Kevin Shattenkirk is no stranger to the business side of hockey.
Already traded once his career, the St. Louis Blues defenseman - who's set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2017 - is fully aware that he could be on the move this offseason.
"It was a wild year with all the (trade) rumors going on," Shattenkirk told Jeremy Rutherford of the Post-Dispatch. "It might plant the seed of doubt in your head but that's not my decision. I have a year left and this is where I want to be next year, so that's out of my hands unfortunately. It's the nature of the salary-cap league and it's tough.
"You hear (trade) rumors and you wonder what's going to happen and now you get into the offseason and you wonder what's going to happen again. We'll have to see what happens the next few weeks."
Shattenkirk, along with forward Chris Stewart, was acquired by the Blues in early 2011 in a trade involving Erik Johnson. Since that time, Shattenkirk has averaged 0.59 points per game in St. Louis, and will most certainly command more than the $4.25-million cap hit he's carried since signing his current deal in 2013.
General manager Doug Armstrong is expecting Shattenkirk to be part of the team come training camp, but it's certainly not a sure thing.
"I view him as a top player, not only on our team, I view him as a top player in the game," Armstrong said. "But he falls into the jigsaw of the salary cap. Do I expect him back here in September? Sure.
"(But) it's a business decision, and Shatty's going to have to make one and we're going to have to make one. But he's a hell of a hockey player and he's a big part of our team."
Shattenkirk scored two goals and added nine assists in 20 playoff games, with a Corsi rating of 50.2 percent in all situations, according to Hockey Reference.
