Krug has seemingly been on the outs in St. Louis for some time now, especially as the team has already tried to trade him once. Krug remains a steady contributor of offense, but his defensive game is abysmal and he has certainly contributed to the team's lack of success in recent years. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, the Blues have won just a single playoff round, which came in their most recent playoffs appearance, 2021-22. The team has failed to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and general manager Doug Armstrong is adamant about avoiding a full-on rebuild.
The Blues appear to be gearing up for a new era of franchise history as they continue to make moves that will impact the team for years to come. The team just announced an extension for Dou Armstrong that will see him transition from general manager to president of hockey operations as AGM and former Blues center Alex Steen is set to replace him.
With these changes in mind, it seems that the Blues could see a lot of changes to the on-ice product over the next few years. Those changes very well could start with the team buying out Krug, so be on the lookout for that as the NHL buyout window begins.
