Wow. That sure was an exciting trade deadline... if you were either a Panthers fan who gets all excited about draft picks and prospects, or someone who dislikes the Panthers and giggled at them dumping all of their legit players except for two (raises hand). I almost called in to work to pop popcorn, grab a beer, and watch TradeCentre all day. I am very, very glad that I didn't.
No one expected the Blues to make another big deal - the Erik Johnson and Jay McClement to Colorado for Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart was probably the biggest deal that the Blues have made around the trade deadline date in years; did anyone expect the team to bring in anyone else?
What're the two sides of this coin? Around here I've heard predominantly one side of this argument - let's look at each.
So you're saying there's a chance?The Blues are seven points out of a playoff spot with twenty games or so left. Technically they could add forty points to their total and make it! Realistically, that isn't going to happen. Would adding one more player get them over the hump and into the playoffs, though? It's a possibility. Is it a high possibility? Absolutely not. Fans, though, don't like seeing their team be the sellers at the deadline. In hockey, it's a white flag of surrender. You can justify the quality of picks that you get in return for players, or focus on the cons of players who go, but you're still losing players, and you'll probably replace them with AHL call-ups. What's the fun in watching kids get a chance when you're falling down the standings even more?
Why Not Trade?
Seven points out with some really hot teams all smushed together ahead of you is not a positive spot to be in. Regardless of the personnel on the team, you aren't going to win enough games down the stretch to get you into a miracle playoff spot. Injuries have cost you the season; not necessarily poor play the entire year long, or the makeup of your team. There's not a lot of shame to be had, because everyone knows what happened to your team.
You have a decent pool of prospects that need playing time. You have some players who haven't produced the way they should - or at all - that can be had for surprisingly high draft picks. Next season you're going to have to replace whatever young kids stick around with someone in the prospect pool, right? Look to the future of your franchise, make the most of your down seasons, and rebuild rebuild rebuild... it worked for the Penguins and Blackhawks. Why in the world wouldn't it work for the Blues?