NHL Trade Rumors: Blues open to sign and trade with Kevin Shattenkirk

Could the St. Louis Blues get a little bit creative to maximize their return in a Kevin Shattenkirk trade? 

The St. Louis Blues are having some hard times this season. After making it to the Western Conference Finals in 2015-16, they lost captain David Backes and forward Troy Brouwer in free agency. Moreover, the Blues traded goaltender Brian Elliott, who led them to the conference finals, to the Calgary Flames. St. Louis is a fringe playoff team at the moment after firing Ken Hitchcock, naming Mike Yeo his successor. They’re open to trading pending free agent defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, but are having some trouble doing so, according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.

"I think St. Louis would potentially be open to that kind of scenario under the right circumstances. But I’ve yet to hear of a single team that has actually contacted the Blues about it. Sources around the league indicate that all the clubs that have talked to St. Louis so are interested more in a rental scenario for the defenseman."

There are several reasons for the disinterest in Shattenkirk, and neither are his fault. The first obstacle is the expansion draft. Teams can only protect three defenseman or eight overall skaters. This likely eliminates the Stanley Cup contenders who have their blue lines in order. Another reason could be the salary cap, which is expected to be flat.

Must Read: 1 trade every NHL team should make

Even if the Blues can’t pull off a sign and trade with Shattenkirk, it shouldn’t be too hard to find him a home. He’s one of the NHL’s elite puck movers and can make a difference every time he touches the puck. Expect the Blues to demand a high price tag for his services no matter what the circumstances of the trade are. Shattenkirk has 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points through 51 games.