Another puck moving defenseman has been linked to the Blues, one that has even more experience than recent Philadelphia Flyers acquisition Pavel Kubina. According to Katie Carrera of the Washington Post, the Capitals are still trying to figure out if they’re buyers or sellers, but are willing to part with one of their defensemen. Who might that one be? Roman Hamrlik.
One team that could possibly be a fit is St. Louis, which is in need of a veteran defenseman and recently lost some leadership with Jamie Langenbrunner (broken foot) out of the lineup. The Blues have had officials at recent Capitals games, both home and away.
Allow me to give you background: he was the Tampa Bay Lightning’s first overall pick… ever. He was drafted first overall in the 1992 NHL Draft, and has since played with the , Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, and Montreal Canadiens. The 37 year old is a power play specialist, which would be a great piece for the Blues to have and is a big-time shotblocker.
He was recently a healthy scratch in Washington’s blowout loss Wednesday to the Ottawa Senators due to the fact that he hasn’t been defensive enough. That coaching move by Dale Hunter didn’t end too well. Hamrlik’s veteran leadership would be nice for the Blues to have, but with Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk, as well as Carlo Colaiacovo, there might not be any room on the blueline for him. Would the Blues be willing to break up one of the best defensive units in the NHL for someone nearing retirement age?