ST. LOUIS — The Stanley Cup has been awarded, and we’re seeing our first significant trades of the summer.That means the St. Louis Blues could be in business soon.The NHL Draft is just nine days away, and with 12 picks this year, the Blues will be on the board a lot.That’s not all. The draft, as general manager Doug Armstrong told The Athletic recently, can also act as a pseudo trade deadline for potential deals. Then there’s free agency July 1, offer sheets, and a new collective bargaining agreement coming in September that could encourage teams to re-sign players on expiring contracts before it kicks in.We’re getting closer to all of that, as Armstrong confirmed earlier this month when he said that everything “gets serious” around June 20.Two months ago, I made 10 offseason predictions, and in that article, I disappointed a lot of Blues fans by not projecting more change.This time, my assignment is different. What would a perfect offseason look like for the Blues? This, by nature, evoke more promise.There’s a qualifier, though. While I will try to speak several long-shot possibilities into existence, they can’t all happen. But even if just a few of them do, Alexander Steen’s introduction to his new GM job will be off to a flying start.Trade up to No. 2, take StenbergWe’ll start off with one that, honestly, I don’t think is possible. Why would the San Jose Sharks trade out of the No. 2 pick and potentially down to No. 11? If they want to move down, they could drop a few spots in the top five, still get a great player and acquire another asset or two in the deal.Even if the Blues packaged Nos. 11 and 15, the Sharks are getting quantity but not the quality they’ll get at Nos. 2 through 5. So it could cost the Blues a high pick, a prospect and/or a current roster player, such as Jordan Kyrou or Colton Parayko.The price to pry away the No. 2 selection will sting, but in a year when the Blues have assets to spare, it’s the type of aggressive move that could further accelerate the team’s retool. Ivar Stenberg may not be a superstar, but the club would be better off with him than later draft picks, lesser prospects and players who may not have a future in St. Louis.Top 5 prospects after the NHL Draft CombineCorey Pronman, Scott Wheeler and moreKeep Thomas, make him captainAt this point, I’m fairly confident in saying the Blues aren’t trading Robert Thomas anytime soon. And according to our fan survey in May, 97.1 percent of participants agreed that that was the right move.So now what? Well, it’s up to Thomas. He has to find a way to play from October to January the way he has from February to April. His consistency has the biggest bearing on whether the Blues are a playoff team or not. He can also push Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud to heights that might otherwise not be possible.Meanwhile, if you’re keeping Thomas, you’re making him captain, too. Jake Neighbours is more than a viable candidate, but asking Thomas to assume a large leadership role without putting the “C” on him wouldn’t make sense — and referencing the fan survey again, 58.9 percent of participants agreed. He has to continue making strides, but having No. 18 on the ice with the “C” on his chest would be a good choice.Package Kyrou for KniesIf Thomas is staying put and the Blues are hoping to make some changes to their core, Kyrou is among the names next on the list. The 28-year-old has three 30-goal seasons under his belt and four years left on a contract ($8.125 million average annual value).In trading a player like Kyrou, you must consider two things: 1) Which teams will he waive his full no-trade clause to play for? 2) Which teams would be looking to add a player with an $8 million AAV?