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| Photo courtesy of Scott Neer, TSNPhotography |
If anyone had asked T.J. Oshie last offseason which team he
thought he would retire with, he would have responded with St. Louis. That’s what
the famed winger told reporters Thursday via conference call following the announcement
of a trade involving St. Louis and Washington. That’s when Oshie realized how
drastically things can change in one year.
Oshie was a major piece in the deal between the Blues and
Capitals that saw the former gain forward Troy Brouwer, goaltending prospect
Pheonix Copley and a third-round draft pick in 2016.
“Obviously making a trade of this magnitude is difficult for
an organization,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. “We drafted T.J.
years ago, he’s been part of our group and it’s difficult to say goodbye. But
also, we’re excited to bring Troy into our group.”
Brouwer and Oshie both admitted they were shocked when they
heard the news, but Brouwer's day was really intriguing, as far as irony goes.
“I was pretty shocked,” Brouwer said. “I was at the rink
today and I was talking with (Capitals head coach) Barry Trotz and we were talking about some of the moves
we had made with free agency, some of the moves we didn’t make. That was fresh
in my mind and I went home and got the phone call. I wasn’t really expecting to
be traded but as a player you always have to know it can happen. “
Brouwer has already touched base with Blues head coach Ken
Hitchcock, as well as asked other players around the league about what to
expect in St. Louis.
“I’m excited about it,” Brouwer said. “Good players to play
with; good organization. I have heard nothing but good things and I’m excited
about the opportunity and where this team is headed and where it wants to go.”
The transition will have to be quick for Brouwer and his
wife, as the two are anticipating an addition to the family in early September.
“We are going to have to get to St. Louis pretty quickly,
find a hospital and a doctor and worry about hockey all along the way,” he
said.
But as one family moves in, another moves out.
Oshie, 28, was the Blues’ first-round draft pick in 2005. He
had spent the last seven years sporting the Note but knew this offseason would
bring change.
Moving Oshie was a long-anticipated transaction after the Blues bowed
out in the first round of the postseason for the third consecutive season.
Change was inevitable and Oshie was a likely moving candidate. But Armstrong didn’t
want to deal Oshie just for the sake of making a trade. For the general
manager, it was more about adding a different element to his group.
“T.J. is a heck of a hockey player and had a really good
career here but I think his size and his style of play, we had players that
played that same style,” said Armstrong. “I think Brouwer gives us a little bit
of a different look. I think today you can see teams that come at you with
different looks and they are hard to play against.”
Brouwer, who is 29, a year older than Oshie, posted 21
goals, 43 points last season with Washington, tying a career high which he set
in the previous campaign. It was the third 20-goal season of Brouwer’s
nine-year NHL career. Oshie posted more points last season, but has only surpassed
the 20-goal mark once in seven NHL seasons.
“We are getting a different style of player,” Armstrong said.
“We are getting a consistent 20-goal scorer. Those have value in the league. We
are getting a real big body that can play. His minutes are high; he can play.
It’s a different style of player than (Oshie). T.J. is a very good player,
also. These are just different types of players. We probably have more players
in our group like T.J. and less like Troy.”
“I’m an honest player,” added Brouwer. “I’m a guy who works
hard. I’ve got some skill to me. I can make some plays; I’ve been able to score
some goals. But I’m a big man in front of the net, in the corners, play a
hard-nosed game; I’ll fight when I need to. I feel like I’m a pretty
well-rounded player with the ability to score 20-25, hopefully 30 goals but
also being able to finish my checks and be a good player for the St. Louis
Blues.”
The 6-foot, 213-pound forward has amassed 255 points in 531
NHL games. He also brings 78 playoff games worth of experience to the Blues,
who have been looking to get over the first-round hump for the last few years.
The Blues save $500,000 in salary cap space, as well, with
the deal. Brouwer, who will make $3.7 million next season, has one more year
remaining on his contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent next
summer.
Brouwer began his career with Chicago and is now in the
midst of just his second team change since breaking into the NHL during the
2006-07 season. He admitted that the only player on the Blues’ roster with whom
he has any familiarity with is team captain David Backes, who he met in
Washington during Team USA’s Olympic camps.
“You get a sense for what type of people they are, what type
of players they are,” said Brouwer. “You get a lot of media coverage on them. I
have heard what guys are saying, how they are playing so I have a good idea of
how the team plays, how they are coached.
“Now that I have had time to calm down and think about it
and talk to my wife about it, we are excited. It’s going to be a little bit of
a culture change.”
Following the deal, the Blues also announced a one-year
agreement with center Kyle Brodziak, a move that Armstrong says could round out
the club’s forward group, barring trade, heading into the season.
“We are still active and maybe still looking to add another
piece or two but, again, they are not at the higher level,” said Armstrong. “This
certainly solidifies our group of nine forwards. “(But) I never say never.”