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St. Louis Blues make veteran goal scorer available via trade
According to reports, veteran forward Brandon Saad is open a trade this summer with the St. Louis Blues.
Doug Armstrong, who hasn't missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2009–10 and 2010–11, will have his hands full this summer trying to bolster St. Louis' squad. Given that several of his players, including Pavel Buchnevich and Torey Krug, have been linked to moves outside of St. Louis, and that Brandon Saad is apparently another name you can add to that list, it's unknown how Armstrong will approach this off-season.
The St. Louis Blues have made Brandon Saad available for trade this summer, with general manager Doug Armstrong assessing what he may receive for specific players on the market, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, who just disclosed this information in his Trade Targets list.
Saad's no-trade provision is in effect for the whole 2024–25 season. After that, it will be updated to include a 12-team no-trade list for the 2025–26 season. Seravalli thinks that Saad would be a good trade candidate because he just had the second-best goal-scoring season of his NHL career and his worth probably won't increase over the next few years.
"There are rumblings that Saad is available as GM Doug Armstrong checks market prices as part of his due diligence in a quest to make the Blues better. It's a bit surprising considering Saad is coming off the second-best goal scoring season of his career, netting 26 last year to finish tied for fourth on the team with Robert Thomas." Seravalli said.
He added, "However, if you think about it from Armstrong's perspective, this might be the exact time to cash in on Saad with strong value on the market considering the two years remaining on his deal. It's also the same old, same old in St. Louis: Saad has a full 'no-trade' clause for one more year, and he also happens to have the same agent as Krug, who blocked a trade last summer with that very clause."
He added, "However, if you think about it from Armstrong's perspective, this might be the exact time to cash in on Saad with strong value on the market considering the two years remaining on his deal. It's also the same old, same old in St. Louis: Saad has a full 'no-trade' clause for one more year, and he also happens to have the same agent as Krug, who blocked a trade last summer with that very clause."
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Saad, who turns 32 on October 27, would provide a competitive club with a wealth of experience next season. He is now only 31 years old. He demonstrated his ability to contribute at the NHL level last season, and he may prove to be a useful addition in a middle-six role if he spent some time on the second powerplay unit.
The Pittsburgh native had 42 points (26 goals, 16 assists) in 82 games this season with the Blues, 20 penalty minutes, and a minus-four rating.
The Blues will be a team to monitor in the trade and free agent markets as Doug Armstrong searches for ways to improve the team for the 2024–25 campaign. For the Blues organization, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs three years in a row would be terrible, so this off-season is crucial. The 2005–06 and 2007–08 seasons were the last time St. Louis missed the playoffs in three successive years.
Source: Blade of Steel
Blues reportedly make veteran forward Brandon Saad available for trade
Blues reportedly make veteran forward Brandon Saad available for trade
| POLL | ||
JUIN 17 | 43 ANSWERS St. Louis Blues make veteran goal scorer available via trade Which player is most likely to be dealt by the Blues this summer? | ||
| Brandon Saad | 11 | 25.6 % |
| Torey Krug | 18 | 41.9 % |
| Pavel Buchnevich | 14 | 32.6 % |
| List of polls | ||