With Blues struggling, will O'Reilly become trade bait?
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With the St. Louis Blues sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings with just six points this season, the team is currently shaping up to be sellers at the March 3 trade deadline.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote Thursday in The Athletic that pending unrestricted free agent Ryan O'Reilly could become a headliner on the Trade Bait board if the Blues continue to struggle.
O'Reilly, who had 21 goals and 58 points in 78 games last season. is off to a slow start with just two goals in 11 games. The 31-year-old has a robust resume, though, including winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019 as the Blues won the Stanley Cup.
The Blues captain has no trade protection of any kind in his contract and carries a cap hit of $7.5 million. LeBrun writes the Blues would likely have to retain 50 per cent of his salary to complete a deal but expects there would be a significant market at that price.
The Blues are currently mired in an eight-game losing skid after starting the season a perfect 3-0. General manager Doug Armstrong met with the team's players on Nov. 1 when the losing skid was at five games, placing the blame on their shoulders while backing head coach Craig Berube.
"One of the things I told the players is that if this continues, in my 30 years of watching the NHL, it's going to be okay, well then what happens - the coach? I told the players the coach is not going anywhere because the coach came from the American Hockey League, where he coached young players and made them better. And he coached veteran players and made them win here, so he can do both," Armstrong said. "So, he's going to be here… I believe in the coach; I believe in the system. This isn't a system issue, it's a competitive issue."
Along with O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko is also a pending unrestricted free agent for the Blues. Tarasenko, however, has a full no-trade clause as part of his deal which also carries $7.5 million cap hit. The 30-year-old winger has four goals and nine points in 11 games this season.
The Blues will host the San Jose Sharks (3-8-3) on Thursday night as they look to end their losing streak.