Fowler, who signed an eight-year, $52 million contract (average annual value of $6.5 million) with Anaheim on July 1, 2017, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after next season. The Ducks are retaining 38.5 percent of his remaining contract.

“He’s been around a long time, 15 years in the same organization, which is kind of unusual in today’s NHL, and I think that’s a reflection of his character as a person and his bond with his teammates,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said about Fowler. “He is a very likeable guy, a very honorable person. So you miss someone who is really part of a family.”

The Blues, who also received a fourth-round pick in the 2027 draft, were without two of their top six defenders for most of the season. Torey Krug underwent season-ending ankle surgery during training camp and Nick Leddy hasn’t played since Oct. 15 because of a lower-body injury.

“He can definitely play in our top four, he’s been playing in the top four for a number of years,” St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong said of Fowler. “We have two guys in (Colton) Parayko and (Justin) Faulk that we can rely on a lot. He can play with any of these guys, I think it will be whoever he is comfortable with. He can kill plays, he can defend, he’s an excellent skater. He’s just a good professional.

“We’re not trying to make him better than he is. All I know is that he is a good professional who can play in the first four minutes, help our group and provide stability. I understand where we are in the chart, I understand where we are in our growth pattern. But every big game we play, every big game we play in, it benefits (Philip) Broberg, it benefits (Dylan) Holloway, it benefits (Jake) Neighbors, it benefits (Joel) Hofer, it benefits (Zack) Bolduc. You learn how to win and you also learn how to lose. We’re trying to stay competitive, give these guys an environment to grow and not overwhelm our younger players that we’re building around.”

Fowler was in the lineup for the Blues (14-14-3), who are in sixth place in the Central Division, when they lost 2-1 in overtime to the Dallas Stars on Saturday. He finished with one shot in 17:57 minutes of ice time.

“Playing is ultimately our job. We’ll come and get to work,” Fowler said before the game in Dallas. “I know it’s been a crazy day, but at the end of the day I feel my best when I’m on the ice.”

Fowler acknowledged before the game that immediately moving to a new team could present some challenges.

“I was in Anaheim for 14 years and made a lot of relationships there,” he said. “Even when you come here, you want to try to get to know everyone as quickly as possible. Coach, coaching staff, players, get to know everyone. Once you break that down and you’re on the ice, I think it’s just going to help.” If you know each other’s names and talk to each other, you’re always out there together, no matter where you come from or the circumstances, a little annoying and Really get to know the group The further we progress here, the better we get.

Biakabutuka has not yet made his NHL debut. The 22-year-old, who went undrafted, played one game for Springfield of the American Hockey League this season.

“I think it’s just another player that’s been in this league for a long time and is really good at it,” St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said. “You can never have enough good defenders and the way we used our top four with the minutes, it’s just good to have someone else come in who can eat up a lot of those minutes too.”

Anaheim (10-14-4), which has lost five straight games (0-4-1), is last in the Pacific Division.

“He’s been one of the cornerstones of this team for the last decade, it’s very hard to see a guy like that go,” Ducks captain Radko Gudas said of Fowler. “We have a lot of young defenders here, but it’s a tough moment for us as a team. But we need to regroup and make sure we focus on our game today.”

NHL.com independent correspondents Dan Arritt, Craig Merz and Taylor Baird contributed to this report