The St. Louis Blues have undergone a pretty drastic change for the better this season as they have changed around a number of personnel on the team. There is more yet to come as they aren’t equipped for next season and also need to free up some more cap space. In doing so they will say goodbye to a few faces currently on the team.
Torey Krug
The Blues want to move one of their four big defencemen and there were the most rumours surrounding Colton Parayko even though he has the most term left on his deal and he is the youngest among them. Instead of Parayko, the Blues are more likely to trade Torey Krug based on this season and where it is trending. He did get interest at the trade deadline, so this isn’t a shot in the dark.
Despite being the defenceman on the top power play, Krug has been demoted to a third pairing role, has averaged less than 19 minutes per game this season, is a -34, and isn’t even leading the Blues’ leading point-getter among defenders. He is 31 years old and is having his least productive season of the 10 he has spent in the NHL. Krug won’t be easy to move with a $6.5 million AAV cap hit for four more years and a full no-trade clause for the next two. There may be a strong possibility he waives it after this season and where he is playing in the lineup. The Blues have the personnel to fill his spot.
Robert Bortuzzo
Robert Bortuzzo has almost been phased out of the Blues’ defence this season as he has been ineffective. He has only suited up for 37 games and has lost his role in the starting lineup to 23-year-old rookie Tyler Tucker. Seeing as Bortuzzo plays on the right side and there’s Parayko and Justin Faulk as the top two defencemen, that leaves Tucker as Bortuzzo’s main competition for a spot. As the Blues have changed things around this season, they should continue to move out some of the veterans.
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If you’re thinking Bortuzzo could stick around for the final year of his contract as the seventh defenceman, I would counter that Calle Rosen has earned that role or a spot in the lineup over him. When Rosen gets an opportunity that doesn’t come as much as it should, he takes full advantage with seven goals, 15 points, and a +14 in 39 games. Both are UFAs at the end of next season and Bortuzzo’s 12 minutes per game average doesn’t show any confidence from the coaching staff.
Thomas Greiss
Goaltending has not been a strong area for the Blues this season. Jordan Binnington’s struggles have been well documented, but St. Louis needed more from Thomas Greiss as well. After losing Ville Husso in free agency, they opted to sign the veteran Greiss to a one-year deal. It hasn’t worked out as he was hanging around a sub-.900 SV% this season until a recent win against the beaten down Columbus Blue Jackets put him back over a .900 SV%.
Greiss is 7-8-0 on the season with a .903 SV% and 3.36 goals against average (GAA). Only six of his 15 starts have been quality starts and he is a minus in goals saved above average (GSAA). Though the backups don’t typically have the easiest job due to playing on the second half of back-to-backs often, they usually get put in net against the easier opponents as well. Greiss hasn’t been able to take any pressure off Binnington like Husso was able to and seeing as he’s a UFA, the Blues should be looking elsewhere to fill that position.
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