In a dramatic turn of events at the NHL Entry Draft, the St. Louis Blues made a bold move by trading center Kevin Hayes to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This trade has sent shockwaves through the hockey world, but what does it mean for the Blues and their future plans?
The trade of Hayes is just the beginning of what could be a major shakeup for the Blues. With other players on the roster who could free up more cap space, the focus now turns to defenseman Torey Krug. Krug, with a hefty $6.5 million cap hit, has not quite lived up to expectations in recent seasons. It seems plausible that Krug could be the next player on the move for the Blues. With promising young defensemen like Scott Perunovich, Tyler Tucker, and Pierre-Oliver Joseph waiting in the wings, Krug’s time in St. Louis may be running out.
However, the recent trade of Hayes may complicate matters for the Blues. Hayes had two years left on his contract with a lower cap hit, yet the Blues had to part ways with a second-round pick just to offload his contract. In contrast, Krug has three years remaining on his deal, and any team interested in acquiring him would need to take on a hefty $19.5 million. This makes a potential trade involving Krug much more complicated, likely requiring the Blues to part ways with valuable draft picks.
With few alternatives for moving on from Krug, the Blues may have no choice but to hold onto him for the time being. While Krug could potentially improve under the guidance of former coach Claude Julien, the team must also consider the possibility of cutting ties and allowing younger players to step up.
Looking ahead to the next offseason, the Blues may have a better opportunity to trade Krug with a full complement of draft picks at their disposal. This could make it easier to entice a team to take on his contract without sacrificing valuable assets.
In the end, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong faces a tough decision regarding Krug’s future with the team. While trading him this offseason may seem ideal, the reality is that it may not be feasible without significant consequences for the team’s draft prospects. For now, it seems that the Blues will have to make the best of a challenging situation and see how things unfold with Krug in the lineup.
