St. Louis Blues Make Plethora of Moves at NHL Trade Deadline
Well, so much for St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong saying he wouldn’t be surprised if the team stood pat at the trade deadline. The Blues went all-out at the deadline, making three moves within the space of five hours, adding a total of three players (Arizona Coyotes defenseman Zbynek Michalek, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Olli Jokinen), while subtracting two (defenseman Ian Cole, who was traded to Pittsburgh as part of the package to acquire Bortuzzo, and forward Joakim Lindstrom, who went to Toronto in exchange for Jokinen).
Michalek is currently dealing with a concussion and hasn’t resumed skating yet. There’s not a definitive timetable on his return to the ice, so while he recovers the onus will fall upon either Chris Butler or Bortuzzo to assume the ice time that will be vacated by the trade of Cole, who had played in 54 of the team’s 63 games thus far.
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Bortuzzo has played in a total of 113 NHL games over four seasons, and it’s safe to say that he’s a stay-home defenseman, as he’s contributed just four goals and 16 assists during that time. Frankly, Bortuzzo is a downgrade in terms of experience as opposed to Cole, but the moves will open a spot for Michalek whenever the veteran is ready to enter the Blues’ lineup.
Jokinen, who had four 30-goal seasons during the mid-2000s, will be playing with his third team this season, as he was traded from the Nashville Predators to the Toronto Maple Leafs in February.
It’s unclear where Jokinen will fit in the lineup. Considering coach Ken Hitchock’s tendency to give veterans the most opportunities, it’s possible that 21-year-old forward Dmitrij Jaskin will lose his spot in the lineup, with Jokinen assuming his role on the third line. However, Jokinen has not come close to producing at as quick of a rate as Jaskin has this year.Jaskin has 11 goals and four assists over 36 games, while Jokinen has just three goals and four assists through 54 games this season. It’s also possible that Jokinen could be an alternative to fourth line center Marcel Goc, who has a pedestrian two assists in 17 games with the Blues.