The St. Louis Blues will seemingly be sellers on the Commerce deadline; a place they haven’t been in shortly. They’ve had success in trades beneath common supervisor Doug Armstrong. Given the place the membership is now, it’ll be essential to lean on Armstrong’s commerce prowess within the subsequent month or so.
The Blues received the Stanley Cup in 2019. A number of essential gamers from that crew came visiting in trades. Armstrong might want to get a serious return on the deadline to construct for the longer term, because the group will enter a “retooling” after this season. Right here’s a take a look at Armstrong’s finest trades because the Blues’ GM for the reason that 2010-11 season.
#5 – Buying and selling Eric Brewer to the Tampa Bay Lighting – Feb. 18, 2011To St. Louis:To Tampa Bay:2011 third-round choose (Jordan Binnington)Eric BrewerAfter 332 video games and some seasons as captain, it was time to commerce Eric Brewer. The Blues went 38-33-11 within the 2010-11 season and Armstrong made 4 trades complete. Brewer went to the Tampa Bay Lightning and performed components of 5 seasons there (246 video games), together with two playoff runs and a visit to the Convention Remaining in 2011.
However an important a part of this commerce was the third-round choose that the Blues used to draft Jordan Binnington. It was the 88th-overall choose and early on, it didn’t appear to be it was going to work out. The Blues didn’t name him up till the 2018-19 season when accidents popped up. The remaining is well-documented, together with a Cup championship in 2019. Whereas he’s been shaky over the previous couple of seasons, Binnington altered franchise historical past; they wouldn’t have come near successful a Cup with out him.
#4 – Buying Jay Bouwmeester from the Calgary Flames – April 1, 2013To St. Louis:To Calgary:Jay BouwmeesterMark Cundari
Reto Berra
2013 first-round choose (Emile Poirier)The lockout-shortened season in 2012-13 was weird. The Blues went 29-17-2 earlier than dropping within the first spherical to the Los Angeles Kings. He made 4 trades earlier than the playoffs that season, most notably, prying Jay Bouwmeester away from the Calgary Flames. Bouwmeester was the third-overall choose by Florida Panthers within the 2002 Draft. He turned a terrific addition to the Blues for the remainder of his profession.
Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis Blues, January 6, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)As for the choose and gamers that went to the Flames, it was a serious fleecing. Defenseman Mark Cundari performed a complete of eight NHL video games after a top quality profession within the minors. Goaltender Reto Berra performed 76 profession video games, however solely 29 with the Flames, and with the first-round choose, Calgary chosen ahead Emile Poirier. He performed eight video games for the Flames in components of the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. The Flames bought 45 video games from three gamers, whereas the Blues bought a franchise defenseman. This was a house run for Armstrong.
#3 – Buying Brayden Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers – June 23, 2017To St. Louis:To Philadelphia:Brayden SchennJori Lehtera
2018 first-round choose (Joel Farabee)
2017 first-round choose (Morgan Frost)This commerce was one other huge win for Armstrong. Brayden Schenn has been a serious a part of the crew’s core for six seasons and counting. He was a very good participant for the Philadelphia Flyers, however his manufacturing has elevated with the Blues. Via six seasons in St. Louis, he has 122 targets and 122 assists in 391 video games. In Philadelphia, he performed 424 video games with 246 factors. Maturity and development are huge components of that, however being on a successful crew has positively boosted Schenn’s manufacturing. He has additionally elevated his faceoff win proportion by over three p.c. He signed an eight-year extension with the Blues earlier than the 2020-21 season and must be round for the lengthy haul.
Associated: Blues Prospect Report: Bolduc, Hofer, Snuggerud, Neighbours
Newest Information & HighlightsThe Flyers obtained ahead Jori Lehtera, who was respectable for the Blues in his first two seasons. He was a two-way ahead who may rating at an honest clip. He performed 89 video games over two seasons in Philadelphia earlier than heading to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He’s now enjoying in Finland and has 39 factors in 40 video games for Tappara Tampere of Liiga. Farabee was the perfect a part of this deal. He’s performed 4 seasons in Philadelphia with 118 factors in 219 video games. He’s not Schenn, however he’s been a dependable participant for them total.
As for Morgan Frost, he’s rebounded this season after some damage points early in his profession. He’s scored 24 factors in 48 video games this season. General, he’s performed in 125 video games and has 47 factors. Each he and Farabee are stable gamers, however the Blues don’t remorse this commerce within the slightest. Schenn has been nice and may very well be named captain down the street.
#2 – Buying Pavel Buchnevich from the New York Rangers – July 23, 2021To St. Louis:To New York:Pavel BuchnevichSammy Blais
2022 second-round choose (traded to Winnipeg Jets) (Elias Salomonsson)That is Armstrong’s most lopsided commerce because the Blues’ GM. He acquired Pavel Buchnevich and signed him to a four-year extension earlier than the 2021-22 season. Buchnevich has been the crew’s most dependable scorer the final two seasons, together with Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. He had 76 factors in 73 video games final season, together with 30 targets. Whereas he’s had damage points this season, he nonetheless has 38 factors in 38 video games and shall be a giant a part of the retooling course of. He’s a dynamic two-way ahead and works properly with head coach Craig Berube’s system.
Pavel Buchnevich, St. Louis Blues (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)The New York Rangers bought Sammy Blais on this commerce. Whereas Blais was a stable fourth-liner and a giant hitter for the Blues, he has struggled in New York. He suffered a torn ACL final season however has since returned, showing in 38 video games for the Rangers with 5 factors. He additionally has 113 hits and 15 blocked pictures, however his manufacturing will not be the identical. He had six targets in 40 video games for the Blues in 2019-20 and eight targets in 36 video games in 2020-21. The Rangers thought that buying and selling Buchnevich would assist them develop high picks like Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. That hasn’t labored out. This commerce was a transparent victory for the Blues.
#1 – Buying Ryan O’Reilly from the Buffalo Sabres – July 1, 2018To St. Louis:To Buffalo:Ryan O’ReillyPatrik Berglund
Vladimir Sobotka
Tage Thompson
2019 first-round choose (Ryan Johnson)
2021 second-round choose (traded to Ottawa Senators) (Ben Roger)The Blues gave up a haul to get Ryan O’Reilly earlier than the 2018-19 season, however this commerce modified the franchise for the higher. He’s performed 324 video games throughout 5 seasons with the Blues, scoring 266 factors, and incomes a Selke Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and a Stanley Cup. He was the driving power behind their seven-game Cup Remaining sequence victory over the Boston Bruins in 2019. He could also be previous his prime now, however he’s accomplished nice issues for the membership, together with being a very good captain since Alex Pietrangelo left earlier than the 2020-21 season.
Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka have been stable gamers however didn’t work out for the Buffalo Sabres. The most important a part of the commerce is Tage Thompson. He’s turn out to be a famous person, with 33 targets, 33 assists, and 66 factors in 47 video games. It is a uncommon win-win commerce for each groups.
Honorable point out goes to Armstrong for Roman Polak to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Carl Gunnarsson and a choose (that turned goaltender Ville Husso). One other notable commerce was sending goaltender Brian Elliott to the Flames for a choose that turn out to be Jordan Kyrou. With regards to trades, Armstrong has a very good observe file. He must be trusted because the Blues get able to make a number of trades earlier than the deadline this season.
Ethan Carter has been writing at The Hockey Writers for over three years now. He additionally co-hosts The Blue Observe Podcast for the Bleav Community, which covers the Blues and the NHL a number of occasions per week.
The post Doug Armstrong’s Prime 5 Trades as Blues Normal Supervisor first appeared on Raw News.
