NHL Trade Rumors: Source suggests Loui Eriksson to St. Louis Blues for 1st + Dmitrij Jaskin

Per reliable source, if Blues want Loui Eriksson from Bruins, asking price is likely a first round pick & prospect Dmitrij Jaškin. #Bruins

— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) February 26, 2016

Now, take it with a grain of salt because while Jimmy Murphy is an "insider", he's also been known to fling shit at walls and see what sticks, but this is a trade that makes sense for both sides.

STL is trying to win a Cup this season and the main weakness in their line up is a lack of scoring. If this trade happened today, Loui Eriksson would have the team's lead in points. St. Louis's powerplay has been lacking, and Loui's soft as can be hands in front of the net could be a serious, serious boon. I know a lot of people want Shatty from them, but that's a bit unrealistic.

Jaskin is, instead, a 22 year old, big, fast winger with a high ceiling. He was drafted to play as a top 6 scoring winger, but so far his scoring success in juniors (46 goal, 99 point season in the Q) hasn't translated into scoring in the NHL. Instead, his defensive and possession game has kept him in the Blues lineup. At only 22, he defends his own zone and drives possession at an elite rate. Here's some numbers. 

Now, if you need a translation from nerd to English, this mean he suppresses shots at an INSANE rate, and he's pretty damn good at generating them too. He should remind Bruins fans of Chris Kelly, only his numbers are actually better, and he's quite a bit younger and cheaper. Imagine a third line of Jaskin-Spooner-Vatrano, or on that right side any number of the good wingers we've got that just can't seem to play in the right end of the ice. Seriously, don't underestimate the value of these guys who don't score much but drive possession. The Mikael Backlunds and Marcus Krugers of the world provide their teams with a LOT more value than their cap hits would suggest, and value/salary dollar is something the Bruins desperately, desperately need.

I know every wants a defensive prospect, but you're probably not going to get one right now. But on draft day, the Bruins will have 3 firsts, and a stacked prospect system. That's a lot of ammo to get a trade done for a defenseman. I know, Jaskin is not a replacement for Loui Eriksson. They're not the same caliber of players. But Jaskin is still damn good and the Bruins could use him. In my opinion, he's a stronger prospect than Marko Dano and if you liked that trade you should love this one.

I know why people want him to sign. I really do. But wanting to sign Loui this late into the game is like being a John Kasich supporter. I get it. I really do. But it's unrealistic. And there's a much, much worse alternative that's looking more and more likely to happen as each day passes. And focusing on preventing that alternative from happening is what should really be everyone's top priority.

Just don't let him walk.

That's all I'm Jaskin for.