St. Louis Blues 2012 Trade Deadline Live Blog

Welcome to the third annual St. Louis Blues trade deadline live blog! Here you will find all the news, rumors and speculations from around the NHL involving our very own St. Louis Blues. This blog will be regularly updated up to and beyond Monday’s 2:00pm deadline with all of the analysis of any deals the Blues do or do not pull off. While you will find rumors below, you will not find any created here out of thin air. Each will be sourced to the best of its ability.

As always, the most recent story will be placed at the top. Hear something of your own? Add it in a comment below. All times are in Central format.

February 27th – 3:12pm: Time to close the door on another trade deadline live blog. Thanks to everyone that stopped by and took a moment to join in. Looking forward to next year! Hopefully by then we won’t have to worry about any owner situation and the Blues will be able to add/subtract where they need to.

February 27th – 2:26pm: It appears the St. Louis Blues officially didn’t make any moves on deadline day. The Ben Bishop trade was the team’s only action before the deadline today, disappointing fans that thought the club might try to replenish some depth lost to injury.

One blogger’s opinion: No surprise here. We knew GM Doug Armstrong was limited in what he could do. The team doesn’t have an owner and can’t overpay for help. Now they are forced to gamble on the health of Alex Steen, Matt D’Agostini and Jamie Langenbrunner. If these three can hit 100% and make an impact, then the team’s lack of noise on the deadline won’t seem like a big deal. However, if these three fail to get healthy and can’t go down the stretch or at playoff time then there might be a bunch of angry fans wishing the Blues would have made a move today.

February 27th – 2:04pm: Reports coming in that Rick Nash will remain with Columbus. It’s highly likely that Columbus will revisit this situation over the summer.

One blogger’s opinion: Shocking. Hopefully you can detect the sarcasm. After the NHL media had hyped Nash’s movements and potential new destinations for weeks, even months, Nash ends up finishing the 2011-12 season with the club he started it with. Nash’s no-trade clause and the tall price the Blue Jackets were demanding made it impossible for any team to strike a deal before the deadline hit. It seems likely Nash will leave Columbus over the summer.

As for how this impacts the Blues, consider this a solid outcome. Nash would have been a devastating addition for the Nashville Predators so I’m content in him sticking in Columbus and away from a contender.

February 27th – 2:00pm: The deadline is here. Nashville has traded for Buffalo’s Paul Gaustad.

February 27th – 1:51pm: Now under 10 minutes to go. If any GM is going to pull a deal, now is the time. Keep in mind that though the deadline is in a handful of minutes that some deals don’t get reported until well after the deadline expires. This live blog won’t wrap up until several hours after the deadline has come and gone.

February 27th – 1:39pm: Roughly 20 minutes to go in this trading period.

February 27th – 1:10pm: Chicago has added defenseman Johnny Oduya from Winnipeg.

Now that Chicago has made a deal, every team in the Central Division has completed a trade today – except for the St. Louis Blues.

February 27th – 1:04pm With under an hour to go, trades are picking up. Some minor Central news as Columbus sent Sami Pahlsson to Vancouver in exchange for two 4th round draft picks.

Further West, the Colorado Avalanche have sent T.J. Galiardi and Daniel Winnik to San Jose in exchange for Jamie McGinn.

One blogger’s opinion: It appears the Avs are indeed in seller’s mode. San Jose adds a couple pieces while Vancouver brings in one. Looks like numerous contenders in the West are aware that they need to make a move to try and separate themselves from the pack.

February 27th – 12:00pm: The clock has struck noon, leaving us just two hours before the deadline passes. Other Central teams have made minor moves while the Blues have elected to remain quiet. It seems likely that the deadline’s biggest moves are still ahead of us, so keep a close eye. Hopefully if the Blues do indeed stand pat that their foes in the Central don’t bring in any big names.

February 27th – 11:45am: Another Central Division squad has made a deal. This time the Detroit Red Wings are in the mix, trading defenseman Mike Commodore to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Red Wings receive a conditional 7th round pick.

February 27th – 11:13am: Looking ahead, the Blues take on the Calgary Flames tonight. It’s yet another important road game for the Blues as they look to win their third straight contest. Jaroslav Halak will be between the pipes tonight.

One blogger’s opinion: Halak owns a 2-4-0 record with a 2.85 GAA record in six games against the Calgary Flames. The Blues lead the season series with Calgary 2-1. The Flames have dropped their past three games.

February 27th – 10:36am: Nashville has officially acquired Andrei Kostitsyn, reuniting him with his brother Sergei. Nashville sent a 2nd round pick in 2013 and a conditional 5th round pick in 2013 to Montreal.

One blogger’s opinion: Debate all you want about whether or not Andrei Kostitsyn is a true upgrade and can make a difference. The fact remains that Nashville is actively trying to make a push to improve prior to this year’s deadline. Central Division take note – Nashville is coming to play.

February 27th – 9:10am: Bob McKenzie reports that while it is not confirmed, the Nashville Predators may be pursuing Andrei Kostitsyn from the Montreal Canadiens.

One blogger’s opinion: Clearly, Nashville is doing its best to improve for 2011-12. This is a scenario all of us Blues fans need to closely monitor as the Predators have been an extremely difficult opponent all season long and could very easily be a team the Blues would be forced to see come playoff time. Stay tuned.

February 27th – 8:34am: If you’re just joining us this morning, fear not – you haven’t missed anything. So far we haven’t seen a single trade completed today as GMs continue to drive a hard price for the few players that are actually available today. Hopefully prices will come down and we will see new faces in new cities soon enough.

February 27th – 12:09am: With that, this writer is calling it a night. Literally the lack of action or rumors surrounding the deadline are putting me to sleep. The live blog continues tomorrow morning. Stay tuned.

February 26th – 11:29pm: You know it’s a slow day when the trade of an AHL goaltender (Ben Bishop) for a second round pick is still leading the news section on Yahoo! NHL. Outside of Bishop, today has been completely based in speculation rather than reality as no other GMs have pulled the trigger. Let’s hope tomorrow holds a bit more action.

February 26th – 6:05pm: We can assume that tonight will remain mostly quiet. After all, each general manager should be put fast asleep by tonight’s Oscars.

One blogger’s opinion: Zzzzzzzzz

February 26th – 4:53pm: Finally – something interesting. It doesn’t directly involve the Blues but it sure could have an impact come playoff time and for years to come if the Central Division remains intact. Our friends over at Section 303 break down the fact that Nashville has openly made an offer to Columbus for Rick Nash. It is believed that Nashville’s GM had a standing offer to Columbus. The rumored offer would have sent Colin Wilson, Ryan Ellis, Teemu Laakso and a 2012 first round pick back to Columbus. While the deal is still believed to be “out there” for Columbus to take, it is important to remember that this still falls under the RUMOR label.

One blogger’s opinion: Frightening. If Nashville is able to get a deal like this done, the Predators instantly become legitimate Cup contenders. The argument can be made that they are as they sit today, but the addition of Nash would catapult them into the driver’s seat through the addition of a huge scoring threat.

As a fan of the Blues, this wouldn’t be a friendly scenario, especially if the Blues happened to meet up with the Predators in the playoffs. It’s doubtful Columbus wants to deal Nash to a foe in the same division, but their options might be limited given Nash’s no-trade clause and what other offers the team has received.

February 26th – 4:15pm: If you’re interested in what other sites have to say about the Ben Bishop trade, here’s a few helpful links.

Yahoo Sports
SportingNews
NHL.com – With statements from Bishop

February 26th – 2:15pm: TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting that Ben Bishop’s new one-year deal with Ottawa is worth $650,000.

February 26th – 2:06pm: We are officially less than 24 hours away from the 2012 NHL trade deadline. Currently, all is quiet not only as far as the Blues are concerned but also as far as the league is concerned.

February 26th – 1:10pm: Not exactly trade news but Alex Steen is headed to California, seeking additional treatment for his concussion. Steen had resumed skating but was forced to abandon his road to recovery after experiencing vision problems. Now, desperate for answers, Steen is leaving the St. Louis area in hopes that a couple weeks of therapy might do the trick.

One blogger’s opinion: This news about Steen is extremely disappointing. I placed it in the trade deadline coverage as Steen’s inability to return to 100% makes the team’s need for some forward help all the greater. I originally believed St. Louis would have to gamble on whether or not their injured stars would be able to return and make a significant contribution for the remainder of the year and the postseason. Given Steen’s muddy picture and Langenbrunner’s broken foot, the need for help is greater than ever before. The need is there but will the Blues be able to find help at an affordable price? Stay tuned.

February 26th – 12:52pm: At this time I’d like to thank the Blues for not starting this year’s deadline with any 2am deals like the crazy Erik Johnson deal from last season. Still, that deal set a precedent which means some late nights will be had around the league.

February 26th – 11:12am: Now that Bishop has been traded, what should we expect from the Blues? I’m actually surprised that St. Louis pulled the trigger with so much time before the deadline. I assume they found what they were looking for and made a move before Ottawa could pursue other options.

Do you think the Bishop trade was a good one? Vote on the right –>

February 26th – 10:35am: Ben Bishop has been traded to the Ottawa Senators, as reported by Darren Dreger. The Blues will receive a 2013 second round pick in exchange. Ottawa then went to work in signing Bishop to a new contract as Bishop’s currently one expires at the end of 2011-12.

One blogger’s opinion: We knew Bishop was the most likely to be moved before Monday’s deadline. While I believe we as Blues fans have overestimated Bishop’s value, I’m surprised to see that the return is a second round pick. Bishop has been one of the AHL’s best goaltenders this season. He has come up to the NHL and played pretty reliably in net. While I understand the Blues wanted to get something for Bishop before he could leave through free agency, I’m puzzled why they didn’t try to package him in a bigger deal that could have helped the team’s efforts in 2011-12. As is, it’s nice to get some sort of a return on Bishop but fans will probably be disappointed he didn’t bring more, immediate help.

I’m also a bit surprised that Ottawa is Bishop’s ultimate destination as the Senators have a solid goaltending prospect in Robin Lehner. However, it is worth noting that Ottawa’s goaltending coach, Rick Wamsley, used to work with Bishop when he was the coach of the Rivermen.

The Bishop deal now brings the official Jake Allen era in Peoria. Allen will now take over the reigns from Bishop as the number one starter for the Rivermen.