It really could mean anything at this point, but the latest report out of the NHL as the hockey-watching world settles in for "let's not talk about John Scott" weekend, suggests that the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning have "something percolating" on the trade front.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman appeared on Calgary's Sportsnet 960 on Friday morning and expanded on what he's hearing regarding a potential Blues-Lightning deal. And yes, the usual suspects came up.
"Well, the Drouin thing - I wonder if after the All-Star break - I still think there's something percolating there between Tampa and St. Louis," Friedman said, per Today's Slap Shot's transcription. "I don't know how serious it is. Doug Armstrong and Steve Yzerman know each other really well. They're very close friends. I think if they wanted to make a deal they probably could. There's a bit of guesswork involved in there. I do think there is the possibility something happens there, but how big it is or how small it is, I'm not 100 percent sure at this point."
Friedman did suggest that Robby Fabbri was involved in talks at some point, but that Armstrong has probably tried to steer talks away from the young forward. It makes sense that Armstrong would back off any deal involving Fabbri. The former first-round pick has really blossomed in his first year with the big club, collecting 11 goals and 7 assists, as well as a 52.8 Corsi For, playing second line minutes alongside Jori Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko.
It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots based on need and value and see that a name like embattled Blues forward Jonathan Drouin is likely to be involved in any trade, as Friedman suggests. And with the Lightning seeking a top-tier, right-handed defenseman, a guy like Kevin Shattenkirk or prospect Jordan Schmaltz could certainly be involved as well.
Recent reports have indicated the Blues may not deal Shattenkirk after all, despite a bevy of rumors to the contrary, but if Armstrong and Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock are desperate enough, and they may very well be after the disappointment of the last few seasons, you just never know who could be dealt.
For now, we're still hazy on the particulars, but it seems only a matter of time before Drouin is traded. The Blues would certainly seem a logical landing spot, but then again, so would a lot of teams.
