Regarding the St. Louis Blues 2021 offseason plan, General Manager Doug Armstrong made it clear he intends to retool the roster’s makeup with hopes of keeping their championship window alive.

Whether you are on board with this mentality or not, this is how the organization plans on proceeding this summer. Still, there is no harm in exploring other approaches.

A section of Blues fans believes that the championship window is indeed closed for this particular group, and the time to execute a complete rebuild is now. Though Armstrong & Co. disagree with this plan, it is far from unreasonable. With the ascension of new powerhouses in the Western Conference, and pessimism surrounding the idea of St. Louis getting close to matching their skill, some feel it best to look towards the future. Add on the aging core and a farm system in need of an upgrade, and a suggested rebuild does not sound too far-fetched.

However, to other members of the loyal fan base, rebuilding seems too drastic a move. Maybe a retool is all this team needs to get back to contention in the West.

Let us look at what a Blues rebuild might look like and determine whether it makes sense.

To be clear, if St. Louis chose to embark on a proper rebuild, the organization would shift its focus to building towards the future. The goal would no longer be to compete for a Stanley cup. It would change to creating a consistent contender in the next three to five seasons. Of course, rebuilding is a grueling process involving patience and forward-thinking. At the same time, all teams must live through them at some point.

While in rebuild mode, Armstrong must identify current NHL assets that would fetch a decent return of future pieces (picks and prospects). If you operate in the “video game world,” you may misinterpret this as trading away every asset with term left on their contract and an undesirable cap hit. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. Rebuilding teams need to find partners willing to take on those hefty contracts. That becomes more challenging when players possess multiple years left on their current deal.

In the case of St. Louis, a few names stand out as tradeable assets that may fetch a decent return.
The player that immediately jumps to the top of the list is Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly. A top-line center that is effective in all areas of the game, countless teams would love the chance to bring him aboard. With a $7.5 million cap hit for two more seasons, the financial burden is not outrageous for the 30-year-old. Moving on from O’Reilly would be the move St. Louis would bank on to jump-start the rebuild. No other player on the roster could bring in a comparable return. Another player in a similar financial situation as O’Reilly is Vladimir Tarasenko. Possessing the same cap-hit and term, Tarasenko is another contract that hypothetically would not square away potential trade partners. Unlike O’Reilly, however, there is far more risk with bringing in a player that may not remain healthy and whose best days are likely behind him. With one year remaining on his current deal, David Perron would bring back a respectable return for a season-long rental as well. Other names that could bring back significant assets in trade include Colton Parayko, Robert Bortuzzo, and Marco Scandella (maybe).

Ideally, St. Louis would love to get out of contracts with Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk, and Torey Krug. With Faulk and Krug on the books until 2027 and Schenn for one more year after, those contracts become close to impossible to move, especially in a flat-cap era. Of course, if a team possesses this many immovable assets with still some quality talent remaining, the argument can be made that the better approach is to try and win with them instead of wasting years of their career.

The Blues also have upcoming RFA’s they need to decide on. Make no mistake, Jordan Kyrou is a part of the team’s present and future. However, a determination on folks like Robert Thomas and Vince Dunn must be made.

Though the idea of a rebuild appeals to some, I’m not sure St. Louis is in the right place for it. The better move is to give it at least one more season with the hopes of a propper turnaround. It seems unwise to completely abandon ship after such a bizarre season-plus.

The Blues still have the pieces in place to put together a successful team. Do not abandon hope just yet.

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