The St. Louis Blues declined to re-sign unrestricted free agent Barret Jackman for the upcoming season, telling him instead that they wished to go in a “different direction.” While this generally means “younger and cheaper” in hockey, Jackman still has a lot to offer the right team.
In examining his stats, it becomes clear that while Jackman isn’t your offensive defenseman, nor does he have a slapshot from the blue line to rival Shea Weber or Brent Seabrook, he brings different strengths to the table.
His shot-blocking and shot-suppression stats are still strong, as you can see in the table below.