2014 NHL Draft Discussion

[bleedblue1223]

He'll sign him after the draft and before free agency opens. I think it was pretty obvious he would do that when that condition was made. I think we'd up losing a 2nd in 2016 or something.

 

[SweetyV]

I don't think it sounds like he wants to or expects to sign Miller. Saying Allen will be able to earn the role as number one if he's up against a goalie making 6-7 million is absurd.

 

[tfriede2]

I don't think it sounds like he wants to or expects to sign Miller. Saying Allen will be able to earn the role as number one if he's up against a goalie making 6-7 million is absurd.

Last year at this time, Armstrong was saying that Allen would be competing for NHL minutes this year...I don't necessarily trust what Armstrong says during these out-interviews.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Allen will absolutely be on the team next year. How much he plays is up for debate, but there's absolutely zero doubt in my mind he's in St. Louis. He's on a one way deal, and he just destroyed the AHL. We'd be stupid to keep him down there. Now is the time to start the processing of handing him the keys to starting goalie spot.

 

[tfriede2]

Allen will absolutely be on the team next year. How much he plays is up for debate, but there's absolutely zero doubt in my mind he's in St. Louis. He's on a one way deal, and he just destroyed the AHL. We'd be stupid to keep him down there. Now is the time to start the processing of handing him the keys to starting goalie spot.

Oh yeah, nobody is arguing that. SweetyV is saying that he doesn't think Armstrong wants to re-sign Miller because Armstrong indicated that whomever is with Allen will be competing for starts (and thus, we wouldn't sign Miller if he is just going to compete with Allen for the #1 spot). My argument is that I do think Armstrong is thinking about re-signing Miller, and that we can't really take Armstrong at his word because last year he stated that Allen would be competing for NHL minutes this past season...he didn't.

 

[TimtheDJ84*]

I wouldn't mind going for Scherbak....

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Oh yeah, nobody is arguing that. SweetyV is saying that he doesn't think Armstrong wants to re-sign Miller because Armstrong indicated that whomever is with Allen will be competing for starts (and thus, we wouldn't sign Miller if he is just going to compete with Allen for the #1 spot). My argument is that I do think Armstrong is thinking about re-signing Miller, and that we can't really take Armstrong at his word because last year he stated that Allen would be competing for NHL minutes this past season...he didn't.

There's no doubt in my mind that he's trying to re-sign Miller. Quite frankly, if Miller wants to be here I don't see Armstrong letting him walk. The two big questions for me are: what kind of term and price, and when do we sign him? If we sign him after the draft on something like a two year deal worth under 5 million per, I'm ok with that. If Armstrong goes full idiot and signs him to a 4 or 5 year deal for 6 million per I will be pissed.

 

[SweetyV]

I don't think Miller will sign for under 5.

 

[Halak Ness Monster]

Last year at this time, Armstrong was saying that Allen would be competing for NHL minutes this year...I don't necessarily trust what Armstrong says during these out-interviews.

Last year at this time I think most expected Armstrong to trade for a goalie after Halak had his spat with Hitchcock in LA.

Most figured Halak was done here.

There is zero doubt in my mind that the Miller situation played out exactly like the Bouwmeester situation. Army wanted him at the draft the year before but didn't like the price. So he waited and waited til the deadline hoping the price would fall one day. It did for Bo but not for Miller.

Right now I 100% expect Miller to be somewhere else next year. It's clear that Army thinks very highly of Allen and isn't going to block him for 4-5 years.

 

[tfriede2]

Last year at this time I think most expected Armstrong to trade for a goalie after Halak had his spat with Hitchcock in LA.

Most figured Halak was done here.

There is zero doubt in my mind that the Miller situation played out exactly like the Bouwmeester situation. Army wanted him at the draft the year before but didn't like the price. So he waited and waited til the deadline hoping the price would fall one day. It did for Bo but not for Miller.

Right now I 100% expect Miller to be somewhere else next year. It's clear that Army thinks very highly of Allen and isn't going to block him for 4-5 years.

Let's hope so! Armstrong isn't instilling much confidence in me lately, though. One thing I fear with GM's is their short-term outlook (1-3 years), and thus they mortgage the future (draft picks, prospects) in order to "win now"...except more times than not, the team doesn't win, and there isn't anything to show for the short-term outlook moves. We're still set up for at least the next five years to be very competitive, but five years after that is looking murky, at best, right now (which can change very quickly with good drafting).

 

[tfriede2]

Just as an FYI, as I learned this today, the results of the first round doesn't mean anything for draft selection. NJD are automatically selecting 30th, the Stanley Cup winner selects 29th, loser selects 28th, other two Conference finalists select 27th and 26th, then the division winners select, then it goes by points.

Boston, Anaheim, Colorado, and Pittsburgh automatically select after us since they finished ahead of us in the regular season standings (Pittsburgh didn't, but they are a division winner), so we start out selecting 25th (NJD have 30th pick). One of Chicago/Minnesota will go to the Conference finals, we're bumped to 24th. For drafting purposes, we should hope that LA wins against Anaheim, because they would draft after us as well (as a Conference finalist), so we would be bumped to 23rd. We should hope that Montreal beats Boston, because that would result in another bump to 22nd. If NYR beats Pittsburgh, that's another bump to 21st. The worst we can draft is 24th, best is 21st. For draft nerds (that's me), let's hope for a NYR win, LA win, and Montreal win (and then we'll watch Armstrong sign Miller to a deal right before we pick, thus making this all moot, haha).

 

[bluemandan]

Hopefully they don't go for Demko. Grab a few wildcard goalies in the later rounds, goalies are the most unpredictable as prospects.

Completely agree. I think the team should draft one or two goalies every draft, starting no earlier than the third round.

 

[Hooliganx3]

Just as an FYI, as I learned this today, the results of the first round doesn't mean anything for draft selection. NJD are automatically selecting 30th, the Stanley Cup winner selects 29th, loser selects 28th, other two Conference finalists select 27th and 26th, then the division winners select, then it goes by points.

Boston, Anaheim, Colorado, and Pittsburgh automatically select after us since they finished ahead of us in the regular season standings (Pittsburgh didn't, but they are a division winner), so we start out selecting 25th (NJD have 30th pick). One of Chicago/Minnesota will go to the Conference finals, we're bumped to 24th. For drafting purposes, we should hope that LA wins against Anaheim, because they would draft after us as well (as a Conference finalist), so we would be bumped to 23rd. We should hope that Montreal beats Boston, because that would result in another bump to 22nd. If NYR beats Pittsburgh, that's another bump to 21st. The worst we can draft is 24th, best is 21st. For draft nerds (that's me), let's hope for a NYR win, LA win, and Montreal win (and then we'll watch Armstrong sign Miller to a deal right before we pick, thus making this all moot, haha).

I am still a little bitter they gave the Devil's their 1st back. The NHL should stick to their guns on punishments.

 

[izzy]

I am still a little bitter they gave the Devil's their 1st back. The NHL should stick to their guns on punishments.

Eh, thats quite a drop down in the draft, I'm fine with that.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Eh, thats quite a drop down in the draft, I'm fine with that.

Still giving them a free first round pick regardless of the position.

 

[Natey]

I wouldn't mind going for Scherbak....

I know it's not the same, but over in the Habs Board Mock Draft, we are just finishing up the 1st round (we do all 7 rounds) and I'm representing the Blues.

I made your wish come true.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1614021

 

[Bluesnatic27]

I know it's not the same, but over in the Habs Board Mock Draft, we are just finishing up the 1st round (we do all 7 rounds) and I'm representing the Blues.

I made your wish come true.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1614021

If you really want our dreams to be complete, go after Schmaltz next

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Eh, thats quite a drop down in the draft, I'm fine with that.

It's still buckling instead of sticking to your guns. That was as blatant a circumvention of the cap as we've seen. I realize other people have done it, but not to that extent. Now the precedent has been set. Teams will be able to use this to potentially get out of future punishments.

 

[Natey]

If you really want our dreams to be complete, go after Schmaltz next

He was literally picked right before my next pick.

I went with Brett Pollock.

Big game performer who has come on strong since being given a chance. Also he's a center.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

He was literally picked right before my next pick.

I went with Brett Pollock.

Big game performer who has come on strong since being given a chance. Also he's a center.

I'm surprised he even lasted that long, and I'm liking this whole "center drafting" idea.

 

[Old Blueser]

It's still buckling instead of sticking to your guns. That was as blatant a circumvention of the cap as we've seen. I realize other people have done it, but not to that extent. Now the precedent has been set. Teams will be able to use this to potentially get out of future punishments.

I thought the punishment was too extreme. Kovy's contract was just an extension of the logic of several other contracts that had been given out. The league fairly arbitrarily decided to draw a line on this one when it could have acted earlier on the others if it was going to act, or just let it ride until the new CBA sorted it out.

The fact is most of these mega deals have been disasters for the parties involved so they are their own punishment anyway. Hossa's might be the only one that isn't a disaster.

 

[DatDude44]

Any chance we land Kasper Kapanen?

 

[bleedblue1223]

Really doubt it, he's a top 10 pick.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Took Fabbri at #20 in the moderator mock draft. Couldn't pass on him when he fell to me, even with his size. I think he's going to be a heck of a player in this league, and he fits the vision I have for this team.

 

[tfriede2]

Took Fabbri at #20 in the moderator mock draft. Couldn't pass on him when he fell to me, even with his size. I think he's going to be a heck of a player in this league, and he fits the vision I have for this team.

Did each moderator have a team they were picking for? At worst, the Blues will pick 24th, at best 21st (I believe).

Fabbri is a great pick, though. If he's somehow still there when the Blues pick, that would be great. I'm hoping for him, Scherbak, Larkin, or Schmaltz with our 1st rounder.