Blues look to stay hot against Coyotes by Colin Gambaro

Mar 4, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing(96) and St. Louis Blues defenseman(28) battle for the puck during the first period at the Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Just a day after announcing that defenseman Jordan Leopold would be out for two months with a hand injury, the St. Louis Blues agreed to a one-year deal with Carlo Colaiacovo (pending a physical).

Colaiacovo, 30, spent parts of four seasons with the Note, coming over from Toronto with Alex Steen as part of the Lee Stempniak trade in November of 2008. During his stint in St. Louis, Colaiacovo scored 106 points (18 goals, 88 assists).

Additionally, he garnered the reputation as a fragile player for the Blues. He was often injured and never reached 70 games played in a season.

The following GIF is perhaps a perfect encapsulation of Colaiacovo’s time in St. Louis:

All kidding aside, this move makes sense for the Blues on multiple levels.

First, signing Colaiacovo provides the Blues added depth on the blue line and ensures that the organization will not have to dip into the Chicago Wolves roster to add a seventh defenseman.

Second, Ian Cole should still get the majority of the starts, leaving Colaiacovo to sit in the press box on most nights. However, if one of the six defenseman needs a night off or has an injury, Colaiacovo is more than capable of stepping in and providing just what the Blues need on the back end: a sound puck-moving defenseman.

Finally, Colaiacovo knows Ken Hitchcock’s system and is a good fit in the locker room. Both of these factors should help ensure a smooth transition for both parties.

Adding all of these factors up, this is a low-risk move for the Blues that should pay dividends.

What do you think? Is the Colaiacovo singing a good move by the Blues?

Let us know in the comments section below.