Winnipeg Jets Acquire Paul Stastny from St. Louis

The Winnipeg Jets have acquired center Paul Stastny from the St. Louis Blues for a 2018 1st rounder, conditional 2020 4th rounder, and prospect Erik Foley. Are the Jets better for it? Yes.

Right up to 12:00 pm EST the only trade Monday morning was Ian Cole to Columbus. But the last minute before the NHL trade deadline saw furious action as GM Kevin Cheveldayoff added forward depth to their 3rd line by acquiring St. Louis Blue Paul Stastny.

Well, This is Unexpected

This was a surprise. St. Louis is still in the playoff mix and while Paul is not a cornerstone piece of their line-up its shocking for a bubble team to move one of their centers let alone their teams 4th leading scorer. Stastny has 12 goals and 40 points in 68 games this season with the Blues. While he does have a -4 +/- we can expect that to improve with him playing between players like Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine.

This very well may be St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong waving the white flag on this year’s Blues team. They have struggled mightily as of late with a 0-5-1 record in their last 6. Goaltending has been a sore spot and there are no easy answers there. Good work for Armstrong to salvage something from the season by getting a 1st rounder for this year’s draft. Great work by Kevin Cheveldayoff for addressing a need and making the team better for a long playoff run.

The Son of Peter the Great

Hall of Famer Peter Stastny is known for being the second highest scoring player in the 80s behind the Great One, Wayne Gretzky. His son, Paul, was signed by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2006-07 season from the University of Denver. Like his father, he owns tremendous playmaking ability and two-way skills. He has good vision and can provide an excellent pass, especially in traffic. Paul plays bigger than his 6-0 frame and is solidly built.

As with all hockey players scions, Paul will always be measured with his Dad and be found wanting. This is a disservice to kids as they are forced to play in their parents’ shadow. Some players like Brett Hull manage to break out. Some do not, like Marty Howe.

Paul is a good player who plays a different style of game than his dad. He has matured into a solid two-way center and good locker room presence. Like most players, however, he deals with consistency. But given he will be joining a cup contending team with a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup you can expect him to show more for his new home. Stastny will be a boon to the Jets and a welcomed addition by the Winnipeg fans.

This is Huge

Paul comes in tied with Kyle Connor at 5th in points on the Jets. With Stastny slotted into the 3rd line center position, here is our new line-up:

Blake Wheeler – Mark Scheifele – Kyle Connor

Mathieu Perreault – Bryan Little – Jack Roslovic

Nikolaj Ehlers – Paul Stastny – Patrik Laine

Holy scoring depth, Batman! I dare say the Jets now have the most dangerously deep top 9 in the entire NHL. You can even make a case that this moves the third line up past the Little line for the 2nd spot.

Next: Winnipeg Jets: The Brassard Trade Could Change Everything

Take a minute and look at that forward lineup. Excited yet Jets fans?