Speculation persists over whether the St. Louis Blues will move Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou this summer. Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets face questions over which of their UFAs to bring back.
The St. Louis Blues continue to feature prominently in the NHL rumor mill.
With Doug Armstrong soon to hand over the management duties to Alexander Steen, some observers wonder what moves they'll make in the coming weeks.
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic mused over whether the Blues intend to shop Robert Thomas. The 26-year-old center was the subject of rumors leading up to the March trade deadline. However, his performance improved following his return from injury.
Lou Korac of The Hockey News reported Armstrong said on Saturday that some of that trade talk was "a little bit of fabrication." He indicated that he set a high price for Thomas because he values him "higher than anyone else."
Rutherford believes the Blues must find a trade partner for Jordan Kyrou. The 27-year-old right winger's performance declined this season, prompting Rutherford to suggest that a trade might benefit both sides.
However, Kyrou told the press on Saturday that he wants to stay in St. Louis. Like Thomas, he has a full no-trade clause in his contract, giving him full control over any attempt to peddle him to another club.
Rutherford also suggested the Blues look into moving left winger Pavel Buchnevich and revisit efforts to trade defenseman Colton Parayko.
Buchnevich, 31, has seen his production steadily decline since his career-high 76-point performance in 2021-22. Meanwhile, the Blues had a trade in place to send the 32-year-old Parayko to the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline, but he used his no-trade clause to nix the deal. Buchnevich also has a full no-trade clause.
Turning to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch looked at what's on GM Don Waddell's off-season "to-do" list.
Blue Jackets forwards Boone Jenner, Charlie Coyle, Mason Marchment and defenseman Erik Gudbranson are eligible for UFA status on July 1. Hedger doubted the Jackets could re-sign all four.
They must also work out new contracts for center Adam Fantilli, left winger Cole Sillinger and goaltender Jet Greaves, who are RFAs on July 1.
Hedger believes the rising salary cap will leave many teams flush with cap space this summer, making it difficult for the Blue Jackets to win any bidding wars for what little quality talent could be available in this summer's shallow free-agent pool.
Waddell could turn to the trade market if he's seeking players who can change the culture in the Blue Jackets' dressing room.
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