Minute-munching ironman defenceman the exact type of player that is highly sought after at trade deadlines
While debate rages over the return on the Jarome Iginla trade, the Calgary Flames are quietly going about dealing another asset that should net them a bigger prize.
Jay Bouwmeester will likely never win a Norris Trophy. No one will mistake the lanky blueliner for a mean cuss like Scott Stevens or Chris Pronger. He is not a master orator like Michael Cammalleri or Alex Tanguay.
But make no mistake: a swift-skating, puck-moving defenceman is one hot commodity on the market with just six days to the trade deadline.
Under head coach Bob Hartley, the 29-year-old Bouwmeester has watched his value shoot up given his born-again penchant to jump into the rush.
So once the emotions settle over Iginla’s departure to Pittsburgh, don’t be surprised if the rumours heat up exponentially over the next potential area code for the NHL’s reigning ironman — with 620 consecutive games played . . . and counting.
“I understand it,” Bouwmeester said of the spotlight turning in his direction. “It’s the situation we’re in. It’s been the same the last two or three weeks, people have mentioned stuff.
“But again, until it’s brought to you and you have to make some decisions — or they make some decisions — you can’t worry about it. I’ve been, really, in that situation before where there was stuff flying around and something potentially could have happened, but you really just have to separate yourself from it and go about your day-to-day business.”
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Attention+turns+Bouwmeester+that+Iginla+been+dealt/8168133/story.html#ixzz2OwlwJImn