The Detroit Red Wings traded veteran defenceman Nick Leddy to the St. Louis Blues Monday as part of a multi-player deal.
Along with Leddy, the Blues acquired defenceman Luke Witkowski in exchange for forward Oskar Sundqvist, defenceman Jake Walman and a 2023 second-round pick.
The Blues had hoped to add some defensive depth prior to Monday’s deadline and that’s exactly what this deal accomplishes.
Leddy had one goal, 15 assists, 16 PIMs and averaged 21:23 minutes per night in 55 games with the Red Wings this season.
The 31-year-old is in the final year of the seven-year contract he signed in 2015 back when he played for the New York Islanders. He was traded by the Isles to the Red Wings this past off-season for Richard Panik and a 2021 second-round draft pick used to select Aatu Raty.
Detroit is retaining 50 per cent of Leddy’s remaining salary and $5.5 million cap hit, which means his AAV drops to $2.75 million for the Blues.
Leddy had been a healthy scratch the past two games to ensure the pending UFA wouldn’t suffer an injury before GM Steve Yzerman could facilitate a trade.
The Red Wings, a team continuing to rebuild on the fly by adding assets, traded Troy Stetcher Sunday to the Kings for a seventh-round pick.
Detroit has an extra second, two extra fourths and an extra seventh in the 2022 draft and now has two second-rounders for the 2023 draft. Detroit also currently has the third-most projected cap space in the NHL, according to CapFriendly.
Witkowski, 31, has played 44 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins this season, registering three goals, four assists and 62 penalty minutes.
Sundqvist has four goals and 15 points in 41 appearances with the Blues this season. The 27-year-old has a cap hit of $2.75 million and is under contract for next season.
Walman skated in 32 games with the Blues this season. The 26-year-old was a third-round pick of St. Louis in 2014.
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