MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- With the recent news that the St. Louis Blues have poked their noses into the ongoings of potential restricted free agent of New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson and what it could cost them should they encounter talks of a trade, general manager Doug Armstrong made something perfectly clear regarding the team's defensive unit.
"I think we’re always looking to improve," Armstrong said Monday. "(But) I think that if we came back with the four that ended (last) year, if they played together, [Colton] Parayko and [Cam] Fowler and then [Justin] Faulk and [Philip] Broberg, it’s not the best top four in the league, but it’s certainly above average."
In other words, the Blues are on the lookout, but if the prices are too high and it doesn't make sense for them from an on-ice perspective and a financial perspective, they feel they have an adequate enough group to move into 2025-26 and look to make another run, then adding help in other areas, namely at forward -- preferably at center.
So that means a bottom pair of Nick Leddy, Tyler Tucker and Matthew Kessel would round out the seven. Pending unrestricted free agent Ryan Suter's chances of returning are marginal at best.
"We do want to see what Tucker can do," Armstrong said. "We do want to see what Kessel can do and know what Leddy can do, so we have seven guys there."
It's been reported that the 25-year-old Dobson, who is coming off a year in which his point production dipped from 70 (10 goals, 60 assists) in 2023-24 to 39 (10 goals, 29 assists) this past season, could be in line for a $10-$11 million pay range per season. Would the Blues really go there at that high of a financial price to make their blue line better? It would certainly give then a bonafide top four guy and enable them to get younger, but they would almost need to move a veteran in order to do it, despite having the financial flexibility without moving someone like Faulk or Leddy, who each has two and one year, respectively, remaining on his contract and a modified no-trade clause.
"If you can improve it, we would look at doing that," Armstrong said. "[Adam] Jiricek (the 16th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft), we just talked about rushing young players; he’s going to come in and push for the team, but at 19, I don’t expect him to do it. Now, he could be the next Robert Thomas or Robby Fabbri, I don’t know. That’s up for him to prove. So you have to look at where do you want to improve.
"Can we get better than Colton Parayko? What’s the cost of a player like that (Dobson), $10, $11, $12 million in today’s market. We have Fowler for a year. If we can improve, we will, but I don’t want to just set expectations out that we have two unrestricted free agents and one restricted and a team that’s growing, and we’re going to allow them the ability to grow, but the caveat if something falls into our lap, we’re going to take a look at it."
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byrum, 24, is another pending RFA like Dobson, is another intriguing option on the blue line but will also cost plenty to acquire.
So certainly options -- albeit costly -- available for the Blues should they want to get younger and look to have a different makeup on their blue line moving forward, but don't discount a return of familiar faces from last season as the makeup either.
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