With summer trade season fully underway, it’s not surprising that two of the teams with the biggest defensive gaps — the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins — are reported to have made calls to the St. Louis Blues about defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.
ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun told TSN 1040 that both clubs have made inquiries about the 27-year-old puck-moving defenseman.
Shattenkirk is in a precarious position, as the Blues would no doubt love to retain him, but he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and will command a steep price. They’re already paying a steep price for Alex Pietrangelo ($6.5 million for next four years) and Jay Bouwmeester ($5.4 million for next three years).
The rise of Colton Parayko has also made it possible for the Blues to replace Shattenkirk, to some extent, easing the transition to a Shattenkirk-less future.
He has led the team’s defense in goals every year since the 2012-13 season and is a right-handed shot, making him extra valuable. Both Edmonton and Boston have issues on the blue line and both could use a right hander capable of driving some offense from the back end.
