ST. LOUIS – The NHL trade deadline is traditionally a time when the St. Louis Blues are busy making moves. Roughly 24 hours away from this year’s deadline, the Blues have pretty much stood pat to this point.

That said, there are at least two notable roster developments on the eve of the trade deadline.

The Blues announced a contract extension Thursday for forward Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues also plan on starting forward Pavel Buchnevich in Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils ahead of deadline day.

Both moves are notable in the sense that Buchnevich, and to a lesser extent Sundqvist, were believed to be possible trade pieces in the case the Blues entered the seller’s market.

St. Louis has 20 games remaining on schedule and sits six points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference playoff spot with only one game in hand. Playoff hopes aren’t quite as bleak now compared to this time last year, but time is running out for the Blues to gain ground for another playoff run.

The Blues have the closest path to a Western Conference playoff spot for any team outside the bubble, and pressure is mounting for the team decide if they should stand pat or move any assets.

Buchnevich, the Blues’ current goals leader (24) has one more year after this season remaining on a contract St. Louis inherited in the 2021 trade that brought him there from the New York Rangers. There’s belief the Blues could fetch more trading Buchnevich at this year’s deadline compared to his contract season next year.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, the Blues plan to start Buchnevich in their last game before the deadline. The move is interesting in the sense that sellers often opt to rest potential trade pieces just ahead of deadline day. That does not appear to be the case for Buchnevich, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the Blues aren’t taking calls on him either.

According to hockey scout Gabe Foley, the Blues’ asking price on Buchnevich is reportedly two first-round picks or prospect equivalents. The Blues may also be willing to retain some of Buchnevich’s salary this year and next season.

Meanwhile, the Blues agreed to to a two-year, $3 million contract extension for forward Oskar Sundqvist. He rejoined the Blues in the offseason on a one-year deal after the Blues moved him during the trade deadline in 2022. Sundqvist has six goals and 15 assists in 62 games this season.

Sundqvist was one of several veterans playing on contract years prior to the extension. There’s a possibility the Blues move someone else under that umbrella to free up some space or offer a larger role to someone younger. Defensemen Marco Scandella and forwards Kasperi Kapanen and Sammy are also names to watch at deadline because they are pending unrestricted free agents at the season’s end.

The Blues, desperate for points and still apparently undecided about their stance ahead of the trade deadline, battle the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, their second game since a head coach change. It’s the third stop of a tough five-game East Coast road trip that ends Monday.