Blues acquire Cam Fowler from Ducks in exchange for prospect, 2027 second-round pick

The St. Louis Blues have acquired veteran defenseman Cam Fowler in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks.

The Blues announced Saturday that they are sending defensive prospect Jeremie Biakabutuka and a second-round pick in 2027 to the Ducks, and receiving Fowler and a fourth-round draft pick in 2027.

Anaheim will also retain $2.5 million of Fowler’s salary. He’s in the seventh year of an eight-year, $52 million deal ($6.5 million average annual value), making his cap hit $4 million for the Blues.

Fowler, 33, is in his 15th NHL season and has played all of his 991 games for the Ducks. He has 96 goals and 457 points, including 38 power-play goals and 174 power-play points.

“This was a difficult trade to make considering what Cam has meant to this organization,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. “He has been a valuable and respected member of our team for 15 seasons, representing the Ducks with ultimate class. His character and contributions on and off the ice have and will continue to leave a positive impact on our fans and community.

“After meeting with Cam several times over the last few months, it became clear to both of us it may be time for a change. As usual, Cam handled the process with professionalism and remained committed to the Ducks. Cam and his family deserve nothing but the best going forward, and we wish them the best of luck.”

In 17 games this season, Fowler has no goals and four assists. He’s a left-shot defenseman who has been playing in Anaheim’s top pair and logging the most ice time on the team at 21:04 per game.

Biakabutuka (6-foot-4, 203 pounds), an undrafted 22-year-old, has played two games with the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield and 76 games in the ECHL over the past two seasons.

The Blues are also assigning defenseman Matthew Kessel to AHL Springfield.

What does this mean for the Blues?

My immediate reaction is that the Blues must know that Nick Leddy will not be returning soon from his injury. Leddy has played just four games this season, and after it looked like he would be back soon, his injury “flared up” again and he came back home early from the team’s Western Canadian road trip. While there’s no confirmation that Leddy will be out even longer, it appears that way.

Fowler provides the Blues with experience and some options for the top four. They could put Philip Broberg in the No. 1 pair with Colton Parayko, then play Fowler with Justin Faulk and drop Ryan Suter to the third pair. P.O. Joseph, Scott Perunovich and Kessel have been serviceable, but playing one of them instead of two would be better.

What does this mean for the Ducks?

This trade had to happen for both Fowler and the Ducks, but neither side may be getting all they had hoped to get. Fowler was itching to be on a playoff team once again after going six years without seeing the postseason, and while the Blues are closer to being that than the Ducks are, and they appear re-energized under coach Jim Montgomery, they’ve still got an uphill climb in the tough Central Division.

As for the Ducks, the return isn’t nearly what you would have once imagined for a defenseman who had been so vital to them for years. While Fowler and the team were very cordial about each other’s wishes, it became a foregone conclusion he’d be dealt. And his presence was becoming a problem, in that his return from injury and this month’s trade for Jacob Trouba were pushing either Pavel Mintyukov, Jackson LaCombe or Olen Zellweger out the lineup. All of those players are younger and better than Fowler at this point.

Verbeek got something, but the second-round pick, which is the best part of this deal, is off in the distance. And with the Ducks keeping some salary — and sending a draft pick back to the Blues — this is a trade that Verbeek didn’t come close to maximizing, even though Fowler was becoming a diminishing asset. But the Ducks can move forward with the future of their defense all in the lineup every night.

What might Fowler bring to the Blues?

Fowler ended up nine games short of reaching 1,000 NHL games in an Anaheim sweater, after setting multiple team records for a defenseman. But Fowler was also seeking a change. He was losing ice time, particularly his spot on either power-play unit. The five games he played after coming back from an upper-body injury were designed to showcase him.

What does Fowler offer at this point of his career? Well, he can still skate and move the puck, which has been his calling card since Anaheim drafted him with the No. 12 pick in 2010. He’ll eat minutes, as he has always. Just how much the Blues will get in terms of the quality of those minutes is a question. He’s never been a naturally physical presence in front of the net, preferring to defend with his stick and body positioning. He can work on the penalty kill but that’s not a major strength, and the Ducks have struggled badly there in recent years.

There is also the question of his offense. Fowler can still transport the puck and make an effective first pass. He can help the Blues with their transition game, which Montgomery will appreciate. But his ice time on that side of the puck was being usurped by the youngsters in Anaheim. He also had multiple rough moments after his return from injury. If the Blues don’t ask Fowler to do everything — which often was the case with the Ducks — and draw out a clearly-lined role for him, it’s possible they can still get a very usable piece for a scant price.

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(Photo: Kelvin Kuo / USA Today)