On the St. Louis Blues and Kevin Shattenkirk …
Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post Dispatch: Have learned that the St. Louis Blues had a trade in place to move defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk if he would agree to a contract extension.
Shattenkirk obviously wasn’t able to come to terms with the team and the deal fell through about six weeks ago. Bob McKenzie first reported that Shattenkirk turned down a seven-year, $42 million deal – a $6 million salary cap hit. League sources confirmed he turned down the offer.
Sources saying the Blues are shopping Shattenkirk as a rental as they don’t expect Shattenkirk to come to term with any team on an extension before the deadline.
Shattenkirk’s agent wouldn’t comment on the matter and GM Doug Armstrong wasn’t available.
It’s believed that the Tampa Bay Lightning were the team the Blues and Shattenkirk were talking with.
As a rental player, the Blues could be looking to get a 1st round pick, a top prospect and a lesser tier roster player.
Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! Sports: Wyshynski notes that the Lightning have restricted free agents Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Jonathan Drouin and Andrej Sustr, and UFA Ben Bishop.
Wyshynski adds that if you go back six weeks, it was right in the middle of Jake Allen‘s struggles. Was Bishop also part of the trade?
Darren Dreger of TSN: Think that the Toronto Maple Leafs remain interested in defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, but are being held back by the asking price that the Blues are looking to get in return. Shattenkirk is a key piece on the Blues and is in a good position.
If moved, Shattenkirk could play out the season and hit free agency on July 1st. Another problem for the Maple Leafs and other teams, is the money that he’s going to get as a free agent. It is a little higher than these teams want to.