The St. Louis Blues haven't quite been dealt an injury hand the likes of which the Columbus Blue Jackets stumbled through during the 2014-15 NHL season, but their early issues with injuries to their forward corps are nevertheless, daunting. With Patrik Berglund out for at least three more months, Paul Stastny out approximately another month, maybe more, and Jaden Schwartz to be re-evaluated in three months' time, the once deep and talented Blues forward group suddenly looks thin and frail. And while St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong recently offered PTOs to veterans like Dainius Zubrus and Martin Havlat in the hopes of shoring up the unit, it seems the trade route it still very much open for the Blues personnel man.
And while other teams are willing to deal, the target of their own affection may be a player Armstrong simply can't part ways with.
"Teams are calling, offering up forwards to some degree, or at least willing to discuss. But one of the primary targets is Carl Gunnarsson," TSN's Darren Dreger said Tuesday, while appearing on TSN's Insider Trading, according to Chris Nichols of Todays Slap Shot. "Now here's a Top 4 defenseman in the St. Louis Blues organization who is 20+ minutes. The Blues do not want to give up on Carl Gunnarsson just yet."
Gunnarsson, a seven-year NHL veteran and former seventh-round pick, has developed into a high quality, minutes-eating defender. He's averaged close to 20 minutes of ice time per night over his career and through nine games this season with the Blues is clocking in at about 18:55 operating on St. Louis' second-pairing alongside promising upstart Colton Parayko.
With Kevin Shattenkirk having suffered a "setback," per Dreger, Gunnarsson's immediate worth to the Blues is simply too great. But if Shattenkirk can return to health and Armstrong and head coach Ken Hitchcock are comfortable with Joel Edmundson and Robert Bortuzzo on the bottom defensive pairing, Gunnarsson could be the kind of valuable trade chip that allows St. Louis to pick up some much-needed offensive depth early in the season.
