St. Louis Blues And The Inevitable Mailbag Questions
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (mailbag): Again, St. Louis struggles mightily and gave up three goals in a period for the eighth time in a row. Do they do the unthinkable and tank?
It is not that crazy of an idea. St. Louis has not had a top five pick since Alex Pietrangelo in 2008. The Blues need a top talent. Doug Armstrong may sell knowing this is not a blip.
The problem with St. Louis is all those long-term deals with no-trade clauses. Sure, Colton Parayko carries value but would he waive? The answer, like several other Blues, is likely no. Moves to shake up the team like Kyrou are remote and just speculation.
Chicago Blackhawks Assets Not Named Kane Or Toews
Adam Proteau of The Hockey News: Yes, the tank is in Chicago as the Blackhawks have sunk worse than the Arizona Coyotes. Chicago resides in the basement of the NHL’s Central Division. So, who could be on the move not named Kane or Toews?
With Seth Jones not going anywhere, that limits some options for Chicago. Jason Dickinson playing better does help. Dickinson has ten points in 20 games and looks competent. Some team could take a chance there.
Connor Murphy is a risk-reward deal and at $4.4 million, a team would have to take all that money on. He is one of the better defensemen out there though on the trade block.
Andreas Athanasiou and Max Domi garner the most rumors here and rightfully so. Both are rentals and UFA’s next season. Domi has produced better numbers (19 points in 24 games) and would garner more value.
One Last Mailbag For The Road
Dan Rosen of NHL.com: A few questions were addressed like the Patrick Kane to New Jersey chances, etc. Lots of things still have to happen for that to be a reality. The New York Rangers are going to be okay eventually if they play the kids more.
Finally, Anaheim may be a team to watch at the trade deadline. While a rebuild will take a long time, there are pieces to move. This could help the Ducks in the long term.