A marriage between Kevin Shattenkirk and the New York Rangers was all but a formality.
The rumors began to swirl in the offseason. They persisted over the first four months of the 2016-17 campaign. Many expected the trade to happen by the March 1 deadline date.
But to the dismay of plenty of Rangers fans, the defenseman will not be wearing the Original Six sweater … yet.
Late Monday night, the Washington Capitals decided to pull off a blockbuster trade for Shattenkirk. In return, the St. Louis Blues will receive a 2017 first round pick, a conditional second round pick and prospect Zach Sanford, the 61st overall pick in the 2013 draft.