Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues: Blockbuster Deal Between Bottom Teams

Trade: Erik Johnson, Jay McClement and a conditional first-round draft pick traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Colorado Avalanche for Chris Stewart, Kevin Shattenkirk and a conditional second-round draft pick.

St. Louis: With T.J Oshie and David Backes already in the lineup, the Blues add another big power forward in Stewart.  Stewart broke out as a sophomore last season when he scored 28 goals and 64 points in 77 games.  Stewart has missed 21 games this season due to a broken hand.  He has the potential to be a 40 goal and 40 assist player and could reach that potential as early as next season.

Shattenkirk exploded onto the NHL scene with a midseason call up this year.  Shattenkirk scored 26 points in his first 38 games this season, but has since gone pointless in the last eight games.  Shattenkirk has been compared to Brian Rafalski and has tremendous offensive upside.  Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo will make for a great 1-2 combo for the Blues for a long time.  Expect Shattenkirk to consistently score 40-50 points a season with a career potential of 60 points.

The fantasy impact for the Blues is huge, as they get two offensive players who will have an instant impact and make everyone else better.  The 2011-2012 season should be the year the Blues finally put it all together and have a breakout season like other rebuilt teams (Chicago, Washington and Pittsburgh).  Try to acquire St. Louis players now or during the offseason.

Colorado: The Avalanche add a checking center in McClement.  McClement will provide leadership and play defensive role for the Avs, which equals very little fantasy value. 

The big addition for Colorado in this deal is Johnson.  He was the first overall draft pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, showing that the Blues are willing to move anyone if they think it will make them better.  Johnson’s production has dropped in his third season, but that doesn’t take away from his potential.  At 6'4", he is a big defenseman who can skate, hit and has a booming shot.  Johnson was on pace to score his lowest point total of his young career, so you might be able to acquire him for a lower cost than his actual value. 

The Avalanche are still a young team with a lot of potential, much like the Blues, so Johnson should play a key role in their growth for many years.  The acquisition of Johnson will hurt the fantasy value of John-Michael Liles, as Johnson should get top power-play minutes.  Count on Johnson scoring 45-55 points a season with a career potential of 20 goals and 65 points.