St. Louis Blues Weekly Review (2nd Week of June)

A little bit slower this week in terms of meaty things to discuss about the St. Louis Blues, but there was still some interesting things going on this past week.

On the sad side, Gordie Howe aka Mr. Hockey, passed away at the age of 88. He played the bulk of his career for one of the St. Louis Blues’ old rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. However, he really went beyond just a player or rival. You’d be hard pressed to find St. Louis or Chicago or even Toronto fans that don’t have some sort of admiration for one of the greatest to ever lace up the skates. As many said, he will be missed.

On the brighter side, the Stanley Cup was awarded on Sunday night. The Pittsburgh Penguins won their fourth championship in team history by beating the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 6 and 4-2 in the series overall. Former Blue, Ian Cole got to win a championship and was actually out on the ice for the final whistle. While his time in St. Louis was rightly over, he was never someone anyone actively sought to run out of town and is good to see him be successful. On the flip side, despite winning two games, the Sharks never really looked into this series. Perhaps they had to expend too much energy to rid themselves of the Blues, but they just had no energy – similar to how the Blues were just gassed from their previous two rounds.

For the Kevin Shattenkirk front, it seems to be a never ending ride. A day after suggesting that a Boston trade could be back in the works, a source suggested that an Edmonton deal was unlikely because Shattenkirk was probably going to head east. From a fan perspective, the Edmonton deals were the most satisfying to dream about. There was the possibility of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or even Taylor Hall coming over or potentially even the fourth pick of the draft. A Boston trade isn’t as appealing, but they do have some young prospects that would be nice.

View from the Midwest NHL Central Recap

Another trade rumor that popped up on Sunday was the idea of Vladimir Sobotka going to Edmonton. Now, admittedly, the idea was floated more as a should rather than a could. Still, there have been a lot of whispers of a discord between Sobotka and management that has precluded him from returning sooner – that and the money he was getting paid in Russia.

More from St Louis Blues News

• St. Louis Blues Giving Nick Ritchie A Look Is No Lose Situation
• St. Louis Blues Torey Krug Already Injured Before 2023-24 Season
• Former St. Louis Blues Forward Going Into Hall Of Fame
• Can Hofer Upstage Binnington in Starting Goalie Spot for Blues?
• St. Louis Blues 2023-24 fourth line depth chart could be surprisingly strong

Personally, I still expect to see him play in St. Louis to at least fulfill his contract. The Blues need depth at center with the possibility of David Backes departing and while he’s nowhere near the scorer he’s been made out to be by many Blues fans, he can still punch one in enough to be productive. Not playing in the NHL for two years also muddies the water. He is an interesting piece that teams may want, but what he could bring back is the question.

While many of the unrestricted free agents for the Blues are keeping quiet about their futures, David Backes is making a lot of noise without a word. Quietly, he listed his home in Clayton for sale and now fans are preparing for his departure. Homes go on sale all the time and he could just be looking for an upgrade, should a pay raise be coming. However, the likelihood is that negotiations are not going well or have stalled altogether.

The Blues beat writers do a fantastic job, but St. Louis is a small enough market that every little parry and riposte from the negotiation table isn’t news. The Blues captain looks to be on his way out, but a lot rests on if the team can create cap space via a trade and how much they will spend on Jaden Schwartz.

Next: Blues Best Playoff Games of 2016

The draft is getting closer as well and you can check out our latest prospect profile here. With the finals now over, rumors are likely to pick up a bit since all teams are in postseason mode. Everyone will shift to the draft and that’s sometimes when the most interesting rumors pop up. Keep it right here for the latest.