St. Louis Blues Trade Veteran Forward

St. Louis Blues Trade Veteran Forward Before Olympic Roster Freeze

The First of Many in St. Louis?

Most speculation thought that St. Louis would do all of their trades after the Olympic Break. For General Manager Doug Armstrong, this is plain and simple hockey trade. The Blues are unloading a 3.5 million dollar contract. This frees up some cap space this year and next year if they choose to make any more moves. The added money also allows them to retain more salary if a player is a bit too pricey for another team. Bordeleau is set to report straight to the Blues’ AHL affiliate, giving another player a chance to crack the NHL roster permanently.

The Blues have had some notable fourth round picks in their history. Franchise greats Jamal Mayers and Michal Handzuš were both selected in the fourth round in the 1990s. Most recently, goaltender Joel Hofer was taken in the fourth round in 2018. In 44 career games, the centre has  six goals and 18 total points. At 24 years old, he has a few years to prove he is an everyday NHL player. Either way, the Blues unloaded an NHL contract and salary. This puts them in a good position to answer the phones again in a couple of weeks.

What Do the Devils Get?

The New Jersey Devils now become the eighth team Nick Bjugstad has played for in his career. The journeyman has played in 795 games. He brings a total of 163 goals and 337 points across that time.

Bjugstad has never been toted as a point per game player.  He only skated in 35 games this season, scoring just seven points. He has never been toted as a point per game player, but the Devils knew that. Between the smattering of injuries New Jersey has faced, their offensive depth has dwindled. Bjugstad brings a great work ethic wherever he is. He will grind out bottom six minutes, penalty kill scenarios, and even the power play if needed. He is a fantastic piece to any team looking to add depth before the playoffs. Whether New Jersey is there this season or next, they acquired a piece of the puzzle to get them there.

Both teams are expected to make more moves when the freeze lifts on February 22nd. Given each team’s position in the standings, it is likely that more players will be traded for draft capital before it’s all said and done.