2022-2023 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread

[LGB]

I admittedly haven't caught nearly enough games this season (although maybe this was the year to miss out). But what is everyone's assessment of Neighbors' play this season? Does it seem like he's moving in a positive direction? What have his strengths and weaknesses looked like?

Looks like he could be a good middle six player. Skill level is pretty good and I think he generally makes smart decisions. Skating is a little better than I anticipated, but not good enough to really threaten defenders 1 on 1. He's willing to engage physically, but I don't think he has great technique in battles and protecting pucks, probably because in junior he was just stronger than most players. Maybe a little bit of hindsight but I think he probably got a few too many NHL games this year and not enough AHL games.

 

[Mike Liut]

im ok with Army trading the late 1sts and 2nds for nhl players or nhl ready players, but I’d like to keep our top 8 pick this year and our 1st next year too, because it’s going to be a top 10 also.

 

[stl76]

I admittedly haven't caught nearly enough games this season (although maybe this was the year to miss out). But what is everyone's assessment of Neighbors' play this season? Does it seem like he's moving in a positive direction? What have his strengths and weaknesses looked like?

I've been really encouraged by what I've seen from Jake this year. He's looked like a different player since getting sent down and playing some games in the AHL. Thinks the game at a high level and generally makes smart decisions with the pucks. Needs to get stronger and win more 1 vs 1 battles, but that will come with time. He will probably need another year or two of development but I think there is a very good chance of Neighbors eventually turning into being a legit 2nd liner who hits and will drop the gloves. Of course he's now injured because 2023 Blues tho haha

 

[rumrokh]

I admittedly haven't caught nearly enough games this season (although maybe this was the year to miss out). But what is everyone's assessment of Neighbors' play this season? Does it seem like he's moving in a positive direction? What have his strengths and weaknesses looked like?

Along with what everyone else is saying, he makes really nice reads and often finds himself in good scoring position and defending position because of it. He needs to work on putting those chances away and using his teammates better in the defensive zone once he has retrieved the puck, but the brain and ability is clearly there.

 

[Brian39]

As mentioned by others, he needs to learn how to better win puck battles against NHL players. I share the opinion that he's probably used to easily winning battles because he was stronger than his junior competition and now he is struggling to adapt in a league where being 200 lbs doesn't give you an immediate edge in every puck battle. He has a high hockey IQ and plenty of guys have this rude awakening when they go pro. I'm not too worried about him learning how to better leverage his size.

I think he was deservedly back in the AHL and I wish injuries/trades hadn't brought him back to the NHL. But he's convinced me that his ceiling is a bit higher than I thought early in the year. I still think that he is most likely going to top out as a good middle 6 guy, but he's convinced me that there is some chance that he becomes an actual 2nd liner.

He's still the one that I'd trade out of our current 'big 3' prospects, but I've been happy with what I've seen so far. I'm hoping that he recovers from his injury in time for AHL playoffs. That is a realistic possibility with the 'reevaluated in 5 weeks' timeline and it owuld be nice if he could get into another 10-20 AHL games. He's played 53 pro games so far and getting to 60-70 (with an injury) would be solid.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Yeah, Neighbours having a run in the AHL playoffs would be nice. That would give him a more complete first pro season in terms of games played and a chance to end the year on a high.

 

[BrokenFace]

I think Neighbours' absolute ceiling would be Steen. A guy with underrated talent who bounced around on lower lines as he put his game together, eventually becoming a legit top line winger. I know Schenn has been mentoring him a lot, but I hope Steen does too. Although I'm not sure how involved Steen is with the organization right now.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I think Neighbours' absolute ceiling would be Steen. A guy with underrated talent who bounced around on lower lines as he put his game together, eventually becoming a legit top line winger. I know Schenn has been mentoring him a lot, but I hope Steen does too. Although I'm not sure how involved Steen is with the organization right now.

Steen’s elite ability was hockey sense. He knew when to shoot the puck. Plays like the OT winner vs Quick or the Scooby Doo Burns goal the shift after the Hand Pass are plays that happen because a guy has great hockey sense and knows where to put himself.

If Neighbors has the inner drive and hockey sense to carve out a career like Steen did, that would be a huge get with that draft pick.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Steen’s elite ability was hockey sense. He knew when to shoot the puck. Plays like the OT winner vs Quick or the Scooby Doo Burns goal the shift after the Hand Pass are plays that happen because a guy has great hockey sense and knows where to put himself.

If Neighbors has the inner drive and hockey sense to carve out a career like Steen did, that would be a huge get with that draft pick.

Steen in his prime was a legitimate first line player capable of being a two way machine. Drafting a guy like that in the late first is grand slam of a pick. I would be absolutely thrilled if Neighbours turned into that kind of player.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

Steen is still underappreciated by many Blues fans I talk to. Ken Hitchcock was on the Spittin' Chiclets pod raving about him, saying how rare it is to have players like Steen that are constantly working on and off the ice. He said it was like having an extra assistant on the bench because he'd manage his line as if he was a coach, making sure his line mates were doing exactly what they needed to do, making sure changes were perfect and little things like that.

I'm so glad he was able to lift the Cup before he retired.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Steen is still underappreciated by many Blues fans I talk to. Ken Hitchcock was on the Spittin' Chiclets pod raving about him, saying how rare it is to have players like Steen that are constantly working on and off the ice. He said it was like having an extra assistant on the bench because he'd manage his line as if he was a coach, making sure his line mates were doing exactly what they needed to do, making sure changes were perfect and little things like that.

I'm so glad he was able to lift the Cup before he retired.

He’s probably my all time favorite Blue.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

For as much crap as he gets he's defensive percentile is outstanding. Can't do shit on offense tho.

 

[HighNote]

Philly passed us in the standings so our lottery odds went from 5% to 6%. You're next Montreal!

Big game on Thursday against the Canucks. That's a must-lose.

 

[PocketNines]

Philly passed us in the standings so our lottery odds went from 5% to 6%. You're next Montreal!

Big game on Thursday against the Canucks. That's a must-lose.

Not really though, they are .475 and we are .482. Shorthand is either points minus games played or wins minus regulation losses. We are -2 and they are -3. I'm aware they have more points. We have to lose our games in hand in regulation and get more -1s

 

[HighNote]

Not really though, they are .475 and we are .482. Shorthand is either points minus games played or wins minus regulation losses. We are -2 and they are -3. I'm aware they have more points. We have to lose our games in hand in regulation and get more -1s

Here's to more regulation losses!



Also, I'm a bit confused by your post. Are you talking about tie-breakers? The first tie-breaker after games played is regulation wins.

 

[PocketNines]

Here's to more regulation losses!



Also, I'm a bit confused by your post. Are you talking about tie-breakers? The first tie-breaker after games played is regulation wins.

Here's to more regulation losses!

No I do a shorthand that serves me extremely well for knowing the "real" standings at any given time which is to subtract regulation losses from wins since they're right next to each other. But it also works to subtract games played from points, you get the same number. So for example without referencing the percentage, I look at the standings and see:

1. ANA -17
2. CBJ -16
3. CHI -13
4. SJ -11
5. AZ -8 (15RW, 17ROW)
6. VAN -8 (15RW, 19ROW)
7. MTL -5
8. PHI -3
9. STL -2
10. OTT +2
11. WSH +3
-----Bedard possibility line -----
12. FLA +4

You will find that this is the actual percentage order even though I didn't list the percentages.
Any win is +1, any regulation loss is -1 and an OT/SO loss is 0.

The reason I have found it useful shorthand for years is that there are always games in hand to be dealt with and this cleans that up. The other major team sports list their standings in percentage and the NHL uses percentage for waiver order so it's nice to know what the "real" NHL standings are at any given time.

 

[bleedblue1223]

View attachment 654588

For as much crap as he gets he's defensive percentile is outstanding. Can't do shit on offense tho.

Yeah, I can't stand people that act like he's terrible defensively, it's not his fault that he's the only defender the coaches trust, so he's always out there against top competition in the defensive assignments. Our defense is going to be dogshit without him.

 

[bleedblue1223]

With games against Vancouver and Arizona coming up, we have a real chance at climbing the draft board, and underrated move by Army to sell early.

 

[Stealth JD]

I wonder, with cap-space no longer being a problem, and with the Blues in need of some forward help in the top-6/top-9, if Jakob Vrana would be somebody the Blues would look at as a cheap (acquisition cost-wise) stop-gap. He recently passed through waivers and only has one more year at $5.25M.

Yzerman and Army are buddies and no doubt Detroit has gotten the better of those previous dealings. You'd have to think after having waved the guy and risked losing him for nothing that Yzerman would be happy to recoup even a mid-round draft pick for Vrana, along with some welcomed cap flexibility. And with the Blues collecting high draft picks in the coming years, they can afford to part with some later ones. No need to draft 10-11 guys unless you have places for them to play.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I wonder, with cap-space no longer being a problem, and with the Blues in need of some forward help in the top-6/top-9, if Jakob Vrana would be somebody the Blues would look at as a cheap (acquisition cost-wise) stop-gap. He recently passed through waivers and only has one more year at $5.25M.

Yzerman and Army are buddies and no doubt Detroit has gotten the better of those previous dealings. You'd have to think after having waved the guy and risked losing him for nothing that Yzerman would be happy to recoup even a mid-round draft pick for Vrana, along with some welcomed cap flexibility. And with the Blues collecting high draft picks in the coming years, they can afford to part with some later ones. No need to draft 10-11 guys unless you have places for them to play.

You would need to send me a draft pick to take vrana. I can’t see paying one.

 

[STL fan in MN]

You would need to send me a draft pick to take vrana. I can’t see paying one.

Yeah, pretty much agree with this.

And I’d want to know a heck of a lot more about his personal issues that kept him out out of the lineup for months to gauge how comfortable I’d be with him going forward.

If he appears to be over his demons then he may be worth a shot but otherwise, no thank you.

 

[Xanadude]

I'd take a flier on Vrana if he's given away. We will in all likelihood need middle six signings next year anyway.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I wouldn't say our cap issues are gone and we can just take on a bunch of expensive projects.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I wouldn't say our cap issues are gone and we can just take on a bunch of expensive projects.

This is also true. They’re certainly not gone. Lots will depend on if one or more of the bigger long term contracts are moved or not.

 

[Brian39]

I wouldn't say our cap issues are gone and we can just take on a bunch of expensive projects.

Agreed. I'd rather get paid an asset to take on $5M of dead cap than use it to bet on Vrana rebounding. He's a UFA after 23/24, so we'd still have to offer him a near-market value deal beyond that if he rebounds.