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Confirmed: After losing Elliott to injury, Blues land Nilsson from Oilers

Anders Nilsson

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Anders Nilsson can’t stop a shot from the Minnesota Wild during the exhibition overtime of an NHL preseason hockey game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. (Liam Richards/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

AP

Late last night, it was reported that the Blues were working hard to land Anders Nilsson from the Edmonton Oilers.

On Saturday morning, the deal became official.

The Blues acquired Nilsson in exchange for goalie prospect Niklas Lundstrom and a fifth-round pick in 2016.

Instead of sticking in St. Louis, Nilsson has been assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

The 25-year-old could just be heading to the minors to shake off some rust. He’s only appeared in two games since Jan. 21. He was in goal for 31:24 in those two contests.

St. Louis got Jake Allen back from injury on Feb. 22, but they lost Brian Elliott the same night Allen came back.

The reasoning behind this move is pretty straight forward. With unproven commodities Pheonix Copley and Jordan Binnington behind Allen on the depth chart, the Blues needed another goaltender with NHL experience.

Nilsson will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season which means the Blues don’t have to bring him back into the fold in 2016-17.

He went through a great stretch in late November/early December when he won six of seven games between Nov. 28 and Dec. 11, but that was his only positive stretch of the year.

From an Oilers’ perspective, they add another draft pick and trading Nilsson allows them to give prospect Laurent Brossoit an opportunity to stick in the NHL.

Lundstrom will give them another young goaltender in their system, but it’s hard to imagine him making an impact in the near future.

The 23-year-old has spent the last two years bouncing between the ECHL and the AHL.