NHL Trade Rumors: Time for St. Louis Blues to Trade Kevin Shattenkirk

NHL Trade Rumors: Between Vladimir Sobotka Failing in His Return and Jaden Schwartz out the Next 4 Weeks, St. Louis Might Consider Pulling the Trigger to Move Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk

Expect the NHL trade rumors surrounding St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to heat up once again. Between Vladimir Sobotka proving unsuccessful in his bid to return to the NHL, and Friday’s news regarding Jaden Schwartz (out for four weeks), this team suddenly has a pair of unexpected holes to fill.

Now, there’s no need to panic if you’re a Blues fans (as some are starting to do). St. Louis has enough depth to fill those voids and keep themselves competitive. Although replacing Schwartz with Ty Rattie (for example), while suitable, is still a serious downgrade. It is, however, okay to be worried about the near future. After all, no other team was decimated by injuries as badly in 2015-16 – so we’d hate to see the same script play itself out.

Time to Trade Shattenkirk

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This is where defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk comes in. Everyone in the hockey world knows that St. Louis will be forced to trade the 27-year-old impending UFA at some point before the trade deadline. And the Blues aren’t doing themselves any favors by forcing Colton Parayko into a lesser role behind Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk on the depth chart for right-handed defensemen.

It might be time to let 2015-16 rookie sensation Colton Parayko spread his wings. This could also allow for another right-hander, Jordan Schmaltz, to get a wealth of NHL experience. The former college standout is an offensively gifted blue liner who could better develop his defensive game against stiffer competition.

If we subtract Kevin Shattenkirk, this what the Blues defensive depth chart would look like:

Defensive Depth Chart Without Shattenkirk (LH – RH):

Jay Bouwmeester – Alex Pietrangelo
Joel Edmundson – Colton Parayko
Carl Gunnarsson – Robert Bortuzzo
Petteri Lindbohm – Jordan Schmaltz
Mike Weber (PTO) – Thomas Vanelli

Depth is Key

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If there’s one thing we’ve learnt in recent years, it’s that depth reins king in the NHL. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to show off and roll out that depth if you’re constantly battling injuries.

Why not trade Kevin Shattenkirk now to fill those early holes? Worst case scenario, that extra forward or two come in handy to replace other future injuries. If the Blues can stay healthy in a best case scenario, it’s not the worst thing if they’re forced to slide top six talent to the third line. After all, you need to be virtually 12-men deep with four lines of scoring to hoist hockey’s holy grail.

Let’s take a look at how the lines could potentially shake up without Jaden Schwartz. These are rough projections with other potential combinations. It’s merely to point out the overall talent level.

Projected Forward Lines Without Schwartz:

Alex Steen – Paul Stastny – Vladimir Tarasenko
Robby Fabbri – Jori Lehtera – David Perron
*Ivan Barbashev – Patrik Berglund – Dmitrij Jaskin
Scottie Upshall – Kyle Brodziak – Ryan Reaves

Extra Forwards: Magnus Paajarvi, Ty Rattie, Eric Nystrom (PTO), Chris Porter (PTO)

*Barbashev is admittedly a longshot prediction to crack the opening night roster. Paajarvi and Rattie likely are frontrunners to claim a third line spot.

An ideal forward to acquire would be one of those players with an ability to slide up and down your lineup. Guys that fit that description in recent years were David Jones, Jiri Hudler and Leo Komarov (among others). These individuals have an ability to step up and do whatever is necessary to help the team win, whether it be in a first line capacity or third line role.

One could actually argue that David Perron fits that description. He definitely possesses top-six talent, but he’s the type of player that can still contribute in a more limited role or step up to fill a void on the top line. This may allow GM Doug Armstrong to be more open-minded in his quest to find a trade partner for Kevin Shattenkirk.

Next: Fantasy Hockey Primer: Projections, 30-Team Analysis

NHL Trade Rumors: 3 Hypothetical Deals for Kevin Shattenkirk

St. Louis Trades D Kevin Shattenkirk to Boston in exchange for D Kevan Miller, F Ryan Spooner, and F Austin Czarnik

St. Louis Trades D Kevin Shattenkirk to Detroit in exchange for D Brendan Smith and F Gustav Nyquist

St. Louis Trades D Kevin Shattenkirk to Tampa Bay in exchange for D Braydon Coburn and F Alex Killorn

Other Potential Fits:

Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks