NHL Trade Rumors: Is Jaroslav Halak On The Trade Block?

I'm not sure what to make of this latest rumor, because a) it's so random and b) it appears to go against the Blues' best interests. As seen on ProHockeyTalk, NHL scouts are saying that Jaroslav Halak is available for trade bait.

Two scouts told me tonight that Jaroslav Halak was on the block, so I asked Doug Armstrong. His answer: "He's not going anywhere."

— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) March 21, 2013

Well, then. Someone's blowing smoke somewhere, and I'm guessing it's the scouts. Aside from Armstrong saying "hell no," we also have the fact that, yet again, the Blues are not going to create a hole to fill one. We've discussed this with the Kevin Shattenkirk trade rumors and the Jarome Iginla rumors both. The Blues need a defenseman or a finisher. They also need a goalie, which is basically the most important position on a team. They won't give up a starting goalie to get one of their needs.

Jake Allen's a tremendous story this season, and has been playing out of his mind. There's no reason to rely on him, though -- look at Brian Elliott for a cautionary tale of what can happen after a career season. He's proven, unfortunately, that it's possible to regress behind the mean.

It makes no sense to go with an underdeveloped rookie and a battered back-up. The Blues, I am assuming, would like to make the playoffs this season. Brian Elliott's trade value is minimal right now, Jake Allen isn't being traded, and neither is Jaroslav Halak. Scouts and NHL rumor websites should probably think up a new thing to speculate on as far as St. Louis is concerned.