By Andrew Allsman| Posted: June 11, 2015| Contact |
Barret Jackman’s run as St. Louis’ longest tenured
professional athlete has come to an end. According to the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch, Jackman’s career with the Blues has concluded as the club has
informed the defenseman that he will not be re-signed.
The 34-year-old has been with the Blues since the 2001-02
season, a total of 13 years wearing the Note. But the team decided to go in a
more youthful direction after Jackman’s three-year, $9.5 million contract
expired this offseason.
The veteran defenseman is not quite ready to hang up the
skates, but would have preferred to stay in St. Louis, where he has spent his
entire career to this point. Instead, he is expected to test the market after
becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
“Absolutely,” Jackman said adamantly when asked following
the season if he would like to return to St. Louis. “That’s something where
(general manager) Doug Armstrong is going to sit down and see if I fit in the
organization still. I’d love to be back and be a Blue for my entire career.”
Jackman is coming off a season during which he posted two goals,
15 points in 80 games. During his career with the Blues, the defenseman had 181
points (28 goals, 153 assists) in 803 games.
“I’m not going to sit here and toot my own horn but I
thought I played well,” Jackman said after the season. “I don’t think my play
has dropped off year after year and I still feel like I can help the team.
“Lots left in me. Four or five years. Year-to-year it’s been
good. My body is the best it has felt in years so I’ll continue to push on.”
Jackman and his teammates knew following the season that
their postseason good-byes would potentially be their final conversations as
teammates. Following postseason meetings, Armstrong and the coaching staff
decided to give Robert Bortuzzo, who was acquired mid-season, and Petteri
Lindbohm ample room to grow into NHL roles.
“I’m sure Army is going to sit down and look at the roster
from top to bottom,” said Jackman. “He’s the one who makes the decisions and he’s
got a good group around him to help him out. He’s going to make changes where
he sees fits.”
While Jackman never posted mind-blowing numbers, his role in
the locker room and on the ice was big. He often led by example, sometimes
playing through unimaginable levels of pain.
“Seeing everything he battled through and played games where
you thought he’s not coming back, we’ve got to finish without him and all of
the sudden he shows up on the bench and he’s taped something up,” said teammate
Alexander Steen. “(He’s) a huge warrior. He’s the type of guy that teams rally
around and connect with just through his way of playing and his way of being in
the locker room.”
Fellow defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk didn’t even want to
think of the possibility that Jackman’s all-too-recognizable No. 5 jersey would
not be hanging in the locker room next season.
“It would be really tough,” he said. “There’s a spot on my
team for him no matter where I go. He’s been one of my probably biggest
mentors, I think. I’d love to have him around me. That’s tough to think about,
really, when you think about what might happen this summer.”