Craig Custance: Put me down for Kevin Shattenkirk because if you trade for the St. Louis Blues defenseman, you get a head start on the rest of league in getting a chance to sign the best unrestricted free-agent defenseman on the market to a contract extension. That's extra bang for your buck and additional value for teams that would be looking at Shattenkirk as a solution on defense beyond this season. The problem is that teams are going to have to pay a premium to land him. For general managers not interested in paying the steep asking price and looking for a cheaper alternative, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith could end up being a sneaky-good addition.
Morning roundtable: Kevin Shattenkirk, Patrick Sharp among the best trade deadline rentals
