Are you just having fun or do you really think the Blues would entertain trading Pietrangelo for a bunch of fillers?

I don’t think the Blues would ever trade him but you’re probably looking at Rakell + Steel to get a conversation started

I don't think Anaheim would make this deal, let alone Rakell and Steel. Pietrangelo is 29 and does not fit into Anaheim's core at all. If the Blues were smart they'd entertain trading him, but that's not happening. Makes no sense for either team.

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With the signing of Faulk, Pietrangelo is in a precarious place. Ducks arent offering nonsense in this trade, this is more than enough for a 29 year old D who will be leaving his prime soon and is on an expiring contract. Terry is a possible top 6 guy, Sprong could very well have a breakout still, and Grant is an all start ELITE 1C.

lol Grant is a 1C.. ok... Terry, nor Sprong is a top 6 player on Ducks team starved for depth.. they'd have a hard time cracking the top 9 on the Blues when they have a healthy roster (Thomas & Kyrou coming back)

Pietrangelo is a top 10 D in the league and he's never played better. I think you're in left field if you really think Armstrong would even listen to your offer

Its a joke... like a really common joke. But Grant is an established 4th line guy. Not saying he has a ton of value, but guys like him are crucial for contenders.
I used the key work possible. He isnt right now, but he could be. He's just missing confidence. He was a point her game in SD last year at 41 points. Sprong is more of a mystery, he's always been projected as a top 6 scoring forward but vastly lacks success. At lower levels he's been a goal fiend, scoring 30+ goals almost always. He scored 14 goals on an incredibly weak Anaheim team last year. I'd say he still has potential.

That being said, this isn't about fair value. I think it's just a trade that makes no sense for either team. I do stand by the value of all the players I mentioned, but St Louis has no need of them. I think Grant could be a roster spot as 4C, but that's it.

A trade that does make sense? Fowler + a pick for Pietrangelo. Fowler is a LD, so we swap a LD for RD since we each need the other. He's signed to term, a little younger than Pietrangelo, and still a top 4 guy with solid offensive upside.

The reality of the situation is, Faulk got signed to a 6.5 mil contact for 7 years. Pietrangelo's 6.5 mil contract is expiring. Several RFAs are expiring, Binnington is signed for a couple years. Bouwmeester's contract is the only large one coming off the books next year. Gunnarsson is the only real LD on the team. I don't see Pietrangelo signing for less than he's making now unless he really wants to take a team friendly contract to try to win another cup. If it's not him, it's Parayko. Something just has to give.

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I would agree that it seems like something has to give with the RHD situation on the Blues. We don’t know the details. Armstrong could have made the Faulk move because he knows Pietrangelo is hell bent on reaching free agency or maybe the price tag to resign Pietrangelo is too high. These are the kinds of details we won’t know until after the fact. Neither the player nor the management are going public with that kind of information.

Now onto your depth trade. The current forwards are:

Schwartz Schenn Tarasenko
Blais ROR Perron
Fabbri Bozak Sanford
Barbashev Sundqvist Steen

MacEachern is on a one way contract so to send him down means risking him to waivers.

Both Thomas and Kyrou are hurt but should be playing soon. Thomas will replace Sanford and Kyrou will be replacing Fabbri. Kyrou should get a good look in the top 9 because he’s the future and he needs it for his development.

The Blues have Klim Kostin in the AHL. He did everything he needed to in order to make the roster in training camp. The problem is there’s simply not a top 9 spot available and the Blues have the ability to call him up and send him down with no risk of waivers.

You’re adding 3 more forwards to a team with too much depth as it is. It simply doesn’t make sense from the Blues perspective. I’m not trying to be rude at all but it’s just a trade that doesn’t benefit the Blues.

About the payroll next season: I think the consensus is most likely this will be Bouwmeester’s last season. But, he could sign another 1 year deal.

As long as Binnington holds up, (it appears he will), Allen is gone next offseason. It won’t be hard to trad Allen with only one year on his contract.

Steen will be on his last year as well. His actual salary is probably low enough he could be traded but personally I think he’ll block any trade. He could be the organization’s first buyout contract. Either way he’ll be in play.

Bozak is a good 3C but that position will belong to Thomas. Bozak is another player who will only have 1 year left on his contract and he’ll possibly be in trade play.

The Blues have a LHD in the minors, Mikkola, who is perfectly suited for a 3rd pairing role and he will be on the roster next season (should be).

A Fowler for Pietrangelo deal actually makes some sense from a need perspective. Next season the Blues will have Dunn, Gunnarsson, and Mikkola on the left side. It would be a lot better with Fowler 1, Dunn 2, and Mikkola / Gunnarsson 3. The right side would then be settled with Parayko, Faulk, Bortuzzo.

I can’t tell you what the details of a Pietrangelo / Fowler deal would be but it’s certainly a lot more beneficial to the Blues than the forwards deal.

I definitely agree and totally understand, a forward log jam would be a nightmare to say the least. Its absolutely not a need for the Blues. And the talent of the players being provided aren't filling any gaps.

I think I am assuming that the money saved by Allan being dealt will eventually be absorbed by a back up and Binnington raise. If he stays as good as he was last year, he can see at least 6 mil. Hard to say what Bobrovsky's contract will do to future goalie contracts. But the money from Bouwmeester could cover the difference. But like you said, we don't know if there was an intention behind gaining Faulk. he was obtained for a decent price but signed to a healthy contract before the Captain. It could be that Pietrangelo is wanting to test free agency to check on what his price is. It could he wants to play for a new team after so many seasons in St Louis. It could be family motivated. He could believe that the Blues got their cup and their chance to repeat is 1 in a million. Hard to say.

But I dont think any GM or Coach get a RD because they are totally cool with moving their franchise defensemen who is also RD to the left side. But that being said, I absolutely dont see Pietrangelo in a Ducks jersey.