2023-2024 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread
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Snubbed4Vezina
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mk80
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On the unimportant side of Blues news lately. I must admit I'm a tad disappointed the gold reverse retros won't be in the jersey rotation this year.
www.nhl.com
Blues announce jersey schedule for 2023-24 season | St. Louis Blues
Sweater rotation includes home blue, away white, Heritage blue and '90s Vintage
www.nhl.com
From EF's latest 32 Thoughs column:
"Robert Thomas is the newest Adam Oates apprentice. Brayden Schenn and Matthew Tkachuk convinced him to seek the new sensei as the St. Louis forward worked to improve his shot.
“I feel like that’ll open up more passing lanes,” Thomas said. “I feel like guys are starting to pick up (that) I’m always looking to pass…if I’m able to add that shot, the passing will be a lot easier… A lot of things he teaches are so simple and so small that you would never think of. Whether it's stick positioning or your forehand grip/backhand grip, there’s so many things that you just do naturally, but you don’t know why you do them. He’ll show you 10 clips in a game…Why did you do this? I thought it was just a whole other way to think the game.”
Thomas watched video of McDavid shooting to mimic the quickness, how McDavid beats the goalie before the goalie is ready. Did Oates try to change Thomas’s stick? No but, “He hates my curve.”"
"Robert Thomas is the newest Adam Oates apprentice. Brayden Schenn and Matthew Tkachuk convinced him to seek the new sensei as the St. Louis forward worked to improve his shot.
“I feel like that’ll open up more passing lanes,” Thomas said. “I feel like guys are starting to pick up (that) I’m always looking to pass…if I’m able to add that shot, the passing will be a lot easier… A lot of things he teaches are so simple and so small that you would never think of. Whether it's stick positioning or your forehand grip/backhand grip, there’s so many things that you just do naturally, but you don’t know why you do them. He’ll show you 10 clips in a game…Why did you do this? I thought it was just a whole other way to think the game.”
Thomas watched video of McDavid shooting to mimic the quickness, how McDavid beats the goalie before the goalie is ready. Did Oates try to change Thomas’s stick? No but, “He hates my curve.”"
Brian39
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- Apr 24, 2014
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I love listening to Oates talk hockey and he has a big track record of success as a skills coach. This is great news. I firmly believe that Thomas can be a 90+ point guy if he improves his release and becomes more willing to rip a quick shot when the passing lane isn't available.
DoubleK81
It's always something with these pricks.
I'm pretty sure everyone on this board could have told Thomas this 2 years ago.
We're back in the playoffs, boys. We got rid of the kiss of death.
- Jul 4, 2014
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Not me. I'm glad to see them in moth balls. They missed such a tremendous opportunity to roll this out in a clean, white version. The gold/yellow reminded me too much of Nashville, and (IMO) should forever and always be a complimentary color, not a primary one.On the unimportant side of Blues news lately. I must admit I'm a tad disappointed the gold reverse retros won't be in the jersey rotation this year.
Blues announce jersey schedule for 2023-24 season | St. Louis Blues
Sweater rotation includes home blue, away white, Heritage blue and '90s Vintage
- Jul 4, 2014
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There are actually two of them on Saturday, here in St. Louis at 2:00 and later in Phoenix at 7:00. I believe they are available to stream on Bally's website/app, but not being broadcast, though it might only be the home game of the split squad that is available.
Brian39
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There is a big difference between saying "I need to shoot more" and plunking down the money to work with the best skills coach in the world to make that happen.
Adam Oates is by far the most respected puck skills coach in the world. His client list is nuts and anytime one of them gets asked about Oates they gush about how much Oates improved their game. His entire coaching philosophy is based on the micro decisions and subtle plays you can make with the puck to improve your chance of generating a scoring chance and then improving your vision to consistently make the decision that has the highest chance of success.
Oates might be the absolute #1 historical stylistic comp for what Thomas can become and he has established himself as the #1 teacher of the things Thomas needs to improve with the puck on his stick.
There is quite literally no one in the world better suited to help Thomas take the final step in his play with the puck.
shpongle falls
Ass Möde
Been listening an interview with Kevin Hayes on the Cam and Strick pod (starts at the 1 hour 17 minute mark) and its been really entertaining. Hayes had a career threatening injury playing college hockey, docs said he’d never play again. His wife is Russian and he’s known Torey Krug since he was 10 years old. Said he’s always been a big pk guy and loves killing penalties.
Armstrong should hire him as a skills coach for the whole team. Not one person on this team that couldn't use some help.
STL fan in MN
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I would think many teams have tried to hire him but probably couldn’t afford him. Likely much more money in it for Oates to hop around the league working with individual clients than to work for 1 team.
AVictoryDive
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Oates doesn’t want to work for teams so he started his own skills coaching clinic. I’m sure he’s happier with that not having to answer to teams but to the players that hire him
found it interesting that he cited schenn as key in helping convince thomas to do this. that might be the best captain move that schenn makes all year.
taylord22
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- Mar 30, 2009
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Re: Oates...Glad to hear it, and anxious to see it. He's got a good frame, high IQ, is an excellent skater and puck handler, and has a decent shot to begin with. There's not much holding him back from being a year by year PPG+ player.
If Oates moved the needle even a little, it's going to have a big impact.
The amount of times he double-clutched on a shot -inherently knowing he should shoot it- only to pass, was frustrating but is now a source of optimism, for me. He inherently reads the play correctly, he just had ZERO confidence in his shot.
Also glad to hear Schenn was one of the ones pushing. After the last few year's of drama, it's a good sign that our new Captain and "our near PPG topC who just signed a big contract" have that kind of rapport...
I'm still put off by the frequent citing of that being an issue among some on the team. Maybe it was always more localized to Kyrou than what the media let on, but...unsurprised Schenn wrapped his head around the 'dynamics' of why that happened.
If Oates moved the needle even a little, it's going to have a big impact.
The amount of times he double-clutched on a shot -inherently knowing he should shoot it- only to pass, was frustrating but is now a source of optimism, for me. He inherently reads the play correctly, he just had ZERO confidence in his shot.
Also glad to hear Schenn was one of the ones pushing. After the last few year's of drama, it's a good sign that our new Captain and "our near PPG topC who just signed a big contract" have that kind of rapport...
I'm still put off by the frequent citing of that being an issue among some on the team. Maybe it was always more localized to Kyrou than what the media let on, but...unsurprised Schenn wrapped his head around the 'dynamics' of why that happened.
taylord22
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STL fan in MN is going to take some getting used to.
Brian39
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I'd wager that would cost more than what we are paying Berube. Oates has built a great private coaching business with a ridiculous NHL client roster and services spanning pretty much all of USA and Canada. He's not going to give that up and almost certainly is making more money than he can make as an NHL assistant coach. Working directly for a team as a skills coach would cost him a lot of NHL clients when their teams say that their private skills coach can't be someone who works for another NHL team.
He consults for LA, but his role is training the coaching staff and front office, not working directly with players.
His business is predicated on being an independent skills coach that works with players outside of their team obligations. I don't think he's looking to blur those lines unless a team backs up the money truck for him.
FWIW, Thomas is the 3rd Blue on his public client roster (Buch and Schenn work with him too).
Reality Czech
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100% correct. Oates was on both Chiclets and Cam and Strick in the past couple of years and he made it quite clear he enjoys what he's doing and has no interest in working behind an NHL bench. Why take on the grueling schedule of an NHL coach when you can work with guys in the offseason and make probably even more money as a personal skills coach and not be on the road 50% of the time? I'm sure teams would be lining up if he ever wanted to coach for an NHL team again.
That's cool he's been working with Thomas. Can't hurt and could help a lot. I mean look at the list of his training clients. I'm sure Oates wouldn't take him on unless he thought there was untapped potential there and it shows Thomas wants to take it to another gear by working with Oatesy. Didn't realize Oates worked with Buch and Schenn until I saw this list.
Oates Sports Group
At Oates Sports Group, we have one mission: to make our players better.
www.oatessportsgroup.com
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
There would be zero way Oates would take anything but the maximum money, he'd even walk out on his team in the middle of the season if needed
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