Kevin Shattenkirk wants to hit unrestricted free agency for more reasons than money. He wants to be a No. 1 defenseman.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford has more on the eventual split between Shattenkirk and the Blues, with general manager Doug Armstrong shedding more light on how things eventually led to a trade to the Washington Capitals.
St. Louis was considering an eight-year max deal for Shattenkirk last summer, but in talks heading into the defender's final season of his contract, it became clear that money wasn't going to be the most significant factor with respect to his future.
"His response at that time was he felt he needed a different challenge. With (Colton) Parayko and (Alex) Pietrangelo, I think he was hoping to get more responsibility in different areas," Armstrong said.
Shattenkirk played 61 games for St. Louis this season and ranked fourth among defensemen and on the team in ice time, averaging 19:51 in ice time per night.
| Defenseman | Average Ice Time |
|---|---|
| Pietrangelo | 24:54 |
| Jay Bouwmeester | 22:19 |
| Parayko | 21:12 |
| Shattenkirk | 19:51 |
Based on the table above, you can see where Shattenkirk's coming from. In fact, Shattenkirk's ice time was down this season from 22:25 in 2015-16 and 22:34 in 2014-15. That could have been the Blues knowing the 28-year-old wasn't in the team's long-term plans, as it was clear he was - and is - going to test the market, an opportunity he's certainly earned.
What Armstrong also told Rutherford is that there are no hard feelings; that Shattenkirk was nothing but a professional. He simply wanted more responsibility, and he can't be taken to task for that.
"There was not going to be a long-term extension here with the group of players we had here. I respected his honesty," Armstrong added.
Armstrong praised Shattenkirk's competitiveness - he should want to be on the ice to close out games, to be on the power play, and the penalty kill, to play 23-to-24 minutes a night. He added that Shattenkirk's earned the right to hit the market.
The Blues received a package that included first- and second-round draft picks and 22-year-old prospect Zach Sanford, a second-round selection by Washington in 2013.
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