Stewart trade bait?

[gaijin]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... wcjzV7vLYF

February 19 marks the one-year anniversary of a truly stunning deal near the NHL trade deadline: Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk going from the Colorado Avalanche to the St. Louis Blues for Erik Johnson, Jay McClement and a first-round pick.

Stunning for the players involved, stunning because it happened well after midnight on the East Coast (you know, the center of the hockey media universe).

Oh boy, did it look like the Blues had a steal in this one. Shattenkirk played 19:50 on average last year and is second on the team in ice time this season at 21:31. He has 23 points in 48 games.

Stewart … well, Stewart's an interesting story. He had 23 points in 26 games last season, giving him 28 goals and 25 assists overall. This season, his numbers have plummeted: 10 goals in 46 games, and a points-per-game average of 0.43, the lowest since his rookie campaign in 2008-09.

That regression, the Blues' other lineup needs at the 2012 trade deadline approaches and Stewart's RFA status next summer has Andy Strickland of TrueHockey.com thinking GM Doug Armstrong could move Stewart could at the deadline:

For the right price Stewart is available but it would really have to make sense for the Blues to pull the string here. I'm not a so sure moving this type of potential for a rental would make sense. A strong month from Stewart could easily squash any possibility of a trade. Unfortunately these are the decisions you have to make when you're a budget team.
Moving Stewart wouldn't have even been a consideration entering the season but tough decisions are part of the business and Armstrong has shown he's willing to make them.

As Strickland notes, it could be a move that comes back to bite the Blues, who trumpeted Stewart as a 35-goal man before the season. The Avalanche probably felt the same way after 26 games last season. Now? Well, they probably still miss Shattenkirk.

I see the idea, but I'm not willing to give up on him just yet. It's not like the rest of the team is an offensive powerhouse and Stewart is the only one not producing. Plus, based on his production this year, I don't think he would fetch enough in return for the risk of him regaining his scoring touch.

Plus, he quotes Strickland.

[DaDitka]

Yeah, PHT has some stewie trade talk too.

[cardsfan04]

I have no aversion to trading him. But, I don't want it to be a trade just to give up on him.

[thedoc]

With his production we are not going to resign him unless it is to a very cheap 1-2 year deal that works for us. So I say trade him if you can get anything for him, being that his value can't be that high. I would prefer us to have something as opposed to letting him walk.

[kodos]

How much do you think he'll get as an RFA? If he scores 17 or so goals this year like he's trending to... then there's no way he gets more then 2 million or so for a few years. It's a tricky question...

[DaDitka]

How much do you think he'll get as an RFA? If he scores 17 or so goals this year like he's trending to... then there's no way he gets more then 2 million or so for a few years. It's a tricky question...

With his 'assumed' high ceiling and back to back 28 goal seasons. I think he can get about 3-4 mill a year on a three year deal, but it's not going to be here.

While we see a lazy, heartless, loafer.....other's see a potential 40 goal scorer. I'm sure many GMs will try to convince themselves that this defensive responsibilities and the lack of a play making center are what's holding him back. Thankfully, we know that's not true and won't be fulled into giving him another dime.

[cardsfan04]

Are incentive-laden deals allowed in the NHL? If so, are there restrictions on what can be an incentive?

If it's like baseball (performance-based incentives aren't allowed outside of making the ASG/winning an award), I'd say let's be done with him. If we're allowed to give him a deal for $2 mil w/ incentives that take it to ~$4 mil (40 goals, etc.), I'd be fine with him coming back.

Hell, that kind of thing could be just what motivates him to reach his potential.

[glen a richter]

I remember a number of years ago, there were two players on... Florida, I think... they had clauses in their contracts that one would get a bonus for reaching 20 goals and the other for 40 assists or something like that. Last game of the season, they're 1 goal and 1 assist short of their respective bonuses, empty net, wide open ice the one who needed the assist had the puck, the one who needed the goal was with him, so he passed it and I'm almost fairly sure he missed the open net so they both got screwed out of their bonuses.

[cardsfan04]

I remember a number of years ago, there were two players on... Florida, I think... they had clauses in their contracts that one would get a bonus for reaching 20 goals and the other for 40 assists or something like that. Last game of the season, they're 1 goal and 1 assist short of their respective bonuses, empty net, wide open ice the one who needed the assist had the puck, the one who needed the goal was with him, so he passed it and I'm almost fairly sure he missed the open net so they both got screwed out of their bonuses.

That sounds familiar.

[cprice12]

I'm not against trading him.
And if it makes sense for the team and the future of this team, I'd encourage trading him.

Yes, we'd be selling low...but if you like the deal, you take it...because he's been worthless this year.

If we keep winning and hold on to him in hopes he comes around...fine, whatever...we're still winning (even though the goal now is not to just win, but to win the division so to avoid a bitch of a matchup in the 1st round). But I am sure Armstrong is exploring all options and seeing what the most we can get for him will be.

[STLADOGG]

Keep him on our team...this guy killed the Blues before he was one....with that said lets get Boyes back and sit him the whole game till a SO

[WaukeeBlues]

Question: Why is it that St. Louis is where goal scorers come to die?

I'm with Curt, and many others, on here: If the price is right and you as the GM believe that it makes the Blues a better team then yea, you ALWAYS make that trade.

Biggest question for me though, as others have pointed out, is that we don't sign him and sit down at the negotiating table with him, what is he going to command? Is he going to act like this year never happened and be pushing for 3-4 million or meet us halfway, understand the situation and settle for a short-term 1-2 million deal? If it's the latter, I'd rather have it that way and give him a full opportunity to re-kindle his touch without having to risk the regret of dealing him only to have him re-explode offensively elsewhere.

[STLADOGG]

Question: Why is it that St. Louis is where goal scorers come to die?

If we had Stamkos, he would still get 50 goals I'm pretty sure.

[cprice12]

Question: Why is it that St. Louis is where goal scorers come to die?

I'm with Curt, and many others, on here: If the price is right and you as the GM believe that it makes the Blues a better team then yea, you ALWAYS make that trade.

Biggest question for me though, as others have pointed out, is that we don't sign him and sit down at the negotiating table with him, what is he going to command? Is he going to act like this year never happened and be pushing for 3-4 million or meet us halfway, understand the situation and settle for a short-term 1-2 million deal? If it's the latter, I'd rather have it that way and give him a full opportunity to re-kindle his touch without having to risk the regret of dealing him only to have him re-explode offensively elsewhere.

Yeah, it's an odd situation.
I don't think I'd be upset either way...if we keep him or trade him.
Of course, that's speaking right now. I might change my mind after I see who we get for him...or who we passed up to keep him.

[thedoc]

Question: Why is it that St. Louis is where goal scorers come to die?

If we had Stamkos, he would still get 50 goals I'm pretty sure.

I'm sure he would hit 50 goals playing for us. It will just take him 2 and a half years to get them.

[dmiles2186]

Question: Why is it that St. Louis is where goal scorers come to die?

If we had Stamkos, he would still get 50 goals I'm pretty sure.

I'm sure he would hit 50 goals playing for us. It will just take him 2 and a half years to get them.

That or he'll score 50 and then the next year they'll put him in Brad Boyes' old locker stall and he will miss the net on breakaways and not be able to pot 10 goals a season.

[WaukeeBlues]

Question: Why is it that St. Louis is where goal scorers come to die?

If we had Stamkos, he would still get 50 goals I'm pretty sure.

I'm sure he would hit 50 goals playing for us. It will just take him 2 and a half years to get them.

That or he'll score 50 and then the next year they'll put him in Brad Boyes' old locker stall and he will miss the net on breakaways and not be able to pot 10 goals a season.

I lol'd

[goon attack]

Stewart apparently has a (Franking) pussy.

[cprice12]

With his 'assumed' high ceiling and back to back 28 goal seasons. I think he can get about 3-4 mill a year on a three year deal.

Not a chance in hell he gets $4 million per year.
Maybe $3 million....maybe...but I think that's high too.
I'd say in the $2.75 million range.

[DaDitka]

With his 'assumed' high ceiling and back to back 28 goal seasons. I think he can get about 3-4 mill a year on a three year deal.

Not a chance in hell he gets $4 million per year.
Maybe $3 million....maybe...but I think that's high too.
I'd say in the $2.75 million range.

Yeah, now it's looking more and more like a one year 2.3- 2.5 mill prove yourself contract. (and that's a pay cut!)

I don't know what I was thinking, I completely forgot he's restricted.