Ah, rumor season.

With only four teams remaining and everyone else in offseason mode, it is prime time for the NHL rumor mill to overflow with trade speculation. One of particular interest for Blues fans involves a hometown boy with family ties to the organization that would immediately become a face of the franchise.

Earlier in the week, Sportnet’s Shane O’Brien mentioned to Steve Kouleas on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio’s The Power Play that Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk might want out with the Blues being a possible desired destination. Nuggets like these are dropped with frequency this time of year, and very few come to fruition. Still, is there anything else better to talk about right now? The answer is no, so we might as well hop aboard the speculation train and discuss what a potential deal for the older Tkachuk might include.

The player that jumps to the mind the quickest for most is Vladimir Tarasenko. Unless Calgary drops it into full rebuild mode, one should assume they will be looking for some “star-caliber” asset in return for arguably their most valuable asset. Tarasenko’s future in St. Louis has been in question since the Blues’ swift postseason exit, and his $7.5 million cap hit helps on the money side of things. He possesses a no-trade clause, but it is not unfathomable to suggest him waving it for a trade to the Flames.

The biggest issue with including Tarasenko in the deal is he really does not fit that “star-caliber” label anymore. Yes, he is a well-known name that once fit that description. Yes, there is a chance (albeit slim) he regains his scoring ways and re-enters that category. However, as of right now, Tarasenko is more of a player a team might take a chance on and hope it works in their favor. So, could he possibly be involved in this trade? Sure, but it is hard to imagine him being the focal point of a deal.

It is more likely that Calgary searches for a player to provide a fresh new look to the organization whose best days are still to come. In that case, the name that should come to the forefront is Jordan Kyrou. The 23-year-old made serious strides this season and began to demonstrate characteristics of a player that can be a true difference-maker for a franchise. Of course, St. Louis would love to hold onto him in a perfect world as he could be a pinnacle part of this team’s “new core” down the road. Sadly, the Blues need to present Calgary with a trade-winning caliber offer, and adding Kyrou helps do that in a big way.

Now Doug Armstrong could try to persuade the Flames to take Robert Thomas instead of Jordan Kyrou. He possesses a similar pedigree (possibly a better one) with promising potential; however, he is a less proven commodity at this point. If the critical piece of a Tkachuk trade is a budding star, St. Louis will face a difficult task proving Thomas is the superior option to Kyrou.
The possibility exists that Calgary looks to obtain both Kyrou and Thomas. If I am Armstrong in that situation, I would have to think long and hard about that. To acquire a player of Tkachuk’s caliber, you need to be willing to get uncomfortable. Still, is placing two highly-valued young pieces of this organization cranking up the discomfort level a bit too high?

Assuming either Kyrou or Thomas is a part of the trade, what would the other pieces be? It is safe to say that St. Louis’s first-round pick needs to be involved, but Kyrou or Thomas and a 2021 first-round pick are not going to cut it. So could something like Tarasenko, Kyrou/Thomas, and a first-rounder work? Maybe. The deal would provide the Flames with a proven commodity that could rebound, a budding long-term top-six option, and a pick in the first round of the upcoming draft.

There is a chance Calgary shows little-to-no interest in Tarasenko and demonstrates the desire to go younger. Then you are looking at a Blues prospect in the deal. Players such as Jake Neighbours, Klim Kostin, and Scott Perunovich come to mind as potential options. However, with a farm system lacking depth, some hesitancy may exist in adding one of these young men into the fold. But again, this is what it will take to bring a player like Matthew Tkachuk to St. Louis.

Of course, Tkachuk’s desired departure from Calgary is merely a rumor with no solid confirmation. If he genuinely does want out of the Flames organization, it makes sense for the team to trade him with just one year remaining on his current deal. As for St. Louis being a favored destination, that also makes total sense. So if Calgary is shopping Tkachuk, the Blues will undoubtedly be aggressive players. For now, all we can do is enjoy the “spicey news” season and let our minds wander into a speculative state.

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