A 36-year-old Keith Tkachuk hung around Scottrade Center a little longer than usual on March 4, 2009, the NHL’s trade deadline day that year, half expecting to be asked to waive his no-trade clause.



The Blues had turned around their season about six weeks earlier in Boston, scoring in the final second of regulation and winning 5-4 over the Bruins in a shootout. But they were still in 12th place in the Western Conference and four points out of a playoff spot at the deadline.



Tkachuk was in the final season of a two-year contract and would become an unrestricted free agent that summer. The club was going younger with Erik Johnson, who was injured that year, Alex Pietrangelo, David Perron, Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie.



“You heard rumblings and I was getting older, so we were just waiting to see what would happen,” Tkachuk said. “But nothing was going on, so I decided to hop in the car and head home. And then boom!. I got a call from...