With the club open to offers for its prized No.1 pick, and a recent record of aggressive dealing that has seen key players leave the club in the past two off-seasons, the Saints shape as a major factor in this year's exchange period.
Head of football Chris Pelchen said the club would be manoeuvring for a third selection between its first two picks (No.1 and No.21) when trade talks officially open next month.
"Our strategic plan that was formulated over the last 18 months certainly had a strong focus on increasing our draft activity in the first two rounds of the draft, and that focus won't change this year," Pelchen told AFL.com.au.
"We were able to achieve that with three picks inside 20 last year (No.3, No.18 and No.19).
"Our general focus entering the trade period initially will be to increase our draft activity again in 2014.
"At the moment we've got pick No.1 and No.21, so we'd be looking for another pick somewhere within those two."
Trading pick No.1 for two early selections would appear the Saints' best chance of securing three picks inside No.21.
However, Pelchen said the club hadn't made "a deliberate decision on whether to trade or retain it at this point", and it would enter the trade period open to offers.
In a stance that has ramifications for the draft order this year, Pelchen said the club didn't feel it needed to leverage its first selection to either draft or trade in a young key position player.
Vic Country key forward Paddy McCartin and Vic Metro midfielder Christian Petracca are the two main contenders at pick No.1 in an even and open draft.
"Our primary focus will be getting the most talented player to our club, whether it be a standalone pick or whether it be through trading," he said.
"I think we'll become more specific and round out our list over coming years, but at the moment we still have a very strong focus on increasing the talent base at the club."
St Kilda players completed their end of season meetings on Monday and Tuesday this week, with six players leaving the club so far through retirements or delisting.
Terry Milera has also requested a trade to South Australia, potentially taking that number to seven.
After months of work behind the scenes, Pelchen said the Saints expected to announce a number of contract extensions for young players in the coming weeks.
The club, which will hold its best and fairest count on Friday night, will also conduct a two-day review of its football operations next week, chaired by Pelchen.
Despite a season that resulted in just four wins and the club's first wooden spoon since 2000, Pelchen said the 'Road to 2018' blueprint was on track after coach Alan Richardson's first season in charge.
"We forecast that 2014 and 2015 were going to be extremely challenging from an on-field situation, so what transpired this year hasn't been a surprise," he said.
"Certainly for our supporters we appreciate it would have been somewhat difficult to watch us lose by some of the margins we lost by.
"(But) while it's been challenging at different times, in terms of where we're going we think we're very much on track."
