St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been the center of trade rumors since the offseason, and they’re heating up again approaching the March 1 trade deadline.
Could the Devils be a potential suitor?
An NHL scout, who asked that his name and organization remain anonymous, said Shattenkirk would certainly provide an upgrade for the Devils.
“He runs a power play, has good passing skills. He’s better at it than (Damon) Severson is,” the scout said. “I know Severson his rookie year had a lot of potential, but he hasn’t materialized as much the past couple years. He would definitely add to their offense, as he would a number of power plays around the league.”
What Shero doesn’t see happening at deadline
Severson is the Devils’ leading scorer among defensemen this season with 22 points in 53 games. But would Shattenkirk bring enough defensively?
“He’s maybe not as sound defensively as some other guys,” the scout said. “But you put him with a good, solid stay-at-home guy, you’ve probably got a good pairing.”
Devils general manager Ray Shero said the Devils would not be in the market for rentals of expiring contracts, which would essentially squash that sort of trade for Shattenkirk, who is in the final season of a four-year, $17 million deal.
But what about a sign-and-trade? It’s something the Blues are open to doing, and it closer fits something the Devils would want.
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If the Devils signed Shattenkirk to an extension, keeping him in New Jersey beyond this season, it would cost much more in a trade.
“St. Louis would probably want a defenseman in return, and probably a draft pick or a good young prospect,” the scout said. “That’s what they’re looking for. To get a guy who produces the amount of points and offense Shattenkirk does, you’ve got to pay a price for it.”
The scout said a team like the Rangers might be a more likely destination for Shattenkirk — a team likely bound for the playoffs with a need for a power-play defenseman. But he also wondered if the Rangers would be willing to part with more assets.
The other issue the scout raised for the Devils was June’s expansion draft with the addition of the NHL’s 31st team, the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Shattenkirk would be a logical player to protect for the expansion draft, forcing the Devils to expose an additional defenseman.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense for them to do it now,” the scout said. “You’ve got to protect him, you’ve got to protect Severson, and you’ve got to protect Greene. So it exposes one more guy.”
Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.
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