Blues Stand Pat at Deadline

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The Blues only acquired minor leaguers, on the day of the NHL's trade deadline, for the second-straight year. Following a move sending forward Aaron Palushaj to Montreal for forward Matt D' Agostino the Note moved center Yan Stastny to Vancouver for forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie. Labrie will immediately report to Peoria. Meanwhile D' Agostino has met his new teammates in Dallas where the Blues meet the Stars tomorrow night seeking a fifth-straight win. Important to note, the Blues DID win five straight last season to end the month of March and make the playoffs with 92 points.

Last year the Blues lone deadline deal was sending Andy Wosniewski to Pittsburgh in exchange for Danny Richmond in a swap of minor-league defenseman. Richmond was packaged with goaltender Hannu Toivonen in a trade to Chicago earlier this week. Netminder Joe Fallon was acquired by the Blues, from the Blackhawks, in another trade exclusively including minor-leaguers.

Davis Payne's team will enter the final 19 games this season anywhere from three-to-five points back of the last playoff spot in the West. They're currently three back of Detroit but if the Red Wings earn a point or two tonight at home against Vancouver, that would change. Calgary hosts Minnesota this evening and with a win and Detroit loss could move into eighth and hold a four point lead over St. Louis.

Unofficially 30 trades were met today which upon league confirmation would be a record surpassing 25 each in 2007 and 2008. Last year their were 21. Winners and losers? Phoenix, Los Angeles and Washington are winners...Boston and Columbus are losers.

The Coyotes should get a boost from defenseman Derek Morris and forward Woytek Wolski. The Caps are even deeper up front with Joe Corvo and Eric Belanger. L-A adding Jeff Halpern and Fredrik Modin adds to a surprisingly potent offense this season. Boston didn't get sufficient "D" help to offset the loss of Morris. The Blue Jackets are telling the hockey world that they're rebuilding again with the departures of Modin and Raffi Torres whom the shipped to Buffalo.

TPC