What About Kevin Shattenkirk?

Seth Jones was a favorite of many on the Oilers blogosphere (Not me) in regards to a trade target. Earlier this week, he was moved from Nashville to Columbus, meaning he’s off the books. Odds are, the New York Islanders don’t trade Travis Hamonic this season with Johnny Boychuk on the shelf. The options for Edmonton on the blue line are, frankly, limited.

That said, NHL insider Craig Custance brought up an interesting point on Friday. He mentioned that he is hearing the name of Kevin Shattenkirk in play from the St. Louis Blues.

Multiple sources have said Shattenkirk’s name is in play on the trade front, not because the Blues don’t like him, but because they probably can’t afford to keep him when his contract runs out after next season. The Blues are a budget team, and they’re already paying Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester top-pairing salaries on long-term deals.

Custance’s full piece is here.

Shattenkirk is an interesting player for a number of reasons. He’s a proven top-four defender in the NHL and is a right-shot. He’s also a dynamic player on the powerplay and is very strong when it comes to making plays with the puck. Everything the Oilers hoped Justin Schultz would become, well that’s Kevin Shattenkirk.

Here’s his scouting report, compliments of The Hockey News.

Assets:	Has excellent offensive capability and all-round upside. A good transition game player, his quickness, talent and poise with the puck are assets. Can make an impact on the power play. He’s not big, but is stronger than he looks and will use the body effectively.
Flaws:	Must continue adding more bulk to his frame and overall strength in order to better handle bigger NHL forwards in front of the net. Should learn to better choose his spots when he’s pinching from the point as he gains more experience. Lacks some toughness.
Career Potential:	Offensive defenseman with upside.

We’re looking at a player that would instantly become Edmonton’s top offensive defender, a guy that would be able to play with Oscar Klefbom right away on Edmonton’s top-pairing. He’s a strong puck mover and, quite frankly, is a little underrated defensively.

So far this season, in 33 games, Shattenkirk has posted 8-17-25. That said, he’s a -12 on the year, something that is out of character for him. In terms of ice time, he’s averaging 21:32 per game, a substantial amount.

Below is Shattenkirk’s HERO chart. This shows us some of his advanced metrics.

Obviously, he shows very well here. Shattenkirk plays top-four minutes while producing offense at a top-pairing clip. He’s also, in terms of possession, a top-pairing player. The Oilers do not currently have someone that shows this well in any of these areas.

Where Would He Fit?:

Top-pairing on the right side, not much of a debate there. He’d be Edmonton’s best right shot defender and his style is the perfect compliment to the steady Oscar Klefbom. Putting those two together would give Edmonton an actual and legit top-pairing. This would also allow Darnell Nurse and Andrej Sekera to get the band back together in a more sheltered role on the second pairing.

What’s The Asking Price?:

The Blues may be the team that can make Justin Schultz productive. They have a number of strong, veteran defenders who can act as mentors and partners for Schultz. He’s a right-shot and could slide in as the number four or five defender in St. Louis. I’m not high on Schultz, but he’s not as bad as he has played this season. He needs a change and I can’t think of a better place than St. Louis. That said, I’m not sure if the Blue would be interested.

Would they be interested in Jordan Eberle? Certainly, but if they are a budget team then adding a $6 million a year deal doesn’t seem like a smart investment. What about Nail Yakupov? He’s a young scorer and is on a short-term bridge deal. He’s not exactly due for a massive pay day either and would fit right in with the Blues in terms of dollars.

St. Louis would, obviously, also be interested in Edmonton’s 1st round pick in this June’s entry draft.

Does Yakupov and the first get this deal done? What about Yakupov, Schultz and the first for Shattenkirk and another asset?

I’m not exactly sure. One thing I am sure about? Shattenkirk would be quite a get for the Edmonton Oilers. They would finally have their right shot, top-four puck mover. I’m sure Peter Chiarelli will be investigating this possibility.