Red Wings ship Leddy to Blues for Sundqvist, Walman, 2nd-rounder
The Detroit Red Wings traded defensemen Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski to the St. Louis Blues for forward Oskar Sundqvist, blue-liner Jake Walman, and a 2023 second-round pick, the team announced Monday.
Leddy recorded 16 points in 55 games with the Red Wings this season while averaging 21:33 of ice time per contest. He excels at skating and moving the puck, but his underlying numbers over the last three years aren't particularly promising:
Evolving-Hockey.comThe 30-year-old has skated in 831 games across 12 NHL seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, and Detroit, tallying 352 points. He'll bring championship pedigree to the Blues, having won a Stanley Cup with Chicago back in 2013.
Leddy is in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.5 million.
He fills a need on the left side of St. Louis' blue line and could even play alongside Colton Parayko on the top pair. Here's how the Blues' defense corps projects following the deal:
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Nick Leddy | Colton Parayko |
| Torey Krug | Justin Faulk |
| Marco Scandella | Robert Bortuzzo |
Sundqvist, 27, has four goals and 11 assists in 41 games in a bottom-six role this season. He averaged 16 goals per 82 games in 2018-19 and 2019-20 but seems to have lost his scoring touch since then. The 6-foot-3, 209-pounder provides size and versatility, as he can play center and wing. He's signed through 2022-23 at a $2.75-million cap hit.
Walman, 26, has tallied four goals and four assists in 57 career NHL games across three seasons - all with the Blues. He carries a $725,000 cap hit and will be a restricted free agent at season's end.
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