The Winnipeg Jets landed veteran forward Paul Stastny in a deal with the St. Louis Blues just a few hours before Monday’s NHL trade deadline. In exchange, the Jets gave up forward Erik Foley, a first-round 2018 draft pick and a conditional fourth-round 2020 draft pick.
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Stastny has registered 12 goals and 28 assists in 63 games this year. Over 12 seasons in the NHL, the 32-year-old has 633 points in 805 games. Stastny also has 14 goals and 21 assists in 55 career playoff games.
WATCH: Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff explains how they were able to land Paul Stastny from the Blues
The two-time NHL All-Star is currently playing in the final season of a four-year, $28-million contract. Stastny was selected in the second round of the 2005 NHL Draft.
At an afternoon press conference, Jets’ General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he had a number of trades in play before the deadline, but he wasn’t about to settle.
“I was fully prepared not to make any moves if there wasn’t a right fit,” Cheveldayoff said. “We felt this was a tremendous fit for our organization on many levels.”
“We were in some big things that didn’t happen, and we landed someone that is a tremendous fit for us”.
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Foley was drafted by the Jets 78th overall in 2015. He’s in the third year of his college career, having scored 15 goals and 19 assists in 32 games.
Cheveldayoff said parting with the draft pick was not an easy choice.
“It’s certainly not easy. He was drafted as a Jet. He was proud to be a Jet. Sometimes you have to make those tough decisions,” he said. “There is currency that needs to be paid.”