It's still early in the 2015-16 NHL season and yet some franchises are already scanning the horizon, attempting to split their focus between the here and now and a potential playoff berth come the spring. The St. Louis Blues, dealing with a bevy of significant injuries to their forward corps, are seemingly one of those teams. With players like Jaden Schwartz, Paul Stastny and Patrik Berglund facing significant injuries and lengthy timetables for return, Blues GM Doug Armstrong has reportedly begun the arduous and undesirable task of pursuing potential upgrades from outside the organization.
"But he doesn't want to make a trade through a position of weakness," TSN's Darren Dreger said, while appearing on an episode of TSN's 1050, via Todays Slap Shot. "But I do see St. Louis doing something when they get healthy and in better form. They're in the market for a top-six forward, but it's going to cost them one of their coveted defensemen. Maybe Carl Gunnarsson and something else to acquire that piece."
This isn't the first time Gunnarsson's name has popped up as part of a trade rumor this season. It was reported by Dreger just last week that the big blueliner was being pursued by other franchises as part of a potential forward deal.
The seven-year NHL vet has turned himself into a top-four, minutes-eating defender and drawn the eye of the league in the process. With Kevin Shattenkirk still out of the St. Louis lineup after a "setback," Gunnarsson's value to the team is likely higher on the ice than as a trade piece, but should Shattenkirk return sometime in the near future and Colton Parayko continue his strong early season play, it's entirely possible that the Blues top-six sees a talent boost via a trade at some point this year.
With the team sitting at 9-3-1 and in second place in the Pacific, there may seem little need for urgency on a deal for a forward. But with the Blues and head coach Ken Hitchcock thinking Stanley Cup after the disappointments of the past couple of seasons, a trade wouldn't just be to fend off the injuries now, it'd be to help push the team over the top and, hopefully, finally bring the franchise an NHL championship.
