The St. Louis Blues narrowly missed the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. They need some veteran defensemen to improve if they expect to make it, says Adam Proteau.
Torey KrugTHN.com’s NHL Hot Seat Radar series is well underway as we continue with the St. Louis Blues.
As we continue looking at every NHL franchise in reverse alphabetical order, we're mentioning one person on the 'hot seat' – an individual facing significant pressure to generate positive results or deal with the fallout.
We’re also identifying another individual on the 'cold seat' – someone highly likely to remain with their team for quite some time because of their value to their squad.
Blues’ Hot Seat: Torey Krug, D
The Blues’ defense corps is filled with veterans, most notably Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, Nick Leddy, and Torey Krug. Improvements from all of them would be great, with Krug being the team's leading scorer among defensemen with 39 points. But if St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong does take a scalpel to his roster, Krug could be the first blueliner moved if he doesn't improve next season.
Krug does have a full no-trade clause in effect for next season, but it turns into a 15-team no-trade list for the remaining two seasons of his contract, which carries a $6.5-million cap hit. At age 33, he’s one of the most senior members of St. Louis’ group of blueliners, and some teams could be happy to take him off the Blues’ hands. One team even tried to last summer when it was reported Krug nixed a move to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Krug is a reliable 30- to 40-point producer who would help another team in terms of defense and experience. He might never again reach the 50-point plateau as he did as a member of the Boston Bruins, but under the right circumstances, Krug can be effective for a different team. He doesn't have to be a top-pairing D-man, but he can still contribute meaningful minutes.
Much will depend on the Blues’ competitiveness in 2024-25, but should St. Louis prove to be a non-playoff team, Krug might choose to welcome a new home. But if he doesn't bring better value for his cap hit by upping his production, he might have to welcome a new home.
Blues’ Cold Seat: Robert Thomas, C
He may not yet be a household name outside of St. Louis, but Blues fans know they have a gem in 25-year-old Robert Thomas, who generated career-best numbers in goals (26), assists (60) and points (86) in 82 games this past season.
Thomas is also locked into a long-term contract that pays him $8.125 million per season through the 2027-28 campaign. That’s tied for the highest cap hit on the team with Jordan Kyrou, and that’s a sign of the respect Blues management has for the Toronto natives.
The Blues are no guarantee to get back into the playoffs this coming year, but Thomas was part of the reason they came close last season – and regardless of what happens on the ice this coming year, he will not be traded. He’s part of the foundation for this franchise, and he’s still got years left to continue growing his game. Thomas eventually will see his profile become more prominent, but there’s no question he’s already a central figure in St. Louis’ fortunes.
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