St. Louis Blues – New York Islanders Trade Talk Reaction
By Todd Panula
Jay Bouwmeester
Yes, please!
I have been one of the biggest, if not the only Jay Bouwmeester supporter through the years. I still contend that the Blues would be better with him on the team, if he is healthy.
He also has a no-trade clause. On the one hand, players are likely to want to go if they feel unwanted by a certain team. On the other hand, Bouwmeester seems comfortable in St. Louis and might not want to leave.
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Regardless of that, the Blues could not pass up a handsome offer for Bouwmeester. Forget all these fools saying you should trade him for a bag of pucks. He could still fetch you an NHL ready player, or at the very least a good draft pick that you could package for something else.
Despite what the vocal masses think, he is still a reliable defender. It is the offensive numbers that have slipped. Bouwmeester had 37 points his first year in St. Louis. He has never cracked 20 points since then.
He is not getting younger. Bouwmeester is also due $5.4 million for one more season with the Blues. While I like him, I cannot deny there are plenty of other places the team could spend that money. There are free agents to be had and Joel Edmundson is also a free agent. The Blues have the protection of restricted free agency, but Edmundson will get paid eventually, whether this offseason or soon.
If the Blues can swing a deal where a team feels Bouwmeester would be a solid mentoring piece for young defenders, you take advantage of that.