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(AP) St. Louis: The St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins are no strangers to doing blockbuster deals together and with the upcoming draft approaching, yet another has been completed between the two cross-conference rivals.
The Blues shipped out franchise centerman Vincent Lecavalier, along with forward Sergei Samsonov and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to the Bruins, in exchange for winger Jamie Langenbrunner, young forward Milan Michalek, goalie Marty Turco and the Bruins 2nd round choice in the 2007 draft.
Blues general manager Nick Quain immediately dodged a barrage of pointed questions over the trade, most notably over the loss of Lecavalier, a franchise centerman in the prime of his career who has two years remaining on his contract at a very reasonable $1.8 million.
“Trading Vince is not something we did without a lot of thought and consternation†offered a defensive Quain. “But our franchise needed a change and we feel the players we’re getting will make the Blues a better team in both the short and long-term.â€
While the loss of Lecavalier will be significant, the Blues also gave up two other quality players. While Samsonov had trouble finding a role with the team since his arrival via trade at mid-season, he is a dynamic forward with considerable talent in his own right. And in Khabibulin, the Blues lose a goalie with tremendous experience; albeit with his struggles last season as well.
For the Blues going forward, it is believed Langenbrunner will immediately be penciled in on the left side on the top line with Joe Thornton and Daniel Alfredsson, while Craig Conroy will move up to the 2nd line center role permanently with Dany Heatley and most likely, Scott Walker – two players Conroy found some chemistry with late last season.
Meanwhile, Jeff Halpern will shift over to his more natural center position on the checking line with Peter Schaefer. The right wing on that line and the make up of the 4th line will be sorted out in training camp with Michalek, Jarko Ruutu, Mark Cullen and Chuck Kobasew rounding out the rest of the four positions, assuming the Blues don’t acquire any other forwards in free agency.
For Turco, he might be considered an upgrade over Khabibulin at this stage, but he has consistently failed to thrive in the post-season while in Boston.
“I think he just needed a change of scenery†said Quain. “The drunken fans in Beantown have been egging the guy’s house for the past month.â€
“He’ll get a fresh start with usâ€
Turco is expected to be the starter for the Blues, where as there had been speculation Khabibulin would be challenged by back-up Mathieu Garon.
Michalek is the wild card in the deal and the Blues are hoping he can develop into a top six forward in the coming seasons.
“We love his game†stated Quain. “As hard as it was to trade Vince, it was very easy to trade for Milanâ€
While Quain will weave his typically spin on the players acquired in the deal, it is also no secret the Blues were under financial pressure in terms of meeting the $40 million salary cap next season. The deal sees the Blues shedding $7.4 million in salaries in exchange for only $2.4 million, as both Langenbrunner and Turco are signed for less than $1 million per season. The Blues cap number is now down to a more reasonable $36 million and while the team clearly has a 20 man roster already filled, they may be a small player in free agency now with this new found cap space.
But next up, is the entry draft this Saturday, where the Blues have four selections in the first three rounds, including two first round draft picks, the second coming from the Bruins in a trade earlier this year. Interestingly, next year will see a similar scenario, as the Blues now hold the Bruins 2nd rounder in 2007, in addition to all three of their own picks.
The Blues shipped out franchise centerman Vincent Lecavalier, along with forward Sergei Samsonov and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to the Bruins, in exchange for winger Jamie Langenbrunner, young forward Milan Michalek, goalie Marty Turco and the Bruins 2nd round choice in the 2007 draft.
Blues general manager Nick Quain immediately dodged a barrage of pointed questions over the trade, most notably over the loss of Lecavalier, a franchise centerman in the prime of his career who has two years remaining on his contract at a very reasonable $1.8 million.
“Trading Vince is not something we did without a lot of thought and consternation†offered a defensive Quain. “But our franchise needed a change and we feel the players we’re getting will make the Blues a better team in both the short and long-term.â€
While the loss of Lecavalier will be significant, the Blues also gave up two other quality players. While Samsonov had trouble finding a role with the team since his arrival via trade at mid-season, he is a dynamic forward with considerable talent in his own right. And in Khabibulin, the Blues lose a goalie with tremendous experience; albeit with his struggles last season as well.
For the Blues going forward, it is believed Langenbrunner will immediately be penciled in on the left side on the top line with Joe Thornton and Daniel Alfredsson, while Craig Conroy will move up to the 2nd line center role permanently with Dany Heatley and most likely, Scott Walker – two players Conroy found some chemistry with late last season.
Meanwhile, Jeff Halpern will shift over to his more natural center position on the checking line with Peter Schaefer. The right wing on that line and the make up of the 4th line will be sorted out in training camp with Michalek, Jarko Ruutu, Mark Cullen and Chuck Kobasew rounding out the rest of the four positions, assuming the Blues don’t acquire any other forwards in free agency.
For Turco, he might be considered an upgrade over Khabibulin at this stage, but he has consistently failed to thrive in the post-season while in Boston.
“I think he just needed a change of scenery†said Quain. “The drunken fans in Beantown have been egging the guy’s house for the past month.â€
“He’ll get a fresh start with usâ€
Turco is expected to be the starter for the Blues, where as there had been speculation Khabibulin would be challenged by back-up Mathieu Garon.
Michalek is the wild card in the deal and the Blues are hoping he can develop into a top six forward in the coming seasons.
“We love his game†stated Quain. “As hard as it was to trade Vince, it was very easy to trade for Milanâ€
While Quain will weave his typically spin on the players acquired in the deal, it is also no secret the Blues were under financial pressure in terms of meeting the $40 million salary cap next season. The deal sees the Blues shedding $7.4 million in salaries in exchange for only $2.4 million, as both Langenbrunner and Turco are signed for less than $1 million per season. The Blues cap number is now down to a more reasonable $36 million and while the team clearly has a 20 man roster already filled, they may be a small player in free agency now with this new found cap space.
But next up, is the entry draft this Saturday, where the Blues have four selections in the first three rounds, including two first round draft picks, the second coming from the Bruins in a trade earlier this year. Interestingly, next year will see a similar scenario, as the Blues now hold the Bruins 2nd rounder in 2007, in addition to all three of their own picks.
