ICFT: Kubina Trade Talk and the Blues
Tuesday’s loss to Columbus, one of the league’s worst defensive clubs, because the Blues failing to score more than one goal, highlighted concerns that this team doesn’t have the offensive capability to get themselves over the next hump.
Wednesday brought further attempts to discover an internal solution. Struggling forward Chris Stewart was demoted to the 4th line with hopes that tough love brings back the fire that’s been missing since October.
Thursday is game day and the New York Islanders are in town. Instead of discussing how to be solve the resurgent Evgeni Nabakov and 9th best penalty kill in the NHL, time is being invested in discussing trade rumors. Tis the season, remember.
Given the statements above most reading would think the talk is centered around bolstering finishing ability. A fair thought given the trends seen since Doug Armstrong took over the helm. He’s been on a mission to identify needs and address them.
There is no mistaking the biggest need right now.
But the deadline is a different beast. Prices are different. The ownership situation is different. Perhaps then another trend will reappear. Add what you can when you can at the right price.
In that light today’s tweet from @NHLWiki makes some sense.
#NHL *Rumor*– The #Blues have spoken to the #TBLightning for D.Pavel Kubina, STL part of teams (Ltd.NTC) he’s willing to move to.
Fuel was added to the fire when news broke that Kubina was held out of the Bolts practice and asked to submit a list of teams he would accept a trade to.
Kubina was not on the ice for the team’s skate in preparation for Thursday night’s matchup with the San Jose Sharks in order to “protect the team’s interests,” according to Yzerman.
Yzerman also said that Kubina, who has a limited no-trade clause in his contract, was asked to submit a list of teams he would be interested in moving to, although Yzerman reaffirmed that a deal was not imminent at this point.
Translation: We’ve got a few deals close to done and we don’t want to risk him getting hurt.
The addition of a veteran defenseman to the Blues depth chart is not a new concept. It’s one that’s been floated many times over the course of the season. Kubina, like Hal Gill, is a grizzled old timer with an expiring contract who has been around the block and lifted the holiest of championship hardware. Bringing in such support for key young players is an action item Armstrong took at the end of last season and resolved this summer when he brought in Arnott, Langenbrunner, Nichol and Huskins. Is it that far fetched that he would do it again to help important minute eating blueliners (and NHL Playoffs virgins) Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk? Not really.
Granted, the search is likely for a left handed shooter, not a
right.
No, the move (or others like it) would not make the weakest link stronger, but other weak links would be less likely to break. In turn making the weakest less vulnerable. Maybe then the weakest link can improve on its own.
It’s that type of outside the box thinking Blues fans should have come to expect from Armstrong by now. He is an assertive, shrewd and calculating General Manager. If he can get what he wants, he will. If he can’t, he’s going to go down to the next best plan of action. There is always a plan.
Complain about the rumor all you will. Complain over the next 11 days as the trade talk increases. With the Blues in the position they are, with the needs they have and the GM running the show speculation is going to follow.
Get used to it.
I know you aren’t. It’s a position the Blues haven’t been in more than once in the Checketts era. But they will be for the foreseeable future now.
