-million average annual value through next season before taking on another player.
Staples suggested a swap of Mangiapane to Toronto for Roy ($3 million average annual value). However, the Maple Leafs could insist on a sweetener to take the struggling Mangiapane off the Oilers' hands.
Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now wondered if Laughton or Roy might fill the Avalanche's need for a third-line center. He felt Roy might be a better fit given his penalty-killing and faceoff win percentage.
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