What St. Louis Blues Clues Into A Possible Retool?
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic: Naturally, the St. Louis Blues are in another potential retool situation. The Blues fired Craig Berube and now have improved under Drew Bannister (9-5-1 so far). However, they are further behind in their quest for a playoff spot, with three teams to hop.
For a team that has only won three straight games twice, gaining more ground might be very difficult. Most of the Blues’ potential UFAs are all but gone at the season’s end.
There are players with term. However, those types of deals often get done in the summer or offseason. Trades like those rarely occur around the Trade Deadline (March 8th). It does seem like the chances of seeing some Blues’ prospects before 2024-25 are remote.
Five players have full no-trade clauses. Those include Jordan Binnington, Torey Krug, and Justin Faulk. The defensive component here will be Doug Armstrong’s toughest challenge. Getting anything of value will be almost impossible.
After that, is Pavel Buchnevich part of the long-term core, or even Jordan Kyrou, for that matter? Those questions must be addressed as well. The slope remains very slippery for St. Louis and how they proceed come March and this summer.
NHL Rumors: A Top 25 Trade Watch List
What To Do About Marc-Andre Fleury?
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: Naturally, as the Minnesota Wild fortunes continue to sag, the talk of Marc-Andre Fleury going to a contender heats up. If Minnesota drops further, how much faster does that chatter become undeniable?
Is the goaltender at 39 the same that he was even at 36, the answer is no. However, Fleury can get hot with a contender at the right time. He did improve over the second half of last season in Minnesota. Also, there was that 9-2 run after the Chicago trade two years before.
NHL Rumors: Does Fleury Want To Go Anywhere?
Bill Guerin would likely move Fleury if the situation presents itself. However, does the goaltender want to go anywhere? It still could be a question that gets unanswered until the March 8th trade deadline draws closer. Stay tuned!