The St. Louis Blues traded forward T.J. Oshie to the Washington Capitals on Thursday. In return, the Blues received forward Troy Brouwer, goaltender Pheonix Copley and a 2016 third round pick.

Blues fans knew that their team was going to have to get rid of some key players in order to clear cap space and sign restricted free agent forward Vladimir Tarasenko, as defensemen Barret Jackman and Zbynek Michalek have already found new homes. Few, however, thought that Oshie would be one of those pieces to be moved.

It’s tough, but the Blues were in a tight situation with the salary cap and did what was necessary in order to ensure Tarasenko a big contract.

A big positive out of this move is that the Blues now have a solid prospect goaltender in Copley. The 23-year-old recorded a mark of 17-4-3 with the Hershey Bears (AHL) last season. If there is one thing that the Blues need, it is reliable goaltending. Copley will no doubt compete with Brian Elliott and Jake Allen (if he re-signs) for the starting role this season.

The addition of Brouwer will also help this team a lot. The power forward recorded 21 goals and 22 assists in 2014-15, and played in all 82 games for the Caps. Brouwer is a durable and physical player who helped the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup in 2010 before being dealt to Washington.

The 29-year-old should bring a great physical presence and will likely play alongside fellow hard-hitting captain David Backes and Alexander Steen, creating a very physical and experienced top line. Brouwer does not have the offensive fire power of Oshie, but he is not a bad replacement as his physicality will bring a lot of energy to this team.

On the negative side, it really drags watching your favorite team get rid of a stud player like Oshie. It’s even more tough knowing that he is going to succeed in Washington. Oshie fits in perfectly to Barry Trotz‘s system, which is a hard-hitting, defensive-minded style of play that scores a ton of goals. Oshie will likely be along side Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin, creating an absolutely lethal top line.

Oshie was a great player for the Blues, but his inconsistency in the playoffs maybe convinced the front office that it was time for a change. It’s not easy to swallow, but it should pay off in the long run as Tarasenko should be wearing the blue and yellow sweater for the rest of his career.

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