Blues Rumor Mill v. 2

The days around St. Louis are scorching, with temperatures reaching the upper 90s and the heat index reaching well into the 100s. As the summer grows hotter, so too does the news of transactions and signings by the Blues. Since the last installment of the Rumor Mill, the Blues have had several points to note out so lets get straight to it.

Dany Heatley – Update

Heatley has apparently announced a list of teams he is the “most interested” in being traded to. Not surprisingly, he seems to want to be traded to either a West Coast team or the Pittsburgh Penguins. Word rose mid-week of what each team that had interest in Heatley would offer Ottawa for him, including the St. Louis Blues. The report that named what the teams would offer is about as unreliable as they come, but what it did too is bring up a debate of what Heatley is worth. The Blues apparently would offer Patrik Berglund , Barret Jackman , and another player that seems to vary depending on the report. As mentioned, this report seems to hold about as much water as you can in your bare hands.

However, it does raise the question on what should the Blues do in order to find that missing piece they need, and how much is too much to offer in exchange.

Personally, I believe the Blues would be foolish to fiddle with the “kid-line”. Guys like Perron, Berglund and Oshie have so much potential, and I would just hate to see any of them sent packing. The team does need to fill a few gaps, one likely being another scoring threat and one likely being help on defense, but hopefully the move they make will not damage the solid core they have built the past few years.

#2 Netminder

The Blues apparently are considering bringing in a new goalie to play backup to Chris Mason. While few names have surfaced, one that has is Ty Conklin . Conklin has publicly stated that he wants to stay in Detroit, so there might be very little to go off of here. However, it seems that the Blues search is a serious one and expect to hear more names surface soon.

Keith Tkachuk – Signed

The Blues have in fact signed Walt to a one-year extension reportedly to be worth $2.15 million. This is one piece of Blues news that I am very happy with. Tkachuk scored 25 goals last season, but it is the leadership and his ability to crash the net that the Blues would have a tough time replacing. It looks like this deal was a good fit for both the Blues, and for Tkachuk and it is nice to know his hard-nose work ethic will be seen in St. Louis again next season.