St. Louis Blues Trading Kevin Shattenkirk A Mistake?

Rarely, if ever, has there been so much trade talk surrounding one St. Louis Blues player without it actually happening. Now, when sentiment is fully on the side of making a deal, there is suggestion it would be a mistake.

Nothing makes me happier than writing another article about Kevin Shattenkirk and the ongoing will they, won’t they discussion about whether the St. Louis Blues will trade him. If that didn’t come off as sarcasm, then I apologize.

It seems this entire offseason has been chalk full of discussions about when something will happen, why it hasn’t happened, if it will happen, it’s supposed to happen but still has not etc. Between Shattenkirk and the Vladimir Sobotka scenario, there could have been novels written about all of those questions.

It’s all enough to make your head spin. Now, with the league entering into a bit of a dead period before the season starts up, comes word that trading Shattenkirk would have and will be a mistake.

James O’Brien of Pro Hockey Talk said that the Blues would be making a panic move to trade Shattenkirk. While I have nothing against Mr. O’Brien, he does work with NBC Sports, so let that say what it will.

He is taking a very national media view on the situation though. It’s simple for someone not invested in the daily or even weekly goings on of a team to say they should do this or that.

The Comparison Tactic

In his article he uses the Own the Puck comparison charts, which are gaining in popularity. While I am not a big fan of analytics by themselves, I concede that they do give valuable information. However, like any statistical category, they can be twisted to suit the purposes of the person making a particular argument.

So, O’Brien seems to be hinting that Shattenkirk is actually on par with Alex Pietrangelo. Those are the times where analytics and I aren’t on the same page.

While he does contend that Shattenkirk gets some better matchups due to being a second line defender, the insinuation is still that he is on par with Pietrangelo. I’m sorry, but that’s where the old-fashioned eye test still comes in handy.

I don’t care what fancy stats you throw at me, Shattenkirk was pretty dreadful in the playoffs and Pietrangelo was one of the Blues’ better players. Pietrangelo has also been more reliable overall.

It would be shortsighted to call Shattenkirk nothing but an offensive defenseman as some due. It still can’t be argued that Pietrangelo has a better overall game.

There are also other intangible factors. Even if Shattenkirk was signed for the long term, he isn’t one of the names considered when people talk about the future Blues captain. Pietrangelo is at the top of the list.

Contract Issues

All that aside, the idea that trading him would have and will be a mistake is also easy to say from a national standpoint. It’s easy to take a quick look at salary cap figures and make a snap judgement when you don’t truly know what player’s values are to the team.

Yes, Colton Parayko is going to be a restricted free agent, so he will be more cost controlled.

However, if he continues to be as good as he showed last season though, you don’t want to irritate the player by going to arbitration time after time.  The team already risked that with Jaden Schwartz.

Yes, even those of us that still like Jay Bouwmeester have to concede it would be far better to deal him than to trade Shattenkirk. Simple math when it comes to their ages is proof enough of that.

However, trading what was a reasonable contract when signed but has become more of an albatross isn’t easy. With the exception of when Chicago traded Brian Campbell, it’s not overly common for teams to bring on 30-something aged defensemen making a lot of money.

Also not taken into account is Shattenkirk’s apparent inability to play on his weaker side. If you’re going to give him the kind of money he wants, it is harder to justify keeping him off a top pairing.

Since Pietrangelo is a right-hander, that makes putting he and Shattenkirk together far less likely. The Blues favor pairing a right-handed d-man with a left-handed defender as much as possible.  Most of the league favors that as well.

Value

O’Brien suggested that fans and/or the team might be undervaluing Shattenkirk. It is possible that he is also overvaluing him.

I don’t feel I am undervaluing him. The Blues powerplay took a major hit when Shattenkirk went down with injuries. That’s a pretty clear indication of his value to the squad.

That said, do the Blues really want their team built from the back up? They aren’t considered a feared defensive team like the old New Jersey Devils to begin with. Would they be smart to spend over $12 million on two defenders when goals are at a premium?

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Nobody really wants to lose Shattenkirk. He’s not one of those guys that people want to just jettison for a draft pick or some minor league player that will never see the light of day. Those of us that were, and might still be, in favor of a trade are being pragmatic.

A deal is still smart.  The margin between the cap and what’s already being spent is slim. Younger players due raises and they aren’t getting cheaper either.

Who wasn’t excited by the idea of bringing in a scorer like Taylor Hall?  We’re lying if we didn’t want someone to at least battle for the top-line center role like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The validity of the rumors aside, if the Blues could have translated Shattenkirk into some actual NHL ready talent, then why would you not?

Sports are an odd thing. With the exception of the all-time greats, value is in the eye of the beholder.

Just because Shattenkirk would be a top-line defender on one team does not automatically mean he is for the Blues. That doesn’t devalue him. It is simply the truth of one team’s situation.

Whether the Blues are in a position of strength or not, as O’Brien contends, is also up for debate. You can argue that the longer the team waits, the more teams begin to take their chips off the table.

However, Armstrong proved by letting David Backes and Troy Brouwer walk that he’s willing to take a gamble on players leaving with no compensation. So, you could argue if teams truly want Shattenkirk and think he will help this season, they will be the desperate ones.

Nobody really knows what equal value is. It all depends on a team’s needs. If a second-line right winger that can score 25-30 goals doesn’t match up on a comparison chart, that doesn’t mean the trade was bad.

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Ultimately, as in the case of Sobotka, we have to wait and see how it plays out. There are those that would welcome the Blues keeping Shattenkirk and working on an extension. There are some who will continue to scream for a trade.

It remains unlikely Shattenkirk stays, one way or the other.  The idea that the Blues are wrong to explore the option is quite foolish. Argue how good a job Armstrong has done all you want.  He would not be doing his job if he did not seek out all the options.