My Take: Don’t Fear a Loss of Chemistry

Team chemistry is certainly very important and is a primary contributing factor the Blues’ current success. Such a statement meets little resistance among fans and media alike. Yet, the favorite question of the former lurks in the quiet corners of St. Louis, waiting for an opportunity boisterously jump out like Louie the pantless bear.

Do the Blues need to make a trade?

An argument can be made that personnel upgrades are needed before the NHL Trade Deadline on February 27th. The finishing scoring opportunities is in short supply (20th in Goals For/Game). Both special teams units continue to dwell in the bottom half as does the team’s face-off winning percentage (28th PP, 19th PK). The experienced depth on defense is thinner than desired (After Ian Cole, the abyss).

These holes are legitimate concerns with this group. They are tangible roadblocks to continued success in a downhill sprint to game 82. We’re about to see how big the holes are with 11 of the next 13 games (13 games in 17 days) against teams in their conference’s top 8 or within 5 points of 8th place before the deadline. Sadly, this February gauntlet is only a precursor to the March from hell. The schedule tilts heavily towards road games. Keeping the Blues away from the friendly confines that they’ve padded their place in the standings with the leagues best home record. They will play only 5 games out of 15 games at Scottrade Center. Only 3 between March 1st and the 27th are in St. Louis.

Doug Armstrong cannot be fearful in making changes if they are determined to be needed. February will expose the requirements to make March a survivable ordeal. An even break over the two months ensures a desperately needed playoff run. Not only from a fan confidence perspective, but also from a new ownership and financial perspective. His means may be constricted, but he cannot stand back if concerns turn in to problems. It’s not in his MO to do so.

The NHL is a business and everyone involved with the team knows this. The players know this as well. Should a deal come, they have to keep moving forward. If they cannot, then important lessons have been learned for the summer ahead. For every argument that any trade would destroy what’s been built (recalling the Garth Butcher trade), there is a counter argument that it could show the organizations commitment to winning and motivate others to be better.

It is in that line of thinking that an arbitrary moratorium on trades to preserve chemistry cannot be entertained. Flexibility to tweak the lineup by adding depth or condensing strength is critical to any team amidst a playoff push. This may be the Blues first foray in to the upper levels of the Western Conference standings, but its not Armstrong’s first stretch run rodeo. If moves have to be made, then they have to be made. Worries about chemistry be damned.

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What say you? Too dangerous to risk it? Too much to lose if they don’t and bottom out? Put your two cents in the comments.

Thanks for reading.