Blues player who must be traded soon

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The St. Louis Blues have been quite active on the trade front in recent days. First, the Blues traded for veteran defender Cam Fowler in a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. On Wednesday, they traded defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joesph back to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for future considerations. And recent reports involving Brandon Saad indicate the Blues may not be done, either.

This string of activity from St. Louis is quite interesting on its own. Add in their place in the Western Conference playoff race, and the situation is even more intriguing. The Blues are on the outside looking in, to be fair. But they only trail the Vancouver Canucks by three points for that final playoff spot in the West.

Their proximity to the final playoff spot in the West gives important context to moves for players like Fowler. Fowler is a player who provides value even if his best days are behind him. Adding him to the mix, especially with the team’s defensive injuries, could help them take another step in the playoff race.

In any event, the Blues are not in a position just to buy, buy, buy. They could certainly use some creativity to shed salary and move some other players around for future assets. And there happens to be one player in particular who makes a lot of sense as a Blues trade candidate.

The Blues shopping Brandon Saad makes sense

Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Last season, Brandon Saad had a rather impressive season for the Blues. In fact, he had one of the most impressive seasons of his career in 2023-24. The Pittsburgh native set a new career high for goals — scoring 26 — while reverting back to the 40-50 point production he established earlier in his career.

However, regression was always a possibility for Saad in 2024-25. And the regression bug bit him something fierce. To this point, the veteran winger has four goals and 10 points in 30 games. He served as a healthy scratch on Friday night when St. Louis faced the Florida Panthers on the road.

Saad’s underlying numbers at 5v5 are not great, even if his expected numbers show a bit of potential for a bounce back. However, there is still value he brings to the table given his experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Pittsburgh native won two Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks during the team’s mid-2010s dynasty. Furthermore, he has skated in over 100 career postseason games.

Saad has always been a complementary winger. He is not a superstar, but he also doesn’t need to be. He is a solid offensive contributor who won’t be a major liability in his own zone. Another aspect going for Saad is that he is signed past the 2024-25 season. There are teams out there that could use a player like him.

Unfortunately, the Blues are not one of those teams. St. Louis is looking to retooling their roster on the fly. Saad’s underperformance is doing little to help his team make a serious playoff push. While they certainly could hold out for a breakthrough, it’d be best for both sides to find a new home for the Pittsburgh native.

Cup contending teams could reach out for Saad once the NHL’s holiday roster freeze is lifted. Whether a trade materializes certainly remains to be seen. In any event, the Blues would be wise to take an agreeable trade offer the moment one comes across their desk.

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