2022-2023 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread

[Linkens Mastery]

Heard a good tidbit from Andy Stricklands hockey sense show yesterday that there are two ncaa free agents the Blues are interested in signing in the summer, a forward and a dman. Said the fans would be excited about it, also if memory serves at least one of them wants to sign with Blues apparently. Be interesting to see what happens there.

Did he give it the Stricknasty Guarantee?

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Did he give it the Stricknasty Guarantee?

No, he gave it the Stricknine Guarantee. One taste of his nonsense and brain cells die.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

No, he gave it the Stricknine Guarantee. One taste of his nonsense and brain cells die.

I mean, I like Strickland, just, when he's not talking and not in my field of view.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Hunter McKown could be the guy that wants to sign here. He's from San Jose, but moved here to play for Junior Blues, and that's what got his career really going.

And that's something I could totally buy Strick having inside info on.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Hunter McKown could be the guy that wants to sign here. He's from San Jose, buy moved here to play for Junior Blues, and that's what got his career really going.

How many Hunters do we need?

 

[bleedblue1223]

His stats aren't overly eye-popping until you look at the stats of the entire roster, he is their offense. 19 goals in 34 games, but just 6 assists. The guy in second has 10 goals, and then it falls off a cliff.

9. Hunter McKown, C, Colorado College-NCHC: McKown has scored a lot of goals in college over the last two seasons. He’s a highly-skilled forward, he actually was on the power play for Team USA at the summer world juniors because of the offensive touch he brings. His skating is fine, but won’t be an asset in the NHL. McKown’s overall compete can be inconsistent too and he’s probably not a pro center. The skill and scoring touch will be worth a team taking a gamble on.

 

[STL fan in MN]

His stats aren't overly eye-popping until you look at the stats of the entire roster, he is their offense. 19 goals in 34 games, but just 6 assists. The guy in second has 10 goals, and then it falls off a cliff.

Could you please post a link to wherever list that is that has him 9th?

 

[bleedblue1223]

Could you please post a link to wherever list that is that has him 9th?

It's Pronman from The Athletic. A list of college and Euro free agents.

 

[STL fan in MN]

It's Pronman from The Athletic. A list of college and Euro free agents.

Thanks.

Not a super exciting list when the blurb on the #1 guy on the list ends with, “His skating will be a major limitation in the NHL, but I think he defends well enough to potentially overcome that and be a third-pair defenseman in the league.”

But these guys are potential free assets. Some of them look worth signing and have a chance to develop well.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Thanks.

Not a super exciting list when the blurb on the #1 guy on the list ends with, “His skating will be a major limitation in the NHL, but I think he defends well enough to potentially overcome that and be a third-pair defenseman in the league.”

But these guys are potential free assets. Some of them look worth signing and have a chance to develop well.

Yeah, I'm almost never that excited about college and Euro free agents, most of the time there is good reason they are in the position they are, but sometimes you do find some gems. And I don't even know how much stock I put into the reports from Pronman and Wheeler and those guys, just because there are so many they have to focus on, I'm not sure how many of these types of free agents get extended looks. Pronman and Wheeler likely put more time into prospects that will be drafted in the upcoming draft and drafted prospects on NHL rosters.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

When was the last time a college UFA made a difference? Vatrano on the Rangers has carved out a decent career as a third liner type I think, and he was one of the most hyped prospect UFA types in recent memory. All in all these guys really don't move the needle.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

When was the last time a college UFA made a difference? Vatrano on the Rangers has carved out a decent career as a third liner type I think, and he was one of the most hyped prospect UFA types in recent memory. All in all these guys really don't move the needle.

I think you mean Jimmy Vesey. I believe Blake Wheeler was a college free agent.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

I think you mean Jimmy Vesey. I believe Blake Wheeler was a college free agent.

Right that's the name - true about Wheeler, but he was drafted 5th overall - he just didn't want to play for the Yotes so he stayed in college until he could sign with whatever team he wanted. Not exactly an undrafted late-bloomer type.

 

[PocketNines]

Obligatory Peter Sejna reference

 

[bleedblue1223]

When was the last time a college UFA made a difference? Vatrano on the Rangers has carved out a decent career as a third liner type I think, and he was one of the most hyped prospect UFA types in recent memory. All in all these guys really don't move the needle.

Dekeyser and Bozak are some really good ones. Maybe some others that I can't recall off the top of my head. Krug is another.

 

[Majorityof1]

When was the last time a college UFA made a difference? Vatrano on the Rangers has carved out a decent career as a third liner type I think, and he was one of the most hyped prospect UFA types in recent memory. All in all these guys really don't move the needle.

Jimmy Vesey was the next season and was also very hyped. He's nearing 500 NHL games and has 150+ points as a bottom 6 guy. That's not great and definitely disspaointing vs expectations, but he at least carved an NHL career, albeit as a journeyman plug.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Heres some undrafted college free agents.

Bozak, Krug, Marty St. Louis, Kunitz Dan Boyle

 

[Majorityof1]

I think you mean Jimmy Vesey. I believe Blake Wheeler was a college free agent.

Vatrano did come out of college as a UFA. He wasn't as hyped and had to sign a Amateur tryout first. He eventually signed with Boston, not NYR. Vesey was the next year and signed with NYR. Vatrano has had the better career but both are NHL regulars.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Vesey was also like others, where he was a drafted prospect that refused to sign with the team that drafted him, so not quite the same as an undrafted free agent.

 

[Brockon]

When was the last time a college UFA made a difference? Vatrano on the Rangers has carved out a decent career as a third liner type I think, and he was one of the most hyped prospect UFA types in recent memory. All in all these guys really don't move the needle.

Off the top of my head?

Alex Iafallo was a pretty notable undrafted NCAA free agent at the end of the 2016-17 college season. He's become a top 6 forward for LA. Past 4 seasons producing between 0.47-0.61 PPG as a complimentary winger.

Edit:
Current career 403gp, 80-113-193p.

 

[Mike Liut]

I’m really intrigued with Vrana. What are the chances his personal problems are behind him and he comes here highly motivated? He is extremely talented. His speed and wrister are things of beauty. Not sure if his D is on Kyrou’s level bad, but I hope not.

 

[Xerloris]

To anyone "concerned" about Vrana just remember we gave Monty a 2nd chance too and that worked out really good.

 

[Renard]

Heres some undrafted college free agents.

Bozak, Krug, Marty St. Louis, Kunitz Dan Boyle

Joe Mullen?

 

[Xerloris]

Joe Mullen?

Ya but people only think he was good because he scored like 500 goals or something.

 

[Brian39]

I’m really intrigued with Vrana. What are the chances his personal problems are behind him and he comes here highly motivated? He is extremely talented. His speed and wrister are things of beauty. Not sure if his D is on Kyrou’s level bad, but I hope not.

I have no clue regarding the chances/odds of him being focused/motivated and I have even less of a clue about where he really is in the recovery process from whatever led him to the player's assistance program.

However, he is an interesting example of a 'reclamation' project because the off ice stuff never tanked his game like they often do. This isn't a guy who has struggled to produce. He had 13 goals and 19 points through 26 games at the end of the year last year when he returned from surgery. 8 goals and 11 points in 11 games following the trade to Detroit in 2020/21. 11 goals and 25 points through 39 games before the trade in 2020/21. 25 goals and 52 points through 69 games in 2019/20.

He's been a 25 goal pace guy on the ice every year and the surgery that sidelined him for last season is the only notable injury. His defensive metrics (and results) were completely fine in Washington (in offense-heavy usage) and then those metrics sucked on a Detroit team last year where everyone's numbers sucked beyond belief.

My eye test has never told me that he is particularly skilled or intelligent defensively, but I also haven't ever seen him look like a guy that is a disaster on-ice and needs his game rebuilt from the ground up. As reclamation projects go, there aren't a ton of on-ice concerns from me and we don't have the usual 'he's been bad for a couple years now, butmaybe a change of scenery jump starts his game.'

Obviously there are off ice concerns and Detroit clearly wanted him out of their organization. I totally understand why he wasn't a neutral-value asset at $5M+ against the cap and I get the risk/worry. But it is an intriguing situation since the off-ice stuff never really led to a huge decline in on-ice performance. I'm excited to see him play.