Strike a potential blueline target off the list of deadline trade bait.
The St. Louis Blues today announced the re-signing of defenseman Barret Jackman to a four-year, $14.4 million contract extension, which breaks down to a cap hit of $3.6 million per season against the Blues cap starting next season.
Jackman, a former Calder Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year, was eligible for unrestricted free agent status this summer, giving rise over the past month to speculation he might be shopped by the trade deadline.
It was originally believed Jackman was seeking upwards of $5 million per season on his new contract but recently it was reported he’d come down in price and it’s believed his new contract may come in between $3-$3.5 million per season.
Jackman has at times struggled with expectations and injuries since his impressive rookie debut in 2002-03, but he is a very capable defensive blueliner and at nearly 27 years old should continue to improve and remain a valuable member of a rebuilding Blues team.
This news actually crushes me. I was trying very hard not to jinx a trade that would bring Jackman and Rucinsky to the Rangers from St. Louis. It just made so much sense to me. The Rangers wanted Marty back, JD and Slats have a good relationship, JD knows and likes some of the Rangers' players (including Marek Malik for some reason known only to him).
Ugh, between that and all signs pointing to Danny Boyle staying in Tampa Bay, my hopes of a February surprise are dwindling.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
