Blues Must Move Veteran Defender Before Season

The Blues have to clear out one of their defenders before the season begins.

Mar 30, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing Fabian Zetterlund (20) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Nick Leddy (4) battle for the puck during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Blues made several moves to change up their roster this offseason. They acquired forwards Radek Faksa and Mathieu Joseph in separate trades to bolster their bottom six. They also brought in free agents P.O. Joseph and Ryan Suter to sure up their back-end.

With those moves, the Blues have eight defensemen battling it out for their top-six. Depth is a must in the NHL, with injuries always a threat, but the Blues likely can't carry all of these players on their roster to begin the season. Because of this, don't be surprised if the team moves out one of their veteran defenders between now and the regular season.

The right side of the Blues' defense feels locked in with Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, and Mattew Kessel. The left side is up for grabs. Veterans like Suter, Torey Krug, and Nick Leddy will compete with youngsters Joseph and Tyler Tucker for the top three spots.

Suter and Joseph just arrived, so they are going to be with the team to open the season. Tyler Tucker is 24 years-old and ready for a larger role after two years of going back-and-forth from the AHL to the NHL and back again. Scott Perunovich is improving steadily and at 26 years-old could be ready for top power play duties. The problem is that none of those players can reliably play 20 or more minutes per game.

The only left-shot defensemen capable of that are Nick Leddy and Torey Krug. Krug makes sense to move on from. The Blues attempted to trade the veteran to the Philadelphia Flyers last season, but Krug refused to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal. According to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford, he won't be waiving that clause this season either.

That leaves Nick Leddy. The Blues signed him to a four-year contract in 2022 and he makes $4 million per season. Like Krug, he also has a no-trade clause in place through the 2024 season and has full approval of any moves the Blues intend to make.

That leaves the Blues in a precarious position. They have no leverage to trade their veteran defenders and can't guarantee Leddy or Krug would approve any trade the team could arrange. They can move Perunovich, who has no trade protections, but the team clearly believes in him. They could make a drastic move and place one of their highly-paid veterans on waivers but that won't guarantee another team takes on their salary. It doesn't leave the team with many positive options, but something has to give in St. Louis before the 2024 season begins.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

• Oilers and Senators Swap Young Forwards
• Blue Jackets Narrow Coaching Search
• Three NHL Players Set to Sign Long-Term Extension
• Surprise Name Early Leader NHL's Jack Adams Award
• Three NHL Players Poised to Regress in 2024