It wasn't a major deal and it probably will mirror how the rest of the day's action will unfold - more depth players than stars changing places - but it's also nice to get the first one right as well. As predicted, the St. Louis Blues did end up trading defenceman Bryce Salvador after failing to sign him to a contract extension, acquiring a tough guy forward, Cam Janssen, from the New Jersey Devils in exchange. Salvador adds depth to the Devils' defence corps; he and coach Brent Sutter have a long-standing familiarity with one another, dating back to the four years Salvador played for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, a Western Hockey League divisional rival of Sutter's Red Deer Rebels. Salvador primarily adds toughness to a blue line that is relatively nondescript, especially when compared to the Scott Stevens/Scott Niedermayer era. Of late in New Jersey, they've been sitting Karel Rachunek and Vitaly Vishnevski; it is not clear if one or the other might be on the move now that Salvador is in the fold.
From the Blues' perspective, they add a hometown boy - Janssen is a rare NHLer, actually born in St. Louis - who will presumably be a fan favorite a la Kelly Chase, someone to put the brakes on the Jordin Tootoos and Jared Bolls of the world, once they start running around. The Blues took former Calder Trophy winner Barret Jackman off the trade market the night before when they signed him, a pending unrestricted free agent, to a multi-year contract extension. With the unexpected emergence of rookie Steve Wagner, the Blues were deep up enough on the blueline to sacrifice a shut-down defenceman, playing a little over 19 minutes per night.
Janssen is 23 and played for the St. Louis Sting of the NAHL for one year (2000-01) before becoming the first St. Louisan to play in the Ontario Hockey League when he joined the Windsor Spitfires for the next three seasons. The Devils took him in the fourth round, 117th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Salvador was never drafted. He signed with the Blues as a free agent in December, 1996 and spent three years apprenticing on their minor-league team in Worcester before finally arriving as an NHL regular. For trivia buffs, that also coincided with the time that ex-Leaf GM John Ferguson Jr. ran the IceCats on behalf of the Blues.
