Fowler traded to Blues by Ducks for prospect

Cam Fowler was traded to the St. Louis Blues by the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.

Anaheim received defenseman prospect Jeremie Biakabutuka and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Fowler has four assists in 17 games this season while averaging 21:04 of ice time per game. The 33-year-old defenseman was the longest-tenured player on the team (15 seasons) and is second in Ducks history in games played (991), behind Ryan Getzlaf (1,157).

"Today was a difficult day, difficult trade to make," Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. "Especially someone of Cam’s stature and tenure with the organization, it’s becoming increasingly rare."

Since being selected by Anaheim with the No. 12 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, Fowler is first in Ducks history among defensemen in goals (96), assists (361), points (457) and game-winning goals (18).

"This was a difficult trade to make considering what Cam has meant to this organization," Verbeek said. "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."

Verbeek said he didn't think acquiring defenseman Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers on Dec. 6 accelerated the trade process for Fowler. Instead he was looking for more balance between left shot and right shot and keeping young players in rotation

"It was becoming more apparent we were having a logjam of players deserving to be in the lineup," Verbeek said. "... It becomes a problem in the sense that the younger players don't understand. It’s hard to explain to them that we have to keep rotating. They don’t deserve to sit out. I’ve been fairly happy with how our young group is performing."

Fowler, who signed an eight-year, $52 million contract ($6.5 million average annual value) with Anaheim on July 1, 2017, can become an unrestricted free agent after next season. The Ducks will retain 38.5 percent of his remaining contract.

"He's been around a long time, 15 years in the same organization, which is kind of unheard of in today's NHL and I think that reflects his character as a person, his connectivity to his teammates," Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said of Fowler. "He's a very likable guy, very honorable person, so you miss someone that's really part of a family."

The Blues, who also received a fourth-round pick in the 2027 draft, have been without two of their top six defensemen for almost the entire season. Torey Krug had season-ending ankle surgery during training camp, and Nick Leddy has not played since Oct. 15 because of a lower-body injury.

“He can play certainly in our top four, he’s played in the top four for a number of years,” St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong said of Fowler. “We have two guys that we rely heavily on the right side with (Colton) Parayko and (Justin) Faulk. He can slide in to play with either of those guys, I think it’ll be who he’s comfortable with. He can kill plays, he can defend, he’s an excellent skater. He’s just a good pro.

“We’re not trying to make him better than he is, I just know that he’s a good pro that can play top-four minutes and help our group and provides stability. I understand where we are in the standings, I understand where we are in our growth pattern. But every big game that we play, every big game that we’re in, it benefits (Philip) Broberg, it benefits (Dylan) Holloway, it benefits (Jake) Neighbours, it benefits (Joel) Hofer, it benefits (Zack) Bolduc. You learn how to win, and you also learn how to lose. What we’re trying to do is to stay competitive, give these guys the environment where they can grow, and not rush our younger players that we’re building around.”

Fowler was in the lineup for the Blues (14-14-3), who are sixth in the Central Division, when they lost 2-1 in overtime to the Dallas Stars on Saturday. He finished with one shot in 17:57 of ice time.

"Playing, that's our job at the end of the day. We show up and we go to work," Fowler said in Dallas prior to the game. "I know it's been a crazy day, but at the end of the day, I'm most comfortable when I'm on the ice."

Fowler acknowledged prior to the game that jumping immediately into a new team could pose some challenges.

"I was with Anaheim for 14 years, so I made a lot of relationships there," he said. "Just getting here, you want to try and meet everyone as soon as you can. Trainers, coaching staff, players, get to know everyone. Once you kind of break that down, when you get on the ice I think it will help just knowing each other's names and talking with one another. Any time you play a team sport, you're all out there together, no matter where you came from or what the circumstances are. I think that's why getting in tonight will kind of settle those nerves a little bit and really get to know the group a lot better as we go along here."

Biakabutuka has yet to make his NHL debut. The 22-year-old, who was undrafted, has played one game with Springfield of the American Hockey League this season.

"I think it just adds another player that's played in this league for a long time and has been really good at it," St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said. "You can never have enough good defensemen, and it's just good with the way we've been using our top four with the minutes, to have someone else come in who's going to be able to eat a lot of those minutes as well."

Anaheim (11-14-4) ended a five-game skid (0-4-1) with a 4-3 overtime win at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Ducks are last in the Pacific Division.

"He's been one of the corner pieces of this team for last decade, very hard to see a guy like that go," Ducks captain Radko Gudas said of Fowler. "We have a lot of young defensemen coming up here, but it's a tough moment for us as a team. But we've got to regroup and make sure that we are focusing on our game today."

NHL.com independent correspondents Dan Arritt, Craig Merz and Taylor Baird contributed to this report