The St. Louis Blues have made a rare double-tender move to snag Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers. The move has further closed the blue line in St. Louis. Broberg became the tenth defenseman on a one-way contract and is expected to be out of the Opening Day lineup due to his salary. According to James Wilson of NHL Trade Rumors, the Blues are expected to trade one of their defensemen, even after the announcement of Torey Krug’s injury.
“The team is expected to retain no more than eight defensemen on its NHL roster, meaning difficult decisions lie ahead, especially given Krug’s uncertain status due to a pre-arthritis ankle injury that may require season-ending surgery for him,” Wilson wrote.
Krug’s injury looms large in the Blues’ future plans. If he’s out for the season, it could help St. Louis’ salary cap. His $6.5 million salary cap income could land him on long-term injured reserve for the season. While that’s a one-season solution, it could keep the rest of the core together.
Regardless of Krug’s status, the Blues should add a forward. Their surplus doesn’t extend to the offensive half of the ice and they didn’t add a powerful goal scorer this offseason. They’ve missed the playoffs in two straight seasons and need to improve to be back in the mix in 2024-25.
Defenders the Blues can trade before the season
The first step the Blues need to take is to look around the league and find a team that needs a defenseman. Although the Oilers are on that list, another deal between the two teams seems unlikely. The Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers are teams that could make a deal.
The Hurricanes lost Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei as free agents this year. That core hasn’t made it to the Cup final despite some great regular seasons. The Blues should use their surplus to acquire winger Jordan Martinook from the Hurricanes. Martinook is a solid defensive winger who has scored 15 goals in each of the last two seasons.
Related newsArticle continues below
They bolster wing depth and trade Nick Leddy for a price. The veteran has been around a lot since leaving the Islanders in 2021 and could finish his career alongside Brent Burns in Carolina. Leddy is still a solid player. Broberg and a healthy pitcher can replace his production.
The Flyers want a younger player as their transfer period is just beginning. Krug has already announced he doesn’t want to play for Philly, so that option is out. With Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan Ellis both injured, they need another defenseman. Scott Perunovich is only 24 years old and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
The Flyers would have to pay a lot to get Perunovich from the Blues. Joel Farabee would be a good fit for the Blues and would be a solid return for the defenseman. The 23-year-old forward scored a career-high 50 points last season but won’t get top-six minutes in Philly this season. This move could put the Flyers in the playoffs next season.
