There has been a new team that has entered the chat with Timo Meier I am told it’s the St. Louis Blues, and that may be a surprise to some but it shouldn’t be. I’m told that the Blues did inquire with the Sharks earlier this week about Timo Meier after executing the trades with Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly. This shouldn’t be a shock, this is exactly what Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has done in his playbook previously. Think back to the trades he’s done in recent years: Kevin Shattenkirk for a first-round pick, he then takes that pick and uses it to acquire Brayden Schenn in the summer. More recently than that, Paul Stastny moved at the deadline for a first-round pick, he then takes that pick in a package to get Ryan O’Reilly.

Now you fast forward, Tarasenko and O’Reilly both fetch first-round picks and the Blues now have three first-round picks this year. My guess is that the Blues will now leverage those first-round picks, and may even keep their first-round pick to try and bring someone like Timo Meier into the fold who can then play with Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn and be a part of that Blues core moving forward with a long term extension. So we know the Hurricanes are very interested, we know the Devils are very interested but I think this race has really heated up in a big big way.

I’m told that one of the teams that has inquired with the Blues in recent days about Colton Parayko is the Ottawa Senators. Probably not a shock there, also considering that the Sens have been on the prowl for a difference-maker on defence.

A right-shot defenseman in Colton Parayko who is in the first year of that eight-year deal at $6.5 million. He’s got the size at 6’6, I think his game had trended the wrong way in the last couple of years. In terms of his productivity and his impact on the ice for the Blues.

And if they’re looking to make a dent on their blueline and create some of that cap flexibility, Parayko has some value. I’m told that what the Blues are looking for in return for Parayko is a younger defenseman under team control at a more reasonable salary cap number. Think of some of the younger guys that the Sens have had in and out of their blueline the last number of years. The prospects that they’ve been shepherding through the pipeline, someone closer to NHL ready that the Blues could plug into their lineup. And not experience a significant drop-off between Parayko and the next guy.

That’s really where it gets difficult for some of these teams. They’re saying well we really like the growth that we’re seeing in some of our younger defensemen. To then take that out and add in a player like Parayko, who is 29 and as I mentioned is in the first year of that deal that goes to age 37. That can be a little bit of a difficult proposition to make. If you’re the Sens and you’re trying to finally get moving in the right direction, getting some real stability from Parayko could go a long way in terms of accomplishing that.