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Should The Blues Trade Chris Stewart? |
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When looking at Chris Stewart's stat line on the season, his 15 goals and ten assists in 52 games, could fool you into thinking that Stewart is having an just average year. However, this isn't the case. Stewart hasn't been average this year, he's been bad.
Chris Stewart is most effective when playing inside a 'run and gun' system. He likes shooting off of the rush, and that is when he is most visible in a game. If anyone watches the St. Louis Blues, they know that 'run and gun' isn't the style of head coach, Ken Hitchcock. Hitch demands effort, in a 200 foot game defensive game. He demands you skate just as hard when you're playing defense, as you do when you're on the offense.
Chris Stewart hasn't showed that effort this year, and it was most evident in the Blues shootout victory over the New York Islanders. A game in which Stewart played a season low, 5:32 seconds and finished a -2. He was caught standing still on the Matt Martin goal, where his defensemen, Roman Polak, tried playing two positions to cover for Stewart's lack of coverage.
Chris Stewart has a lot of size he could use in his advantage, the problem is, he doesn't. He is a fast skater, but he never shows the hustle to move his feet. He has a very deceptive shot, but he is never in position to show off his shooting ability. Chris Stewart doesn't fit into the Blues system, and the main reason is, he isn't working hard enough.
Now the question everyone is asking, why is Chris Stewart still playing?
That is an excellent question. After breakingdown Stewart's goals, assists, and time on ice in the 52 games he's played this year, one thing has become obvious. He thrives on the weak.
Stewart's 15 goals this season have come against The Florida Panthers, The Montreal Canadiens (twice), The Colorado Avalanche (twice), The Dallas Stars, The Toronto Maple Leafs, The Columbus Blue Jackets, The Ottawa Senators (twice), The Edmonton Oilers (four times), and the Calgary Flames.
Of the teams he has scored against, only two (Toronto and Colorado) currently sit within the top three of their respected division. Montreal currently holds a wildcard spot in the eastern conference.
The rest? Edmonton sits 29th in the NHL, Calgary is in 28th, Florida is 27th, Dallas is 22nd, Ottawa is 21st, and Columbus sits at 19th. If you're asking yourself, 'whats the point?'
Well that's simple, you're not going to be playing anyone of those teams come the playoffs. You might play Colorado, which isn't enough considering you need to score more than two goals against playoff teams.
Chris Stewart is currently getting paid $4.1M and has a total of two points against playoff teams in the western conference. He hasn't scored at all against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Anaheim Ducks, the San Jose Sharks, the Los Angeles Kings, the Minnesota Wild or the Vancouver Canucks.
Basically, Stewart is proving that he can score against teams with weak defensive systems that allow him to skate in, unchallenged. However he disappears against teams that are more structured defensively and play a fast game.
The Blues have options who could fill Stewart's skates. Magnus Paajarvi is really impressing Ken Hitchcock. We also can't forget about Dmitri Jaskin, who Hitch loves.
So to answer the question? Yes, I believe that the Blues should trade Chris Stewart. It proved that Stewart struggles to play in a defensively structured system, like the system the Blues run. It's proven that when teams hold the line and play a more physical game, he is less effective.
There will be teams who will look at Stewart and believe that he can rebound into the power-forward he was projected to be. The Blues would be able to find a trade partner. It's Doug Armstrong's job to find a partner who will moves pieces that will help the Blues, if not now, in the very near future.
St Louis Blues Blogger • 
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