St. Louis Blues: Top 10 Best Deadline Deals

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This season seems to have St. Louis Blues fans frothing at the mouth for the team to make a deal. Fans always want to get the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow without giving up anything. We’ll leave the prospective deals to the management. But with the deadline on the horizon, let’s explore some of the best deals the Blues pulled off before trades were shut down for the season.

It takes a lot to pull of a trade. There are so many moving pieces that many of us will never truly know about. It takes two willing teams to be involved.

It takes players to be healthy – sometimes including future players, sometimes including players that will soon be past players and sometimes involving cold hard cash.

In the “old days,” trades were fairly straight forward. It was usually a player for a player, straight up. Sometimes it would involve multiple players and occasionally there would be money involved, but it was still fairly simple.

Now, a deal can be so complicated that the public never really knows the full extent of what was exchanged between teams. It can be coaches that swap places along with picks and cash, it could be a player for “future considerations” that we never seem to always find out what that was. It’s pure craziness.

However, a good trade can mean the difference between making a run at a Stanley Cup or being just another team. The Blues have made some stinkers and they’ve made some gems. Here are the best of the latter.

Next: Cup Winning Goaltender

10. Chris Osgood

Just in case anyone was wondering why the generic pictures, it’s because we don’t have rights to some photos. But nobody cares about legal mumbo jumbo, so let’s get into it.

Chris Osgood might not have had the longest tenure in St. Louis or the best. Many people probably saw this slide and had a puzzled look on their face or let loose a what the profanity. The reason this deal makes the list is the reason a lot of deals will be on this list – what the team gave up.

On March 11, 2003, the Blues acquired Osgood from the New York Islanders for Justin Papineau. In case you’re wondering who Papineau is (or were too lazy to click the link), don’t feel left out. He played a total of 97 games in the NHL and scored 25 total points in his career.

When the Blues picked up Osgood, they were getting a Stanley Cup winning goaltender and thought he was going to be the solid piece that would help them get over the hump given his experience. While that didn’t pan out, he wasn’t terrible in his time.

His regular season stats were pretty good. In 2003-04 he went 31-25-8 with 3 shutouts, 2.24 goals against and a .910 save percentage. It was the team and his own failings in the playoffs that cost him. He went 4-8 in two playoff runs, getting knocked out in the first round both times.

The end result wasn’t what most wanted from it, but Osgood was a good regular season performer and the Blues gave up absolutely nothing, which is always the goal if possible.

Next: The Red Baron Returns

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9. Red Berenson

OK, this one is a bit of a cheat since it happened in December but that’s closer to the deadline than summer deals. Look it up. Months and what not.

On December 30, 1974 the Blues reacquired Red Berenson from the Detroit Red Wings for Phil Roberto. Roberto was involved in one of the worst trades in Blues’ history when he was brought in for Jimmy Roberts. But you all knew that since you read our Top 10 Worst Trades article.

Berenson was past his prime when the Blues got him back, but he was still a better piece than Roberto. Roberto did have one good season with the Red Wings after the trade where he scored 40 points, but he fell off significantly after that.

Berenson, on the other hand, scored 31 points just in the half year he played with the Blues immediately after the deal. He then averaged 44 points the next three seasons with St. Louis before retiring.

Berenson went on to become even more famous as a coach, but was still a legend with the Blues. It was only right that he finished his career with the Blues, that he was productive in his final seasons and the Blues got the better of the trade in picking him back up.

Next: Solid Scorer for Journeyman

8. Alexander Steen

On November 24, 2008 the Blues acquired Alexander Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo for Lee Stempniak from the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Yes, I’m aware this one is even further away from the deadline, but if I’m not including summer deals then it was actually more slim pickings than you think.)

At the time, people were a bit upset by this deal. Many were still hoping that Stempniak would live up to the promise he had shown and eventually replicate and build on the 27 goals and 52 points he scored in 2006-07. But up to this season, he has only scored over 20 goals once in his career after this deal.

Combine that with the players Steen and Colaiacovo turned out to be for the Blues and St. Louis won this trade going away. Carlo averaged 26.5 points in his initial four seasons with the Blues and while that’s not overly impressive, they were the four most productive seasons in his career and fairly high point totals for a defensive defenseman.

Steen has been well worth the deal by himself. While he deservedly gets some hate by the fans for his sometimes surly attitude and inconsistent effort, he still produces. In the six full seasons he’s been in St. Louis, he’s scored 20 or more goals in four and the other two were shortened by a work stoppage and an injury. He was on pace to score over 20 this season as well, but his current injury throws that into doubt.

The last two seasons he eclipsed 60 points in a season and he has assumed more of a leadership role. He’s not overly boisterous or demonstrative, unless he needs to be, but he has earned the “A” that adorns his chest and forged a solid career in the ‘Note.

There are definitely better players out there in the league, but in a two-for-one deal you rarely get the better players if you picked up the two. St. Louis won the deal no matter which player you look at, but definitely in the case of Steen.

Next: The Rat

7. Scott Mellanby

On February 9, 2001 – yes! we’re back on track with actual deadline deals or close to it – the Blues picked up Scott Mellanby from the Florida Panthers for Dave Morriset and 2002 fifth round draft pick.

The Blues once again picked up something for nothing in this trade. Morriset only played four games with the Panthers before returning to the AHL where he played for one more season after the trade and then disappeared. The 2002 fifth rounder turned out to be Vince Bellissimo, so if you haven’t heard of him you’re not alone.

Mellanby averaged 43 points in his three full seasons with the Blues. Mellanby was also a part of the most successful Blues team in this century. In 2000-01, the Blues went to the Western Conference Finals and lost four games to one to the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche.

Mellanby scored three goals and three assists in that playoff run and then scored 10 points in the postseason the next year. His totals went down a little bit and he finished his career rather unceremoniously with the Atlanta Thrashers.

However, the man who became famous for killing a rat in the Panthers’ locker room during their own run to the Stanley Cup Finals, was a success with the Blues. He wasn’t flashy, but he was the prototypical type of player for his role during the time period in which he played. Plus, the Blues gave up absolutely nothing for a player that was a huge role player on a team that almost went to the finals.

Next: Blues and Flames Make Another Deal

Oct 28, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (19) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Blues defeated the Stars 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

6. Jay Bouwmeester

The Blues and Calgary Flames seem to have forged a long history of making deals. Both teams have gotten steals and both teams fleeced the other on several different deals, some of which have made both our best and worst lists.

Jay Bouwmeester was placed on the Blues’ roster on April Fools Day in 2013, but this deal made fools of the Flames. Plenty of people have soured on Big Bow after his injury and there are reasons why they aren’t completely wrong, but at the time this deal was huge.

The Blues gave up Mark Cundari, Reto Berra and a 2013 conditional fourth round draft pick and a 2013 or 14 1st round pick.

Let’s be honest here. You can have whatever feelings you want about Bouwmeester, but the Blues pulled off a huge win on this deal. Reto Berra did nothing with the Flames except backup a few games in net and finish eight games under .500. He is currently still in the league as a backup goaltender for the Avalanche.

I’m not even sure Cundari’s parents were aware that he played in the NHL. He played eight games over two seasons in the big leagues and only had three points. That’s not to put the guy down, by any means. He’s got eight more NHL games than most of us, if not all of us.

St. Louis picked up a two-time All-Star though. Bouwmeester scored 37 points in his first full season with the Blues and has been a constant pair with Alex Pietrangelo. Bouwmeester has fallen off since, as he just hasn’t seemed to return to form after picking up his first career injury with a head injury in 2014-15.

Yet, again, regardless of arguments against his recent play or large contract, his trade was a sterling success. He not only brought a slick puck handling style and great speed to the blueline, but his acquisition and subsequent long-term deal signaled that the Blues were serious about being contenders and were not afraid to spend some money to do so.

Next: Walt

5. Keith Tkachuk

The Blues went all in for the 2001 playoffs. We’ve already covered the fact that Scott Mellanby was a pivotal role player on that team that went to the Conference Finals. However, his deal paled in comparison to picking up the man lovingly nicknamed “Walt.”

The Blues picked up Keith Tkachuk on March 13, 2001 from the Phoenix Coyotes (they’re called Arizona now) in exchange for Michal Handzus, Ladislav Nagy and 1st round draft pick in either 2001 or 2002.

Now this trade wasn’t giving up nothing for something like many of the others, but the Blues still ended up with a good deal. Nagy did go on to average 50 points in six seasons in Phoenix before tailing off with Dallas and Los Angeles for two seasons and then retiring from the NHL.

Handzus didn’t do too much with the Coyotes, but was a serviceable player with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Jose and Chicago. One might even argue he won the deal since he won a Cup with the Blackhawks and Tkachuk won nothing.

Nevertheless, the Blues won this deal at the time. Tkachuk, like Bouwmeester, was a signal that the Blues were going all in on winning a championship. Statistically, he was no slouch either.

He scored 20 or more goals with the Blues every non-strike shortened season until his final year in 2009-10. He had 70 points or more twice in St. Louis and represented the Blues in the All-Star game twice as well.

In the end, Tkachuk never won the Cup he desperately sought with the Blues (or with anyone really) but he became one of the most popular players in town. He was a consistent performer, was involved in the community and fell in love with the city.

While Handzus and Nagy went on to have decent to good careers, what Tkachuk ended up providing the Blues was more than statistical. There is no reason to believe the team would have been more successful with either Nagy or Handzus than they were with Tkachuk and he provided some memorable moments in St. Louis.

Next: Stewie and Deuces Arrive

Nov 17, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (22) skates with the puck in the second period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Kevin Shattenkirk

This one takes on extra significance since Kevin Shattenkirk could end up being a deadline deal going the opposite way. Since (as of this writing) that hasn’t happened yet, let’s focus on his arrival.

Shattenkirk was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche along with Chris Stewart on February 19, 2011. The Avs got former number-one overall draft choice Erik Johnson and Jay McClement. Both sides exchanged draft picks as well.

McClement, after averaging in the mid 20s for points with the Blues, never panned out afterward. He was shipped to Toronto after a season and a half with Colorado and is currently with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Johnson just had too much pressure on him from the start, even in the media-friendly St. Louis area. Johnson has overcome several injuries and is beginning to reestablish himself as a top line defenseman. However, the Blues envisioned a duo of Johnson and Pietrangelo one day being on par with the likes of Pronger and MacInnis and it just never came to fruition.

On the flip side, Stewart provided an immediate scoring threat. In the quarter season he played right after the deal, he scored 15 goals in 23 games with the Blues. While that number would become somewhat of a staple for Stewart with the Blues, he provided a much needed boost in offense at the time.

Shattenkirk has averaged 44 points in all of his full seasons with the Blues and was in line for a Norris Trophy nomination prior to being injured in the 2014-15 season. Shattenkirk represented the Blues in the 2015 All-Star Game and has set himself up as one of the league’s premier offensive defenseman.

His future with the Blues remains cloudy as of right now, but he has become a staple and a quarterback in every sense of the word on the team’s powerplay. Johnson and Shattenkirk are both still young players, but if their career trajectories hold out, this was still a great deal pulled off by Doug Armstrong even if Shattenkirk ends up leaving.

Next: Berenson Goes But the Blues Still Win?

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3. Garey Unger

On Feb 6, 1971 the Blues made a deal that sent fan-favorite Red Berenson and Tim Ecclestone to the Detroit Red Wings and got back Wayne Connelly and Garry Unger.

While Berenson had plenty of productive years in Detroit, he was a bit inconsistent. He seemed to score well in the even years and not as much in the odd ones. Ecclestone had two really good years of 53 and 48 points with the Wings before trailing off and then somewhat reemerging years later with the Atlanta Flames.

Conversely, Connelly was a bust in St. Louis. He only had 31 total points with the ‘Note and ended his NHL career on a sour note in Vancouver before exploding back onto the scene with three straight 70-plus point seasons with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA. So you’re probably wondering why the Blues won this deal.

Unger is why. He had three 80-plus point seasons and four with 70 or more. He scored 292 goals with the Blues and averaged 35 goals in his seven full seasons (not counting the trade year) with the team. Unger played the majority of his then-record 914 straight games with the Blues as well.

Unger’s scoring touch somewhat flamed out (no pun intended) with the Atlanta Flames, LA Kings and Edmonton Oilers before he finished his career. Even so, he was one of the most prolific Blues’ scorers of the day and helped lead the team once their aging veterans from their Cup Finals teams started to depart.

Next: The Golden Brett

2. Brett Hull

The Golden Brett, so aptly named since his famous father Bobby Hull was nicknamed the Golden Jet, ended up surpassing his father and becoming one of the all-time greats in the game. He had an unbelievable knack for scoring and an insatiable appetite for winning.

In a storybook ending, Hull would have remained a Blue for his entire career, won at least one Cup in the city and retired the utter legend he was. Instead, he won Cups in other cities, returned to St. Louis still as a legend and ended up on this list.

Not too shabby still.

The Blues absolutely fleeced the Calgary Flames in this deal, though nobody really knew it at the time. The Blues got Hull on March 7, 1988. The Blues got Hull and Steve Bozek for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley.

Wamsely never really flourished into more than a solid backup goaltender. He had some good years with the Canadiens prior to coming to St. Louis, but never won more than the 23 games he did in his first year with the Blues in 1984-85.

Ramage was a solid defenseman, mainly good at defending but more than capable of scoring when needed. He put up 60 or more points twice with the Blues. He took a big dip in production once leaving the Gateway City though. He had one good year with the Maple Leafs after doing next to nothing with the Flames and then bounced around several clubs before retiring after one year with Philadelphia.

For his part, Bozek lasted all of seven games with the Blues, had no points and was a -2.

But, c’mon. Everyone knows Hull made this deal. Hull only scored less than 80 points in a season with the Blues twice. One was a strike-shortened year, where he still had 50 points and the other was his final year in the city when he had 72.

Hull’s three most productive years ever came with the Blues as well. The tandem of he and Adam Oates could have been legendary if the team had not seen fit to trade Oates away. Hull scored 228 goals in those three magical seasons and ended his Blues’ career with 527.

Unfortunately for fans, he never got to win and have a parade down Market Street. He left in the offseason of 1998-99 and immediately won a championship with the Dallas Stars and scored the winning goal (his foot was in the crease and should not have counted but that’s another matter).

There’s no doubt that this is one of the best trades, period, the Blues ever made, deadline or not. Fans got to see one of the NHL’s best all-time scorers and he gave the city constant hope that they were just a piece or two away from winning the big one.

Next: A Trade For the Ages Appears from Nowhere

1. Wayne Gretzky

I can see the hate comments rolling in after this one. How can a player that was the best in Blues’ history not be number one when compared to a guy that played a grand total of 31 games with the team?

I go back to the premise I’ve said several times – it has to do with the deal, not necessarily the outcome.

In the middle of the day on Feb 27, 1996 the Blues picked up the “Great One” Wayne Gretzky for Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif and Roman Vopat as well as a 1996 fifth round and 97 first round draft pick. (I remember it was the middle of the day because my mother came to school and told me about the trade and asked if I wanted to get one of his jerseys since they were selling so quickly)

The draft picks turned out to be Peter Hogan and Matt Zultek, names so obscure that they don’t necessitate any further explanation.

Vopat only played in 57 games with the Kings and only had 20 career NHL points. Tardif played in all of 15 games with the Kings and had a grand total of 18 career NHL points. Johnson was the only one to actually forge an NHL career as he spent 557 games in the league, 429 of which came with the Kings. He only had five productive seasons though during his 13 year career.

So, if you only view the trade itself, this could have been the hockey equivalent of the St. Louis Cardinals fleecing the Chicago Cubs for Lou Brock.

Everything seemed to be on the Blues’ side with this deal. They were getting the game’s greatest player for nothing. He was getting to play with one of his best friends in Brett Hull. There was the possibility of forming one of the greatest tandems in team history since Hull and Oates and Gretzky was billed as the missing piece the team had been searching so long for.