Kevin Shattenkirk Makes Washington Capitals Downright Scary
Kevin Shattenkirk is officially done with the St. Louis Blues, and will start a new chapter of his career with the Washington Capitals
Kevin Shattenkirk was ready to move on a long time ago. Unfortunately, he is a valuable player in the NHL, and the St. Louis Blues were waiting for the right deal. After losing plenty of veterans last season, the Blues are not willingly to let their contract expiring players leave without getting something in return.
For Shattenkirk, the Blues were able to build for the future, receiving a prospect and picks in return. The Capitals made the most of the deal, not only landing a stud defenseman but bringing back Pheonix Copley after losing him in the T.J. Oshie deal.
OFFICIAL: #Caps have acquired Kevin Shattenkirk (@shattdeuces), Pheonix Copley from the St. Louis Blues. #RockTheRed https://t.co/g8mrucXK6w pic.twitter.com/LLjaMIOf77
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 28, 2017
St. Louis Blues moving on
The Blues have plenty to be happy about even with losing Shattenkirk. They are in the hunt for the playoffs and have a capable team to help them succeed. Even with their desires to bring home the Stanley Cup, the Blues needed to trade Shattenkirk. They have faith in their current squad and did not want to lose out on a payday, especially for a player who was inevitably leaving.
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The Blues have a number one pairing in Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo and are looking to build around Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson. With this move, the Blues can now look ahead to qualify for the NHL playoffs, but more importantly, build for the future and move on.
Shattenkirk, Capitals, and Future in Washington
The Capitals gave up very little salary and will have some financial issues when the offseason rolls around. Shattenkirk is a great piece for the Stanley Cup run, but signing him past 2016-17 will be tough. On the other hand, the Capitals have expiring contracts like Oshie and Justin Williams, which should help them manage their finances when signing their younger, and more prolific, players.
The Copley move was a solid one. They not only brought back a goalie they love but are definitely in fear of losing Philipp Grubauer. Playing in Braden Holtby‘s shadow, Grubauer has been an effective and consistent backup. His numbers are quite ridiculous, and it would be hard to imagine another team not interested in his services, primarily the Vegas Golden Knights.
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With this move, the Capitals have woken up the entire NHL. If they were not a scary team before, the addition of Shattenkirk gives them incredible versatility, especially on the power play, which should make them hard to beat. It looks like they are all-in when it comes to the Stanley Cup and the NHL playoffs, but I’m sure the Pittsburgh Penguins, or even the Minnesota Wild, will have something to say about that.