2021 Training Camp

[BlueDream]

Has Buch been playing the PK? He can drive a top 6 line, which I'm sure he'll do for you guys, but last season he was one of the best PK'ers in the league. I was worried with him getting traded that he might not get to penalty kill under a new coach. It's easy for a new coach that doesn't know his game well enough to look at that he's Russian, and automatically decide he shouldn't PK. His penalty killing skills compared to the average player are probably worth a full point in the standings at the end of the season. To not give him a big role would be a bad decision. The Rangers PK completely turned around last season because the coach finally decided to put Fox and Buchnevich on it.

I think he will, yeah. Sundqvist is starting on IR and Sanford was traded and those were a couple PK’ers.

I have no idea the pairs we’ll use but I could see Buch being used with O’Reilly on the top PK unit. Then Barbashev and Bozak, and then some combination of Schenn/Saad/Joshua/Clifford as the 3rd unit until Sundqvist returns.

 

[Ranksu]

Krug - Faulk as a pair

 

[GoBluz24]

Has Buch been playing the PK? He can drive a top 6 line, which I'm sure he'll do for you guys, but last season he was one of the best PK'ers in the league. I was worried with him getting traded that he might not get to penalty kill under a new coach. It's easy for a new coach that doesn't know his game well enough to look at that he's Russian, and automatically decide he shouldn't PK. His penalty killing skills compared to the average player are probably worth a full point in the standings at the end of the season. To not give him a big role would be a bad decision. The Rangers PK completely turned around last season because the coach finally decided to put Fox and Buchnevich on it.

Buchnevich got a short handed goal on Friday night vs the Blackhawks. So yes I believe he'll be used a lot on the penalty kill, probably 1st unit.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Krug - Faulk as a pair

You got any better ideas coach?

 

[Ranksu]

You got any better ideas coach?

Last idea would be Krug - faulk as pair. Last year they were horrendous.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Last idea would be Krug - faulk as pair. Last year they were horrendous.

That doesn’t really answer the question

 

[AVictoryDive]

Has Buch been playing the PK? He can drive a top 6 line, which I'm sure he'll do for you guys, but last season he was one of the best PK'ers in the league. I was worried with him getting traded that he might not get to penalty kill under a new coach. It's easy for a new coach that doesn't know his game well enough to look at that he's Russian, and automatically decide he shouldn't PK. His penalty killing skills compared to the average player are probably worth a full point in the standings at the end of the season. To not give him a big role would be a bad decision. The Rangers PK completely turned around last season because the coach finally decided to put Fox and Buchnevich on it.

Chief will definitely give him PK time. Already has a shortie this preseason.

 

[Thallis]

Has Buch been playing the PK? He can drive a top 6 line, which I'm sure he'll do for you guys, but last season he was one of the best PK'ers in the league. I was worried with him getting traded that he might not get to penalty kill under a new coach. It's easy for a new coach that doesn't know his game well enough to look at that he's Russian, and automatically decide he shouldn't PK. His penalty killing skills compared to the average player are probably worth a full point in the standings at the end of the season. To not give him a big role would be a bad decision. The Rangers PK completely turned around last season because the coach finally decided to put Fox and Buchnevich on it.

Our PK was hot garbage so yeah, we'd be stupid to not put him out there.

 

[Got One Cup]

That doesn’t really answer the question

I think it makes it pretty obvious that those two slit up means Krug-Parayko. The question is who plays with Faulk? Here is IMO our biggest weakness. I don’t feel we have a left side dman good enough to play top 4 minutes.

 

[rumrokh]

I think it makes it pretty obvious that those two slit up means Krug-Parayko. The question is who plays with Faulk? Here is IMO our biggest weakness. I don’t feel we have a left side dman good enough to play top 4 minutes.

Krug is a fine second pair guy. The real issue is a left D who can shoulder a hard defensive load/shutdown minutes. Scandella looked like that guy when he first arrived, but hasn't looked the same since. It would be awesome if Mikkola could blossom into that role.

I was hopeful the Blues would leverage the expansion draft to solidify that role, especially with Dunn on the way out, but it seems like Seattle's prices were just too high for anybody to justify wading into those waters.

 

[execwrite1]

Seems like the D-corps could be

Faulk-Peronuvich
Parayko-Krug
Bortuzzo-Scandella

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Taylor commented that Dickinson was working on getting bigger but was still super thin. Wonder if they sent him down bc he wasn't able to physically compete and they didn't want him getting hurt?

Isn't it because Tanner's season starts next week?

Then again, Bolduc was sent back to juniors and played the next day.

Dickinson has a special preseason warmup?

 

[Got One Cup]

Krug is a fine second pair guy. The real issue is a left D who can shoulder a hard defensive load/shutdown minutes. Scandella looked like that guy when he first arrived, but hasn't looked the same since. It would be awesome if Mikkola could blossom into that role.

I was hopeful the Blues would leverage the expansion draft to solidify that role, especially with Dunn on the way out, but it seems like Seattle's prices were just too high for anybody to justify wading into those waters.

I agree we need a good defensive top 4 left d but I would want them paired with Faulk. That way Parayko can cover Krug. I like Mikkola but I don’t think he’s ready for more than 3rd pair. I’m not a Scandella fan, just never the defensive dman we hoped we were getting.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Sorry to hear it. I like to root for an underdog.

Reinke is a real good soldier.

I'm glad he got to watch the Blues Cup run up close and personal and then get on the ice after Game 7 was over.

Besides all of the most awesome f-bombs ever dropped on live TV and Perron's reaction after the 4th goal, it was Mitch Reinke's huge smile that is most memorable for me.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I think the plan is to turn Tarasenko into a top 4 LHD, with assets to balance.

I never expected Brown to make the team, and I still think its unlikely. Looks like he may get another preseason game or two to try and win a spot, but I don't expect him to succeed. I expect him to be spotlighted this coming week. I'm pretty unsure of whether he risks being claimed off waivers. If he couldn't help Ottawa and is immediately waived by St Louis, maybe the end-of-camp flurry will be enough to keep anyone from committing to putting him on their roster. But its a free asset if you can do it. Its in his best interest to NOT get claimed, so he can play enough in the AHL to have a chance to play well enough to make the Blues roster at some future point (maybe even later this season under ideal circumstances).

I'm really hoping Neighbors forces the team to keep him. Its always fun having a rookie like that to watch and cheer for. I think it gives energy to the bench, too. Between Perunovich and Neighbors, I'd love to have a couple rookies on this team. Maybe Walman crested last season? I think he or Mikkola are going to be the 7th man, and the 8th man who gets sent down.

 

[rumrokh]

I agree we need a good defensive top 4 left d but I would want them paired with Faulk. That way Parayko can cover Krug. I like Mikkola but I don’t think he’s ready for more than 3rd pair. I’m not a Scandella fan, just never the defensive dman we hoped we were getting.

The whole idea of a risky defenseman playing with a responsible guy to cover for him is not something you see much now. It happens, but most pairs are deployed based on match-ups and zone starts. The Blues need Parayko to stifle top opponents. Unless the team, as a whole, dominates puck possession, you don't want Krug trying to defend against the same guys Parayko should be facing. That's why Bouwmeester-Parayko worked so well during the Cup run.

 

[Got One Cup]

The whole idea of a risky defenseman playing with a responsible guy to cover for him is not something you see much now. It happens, but most pairs are deployed based on match-ups and zone starts. The Blues need Parayko to stifle top opponents. Unless the team, as a whole, dominates puck possession, you don't want Krug trying to defend against the same guys Parayko should be facing. That's why Bouwmeester-Parayko worked so well during the Cup run.

If you want to go with a Krug-Faulk pair be my guest but it’s not gonna be pretty. O-zone starts and matchups can only cover so much.

 

[bleedblue1223]

If you want to go with a Krug-Faulk pair be my guest but it’s not gonna be pretty. I-zone starts and matchups can only cover so much.

If that's your 2nd pair, it would be fine. Problem is last season they had to be the top pair.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I think the plan is to turn Tarasenko into a top 4 LHD, with assets to balance.

I never expected Brown to make the team, and I still think its unlikely. Looks like he may get another preseason game or two to try and win a spot, but I don't expect him to succeed. I expect him to be spotlighted this coming week. I'm pretty unsure of whether he risks being claimed off waivers. If he couldn't help Ottawa and is immediately waived by St Louis, maybe the end-of-camp flurry will be enough to keep anyone from committing to putting him on their roster. But its a free asset if you can do it. Its in his best interest to NOT get claimed, so he can play enough in the AHL to have a chance to play well enough to make the Blues roster at some future point (maybe even later this season under ideal circumstances).

I'm really hoping Neighbors forces the team to keep him. Its always fun having a rookie like that to watch and cheer for. I think it gives energy to the bench, too. Between Perunovich and Neighbors, I'd love to have a couple rookies on this team. Maybe Walman crested last season? I think he or Mikkola are going to be the 7th man, and the 8th man who gets sent down.

Pretty much agree with everything, except the Tarasenko part. The "belief/faith" aspect of myself leans toward Tarasenko staying long-term, but the "thinking" aspect of myself has begun to lean toward Army et al. starting to like the idea of trading away Tarasenko for LHD help. Perhaps the mere notion that a trade request was made (no matter how clunky) is enough of a transgression to automatically find the best way to jettison said player. I know these thoughts are all virtual machinations of an armchair GM.

Brown? Totally agree there.

How long Neighbours remains with the club will largely depend upon the other players vying for the last 4 spots. Clifford, MacMac, Kostin, Neal, Neighbours and Frolik. We can now eliminate Frolik as he has shown nothing. Kostin's status is up in the air, so he's out for now. That leaves 4 forwards for the final 4 spots.

Am I missing someone? Dakota Joshua appears to still be on the roster, but he's been assigned to the AHL.

I've been excited to see Alexandrov progress, but I may have been wrong about him. I need to see a super solid AHL season from him.

As far as the "rookie thing"...I'm down with that. It's exciting.

 

[Got One Cup]

If that's your 2nd pair, it would be fine. Problem is last season they had to be the top pair.

Still going to see plenty of opponents top 6 talent. I’m just not confident in our d group and wish it was addressed differently the last couple yrs.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Still going to see plenty of opponents top 6 talent. I’m just not confident in our d group and wish it was addressed differently the last couple yrs.

And they are capable of going against 2nd line type players, you just don't want them against the 1st line for the majority of the matchups. They aren't 3rd pairing caliber defensively.

 

[BlueDream]

Pretty much agree with everything, except the Tarasenko part. The "belief/faith" aspect of myself leans toward Tarasenko staying long-term, but the "thinking" aspect of myself has begun to lean toward Army et al. starting to like the idea of trading away Tarasenko for LHD help. Perhaps the mere notion that a trade request was made (no matter how clunky) is enough of a transgression to automatically find the best way to jettison said player. I know these thoughts are all virtual machinations of an armchair GM.

Brown? Totally agree there.

How long Neighbours remains with the club will largely depend upon the other players vying for the last 4 spots. Clifford, MacMac, Kostin, Neal, Neighbours and Frolik. We can now eliminate Frolik as he has shown nothing. Kostin's status is up in the air, so he's out for now. That leaves 4 forwards for the final 4 spots.

Am I missing someone? Dakota Joshua appears to still be on the roster, but he's been assigned to the AHL.

I've been excited to see Alexandrov progress, but I may have been wrong about him. I need to see a super solid AHL season from him.

As far as the "rookie thing"...I'm down with that. It's exciting.

Kostin is back healthy and Joshua hasn’t been sent down.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Kostin is back healthy and Joshua hasn’t been sent down.

Ohhhhh thanks! I mixed up Joshua for someone else.

Glad Kostin is back cuz I want to see if he can make it in the NHL or if he is not NHL-quality. I've long leaned toward the latter.

Let's eliminate Frolik now.

Cliff, Mac, Kostin, Joshua, Neighbours and Neal for the final 4.

hmmmmm

 

[rumrokh]

If you want to go with a Krug-Faulk pair be my guest but it’s not gonna be pretty. O-zone starts and matchups can only cover so much.

It's not that I want to go with a Krug-Faulk pair. I want what will work. And I don't think that includes matching Krug against top lines every night.

 

[simon IC]

The whole idea of a risky defenseman playing with a responsible guy to cover for him is not something you see much now. It happens, but most pairs are deployed based on match-ups and zone starts. The Blues need Parayko to stifle top opponents. Unless the team, as a whole, dominates puck possession, you don't want Krug trying to defend against the same guys Parayko should be facing. That's why Bouwmeester-Parayko worked so well during the Cup run.

Yes! Thank you!