On the St. Louis Blues …
Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Will GM Doug Armstrong consider trading for a big named goaltender before the deadline?
There is speculation that the Blues could trade pending free agent defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. A move that could create the cap space to go after a goalie like pending free agent Ben Bishop. Andrei Vasilevskiy has struggle this season, so the Lightning may want to hold on to Bishop.
Larry Brooks suggested Cory Schneider, but the Blues wouldn’t be interested in moving young players like Colton Parayko and Robby Fabbri.
The Blues seem committed to Jake Allen long-term.
Moving Shattenkirk as a rental could get them a high pick and a prospect. Doing a sign and trade would likely land them more immediate help. Shattenkirk’s camp would then have to determine where he wants to go.
The Blues could use a centerman and GM Doug Armstrong had been following the Lightning.
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Blues GM Doug Armstrong was on Sportsnet 590 yesterday. They play the Penguins (won 3-0 last night) and Wild on Thursday this week.
“After that, we have three home games and we’ve got to find our footing,” said Armstrong. “We’re going to know if we’re buyers or sellers right now. It’s obviously not trending the way we need to. If we want to be a team that’s going to stay together and then compete, we’ve got to start winning some hockey games.”
Darren Dreger was on St. Louis 590 The Fan and was talking about the Blues and Kevin Shattenkirk. If the Blues trade Shattenkirk, they are weakening themselves as a playoff team. Can they afford to keep Shattenkirk for a playoff run, and then lose him for nothing to free agency? Dreger thinks they can’t go down that road again, so GM Armstrong needs to look at all his options.
“But there are other scenarios he has to consider. The most intriguing for me is the trade and extend – so trade and sign a contract extension. If St. Louis and Shattenkirk combined can find the right location, the right organization, the perfect fit for Kevin Shattenkirk where all of that makes sense – then there’s no question that St. Louis is going to get a higher level of return than they otherwise would in trading him as a rental.”
Shattenkirk’s name has been in the rumors for a long time. There has been the connection with the Oilers. Dreger’s understanding is that it may not be true that he only wants to go to the East. He could be open to the West.
“I think it includes organizations like Anaheim, perhaps San Jose, maybe not Los Angeles because they’re deep defensively there. In the East, maybe it’s the Rangers, the Boston Bruins. The Detroit Red Wings, I would think, would be a primary contender. The Toronto Maple Leafs would be in that mix as well. There’s probably some middle-of-the-league type of organizations he’d consider as well. So there’s a whole lot for Kevin Shattenkirk and the St. Louis Blues to go through.”
The Avalanche, Lightning and Rangers are all looking for a top-four defenseman. Matt Duchene may be more of winger than a centerman, so that may not be a fit for the Blues.
