Jay Bouwmeester traded to St. Louis Blues

Looks like NHL defensemen are flying off the shelves right now, as the Calgary Flames announced Monday night that they have traded Jay Bouwmeester to the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Mark Cundari, goaltender Reto Berra and St. Louis' first round pick in 2013.

Bouwmeester's name has swirled around trade rumors for the last month, but finding a team to take on his huge $6.8 million cap hit was never going to be easy for GM Jay Feaster. However, he found a buyer in the St. Louis Blues, as they had the cap space to get the deal done and the team was hungry for a left-handed defenseman to play alongside Kevin Shattenkirk or Alex Pietrangelo.

As for the Flames' return, Cundari was the Blues' 10th-ranked defensive prospect by Hockey's Future.

For more on this deal from both sides, visit St. Louis Game Time and Matchsticks And Gasoline

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