2023-2024 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread

[ScratchCatFever]

Loved Torts unprompted calling out that crappy reporter and defending Kevin Hayes:

Torts: "Is the guy here that caused Kevin Hayes a problem?"

ASF: "Yes"

Torts: "Are you kidding me? You think Kevin Hayes is going to do something like that? That’s (b.s.). It just pisses me off that you guys throw that (stuff) around and affect someone’s life. Kevin Hayes and I had a problem and we couldn’t come to an agreement how to play. That’s a good man. That’s a good man. And what you said is going to stay with him. That’s what you guys don’t understand. You’re going to sit there and say you have the right sources. I call (b.s.)."

I'm not sure I'd ever want him as a coach, simply for the fact that his controversial personality in itself is quality masturbation material for the media, especially with the bored writers lurking in this town. But he backs his guys equal to what he demands from them, and that says more about the type of guy he is than his abrasive personality that's been magnified and exaggerated by headline seeking "journalists" throughout his career. I've come to respect Torts over the years and nobody can argue that he doesn't produce results wherever he goes.

 

[Brian39]

I think Torts is a good coach for a team exiting a rebuild. I'm not sold that he's the right coach for a team that is years away or a team that has opened a window.

But he is damn good at the type of coach he is. I don't always agree with his lineup and ice time decisions, but I don't see how anyone could claim that he isn't fair with his players. I think he can be too quick to share his own thoughts about a guy's game to the media (or maybe too blunt about it is more accurate), but he very much has his players' backs when the criticism is coming from outside the house.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Loved Torts unprompted calling out that crappy reporter and defending Kevin Hayes:

Torts: "Is the guy here that caused Kevin Hayes a problem?"

ASF: "Yes"

Torts: "Are you kidding me? You think Kevin Hayes is going to do something like that? That’s (b.s.). It just pisses me off that you guys throw that (stuff) around and affect someone’s life. Kevin Hayes and I had a problem and we couldn’t come to an agreement how to play. That’s a good man. That’s a good man. And what you said is going to stay with him. That’s what you guys don’t understand. You’re going to sit there and say you have the right sources. I call (b.s.)."

Love him or hate him, Torts has always had his players back when it comes to stuff like this. I feel like as a player you either love him or hate him. I can’t help but feel that he just earned himself some brownie points with his players on this one.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

I view Torts as a bit of a different version of Hitchcock. I have a ton of respect for the job Hitch did here, I think he was one of the primary factors in setting this franchise on the course to winning a Stanley Cup as anyone. I'm not sure I'd want Torts running a team that has a more veteran, ready-to-win-a-cup core, but for young players that need to learn how to play in this league the right way (aka a winning way), I don't think you can do much better then Torts.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

the more i watch kap the less i want him back next year. we need some vets for middle 6 to keep seats warm until kids are ready, but he is just so meh..

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

the more i watch kap the less i want him back next year. we need some vets for middle 6 to keep seats warm until kids are ready, but he is just so meh..

His scouting report is incredibly accurate. Shows flashes, invisible for long stretches. I'd rather spend that money elsewhere.

 

[jura]

richman's Pitlick

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Since I no longer live in STL I only get to see home games when im back in town visiting and I've actually seen more away games than home games over the last few seasons. I've been able to go to games in San Jose, Vegas, Nashville, Tampa, DC and most recently Raleigh. After leaving the game vs the Canes on Saturday my wife and I were complimentary of their music selection.

It's made me realize just how bad the Enterprise Center DJ is, they must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel for DJ talent in the area. You'd think that position would be highly competitive and sought after.

I hope in the coming years they can upgrade the in arena entertainment.

Torts is one of a kind. I hope he goes into broadcasting when he isn’t coaching. When he got Columbus to win that series it was inspiring. He has a way of cutting to the truth in almost any situation.

 

[Brian39]

the more i watch kap the less i want him back next year. we need some vets for middle 6 to keep seats warm until kids are ready, but he is just so meh..

I'm fine with him on a short term deal with an AAV below $2M. Maybe a hair above $2M. With that said, I wouldn't pass up any type of actual asset for him at the deadline in order to sign him to such a deal. If the best offer is a 4th round pick and he seems interested in signing a 1-2 year deal at $1.8M AAV? Then I'd keep him and try to work out such a deal. If a team is offering anything better (assuming we retain), then I'd pull the trigger on the deal and tell him that we will be in touch with his agent if he makes it to July 1st.

 

[MissouriMook]

I was looking at the wild card standings this morning and our playoff outlook is still really bleak despite our recent new coach bump. To qualify for a wild card spot we would need to finish ahead of all but one of EDM, NSH, SEA, ARZ, CGY, and MIN. I’m not yet ready to believe in the Preds or Yotes, but I think it is likely we finish behind the Oilers and Kraken and probable that the Flames pass us as well.

Finishing Top 3 in our division is a pipe dream, it seems. Dallas is currently 3rd and it would take a 10-0 run while they played .500 hockey just to catch them. I don’t believe we are going to struggle badly enough down the stretch to pick Top 5, but I expect we will be picking in the 12-15 range. All of this is to say that I feel like our 2024 1st should absolutely be in play in a deal to acquire a long term solution at LD on the top pair before the draft. Being able to fill that hole without having to move Buchnevich would be huge, but I would absolutely move both for a true #1 at LD.

 

[Brian39]

I was looking at the wild card standings this morning and our playoff outlook is still really bleak despite our recent new coach bump. To qualify for a wild card spot we would need to finish ahead of all but one of EDM, NSH, SEA, ARZ, CGY, and MIN. I’m not yet ready to believe in the Preds or Yotes, but I think it is likely we finish behind the Oilers and Kraken and probable that the Flames pass us as well.

I'm not as high on Seattle. They are riding a 12 game point streak (10-0-2) on the back of by far the best goaltending in the league. Daccord has started 11 of those 12 games and has a .955. I have pretty major doubts that he is going to give them elite-level goaltending while handling a workhorse starter's workload over the next 40 games and that team had lost 8 in a row before he went into God mode.

I think odds are pretty good that he is riding an unsustainable hot streak and they come back down to Earth the instant he cools off.

With all that said, I agree that playoff odds aren't good. I think Edmonton is the real deal and that we aren't catching them. All of their underlying metrics were top 10 before the coaching change and I still very much believe that the only two real issues there were ECHL level goaltending and a banged up McDavid. So long as the get low-end NHL caliber goaltending and McDrai stay healthy, I think they will keep chugging along. And 1-3 in the Central aren't going to drop off enough for us to catch them.

I think we're fighting a bunch of other teams for 1 WC spot and anytime you are doing that the odds aren't in your favor. But I wouldn't put any of Seattle, Nashville, Arizona, Calgary, or Minnesota on a tier clearly ahead of us.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I think we have a decent shot at the playoffs. There’s a lot of crappy teams in the West this season. But I honestly don’t really want the Blues to make the playoffs. Maybe that makes me a bad fan but I don’t see this as a team just can catch fire and actually do any damage in the playoffs. It’s an incredibly flawed team and I’d prefer a better draft pick.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I think we have a decent shot at the playoffs. There’s a lot of crappy teams in the West this season. But I honestly don’t really want the Blues to make the playoffs. Maybe that makes me a bad fan but I don’t see this as a team just can catch fire and actually do any damage in the playoffs. It’s an incredibly flawed team and I’d prefer a better draft pick.

this is basically where i am. but i'm not rooting for us to play poorly in order to improve pick. i want our guys to play well, grow as players, improve their value around league. unless we get lucky with ping pong balls, we aren't picking top 5. while there IS a difference in quality of prospect at 7 versus 17, is that value difference as big as the difference between thomas at last year's level versus this year? i don't think it is.

 

[Brian39]

I had a post praising Parayko's game against the Rangers in the 3 star voting thread, but I wanted to make another post about Parayko since Bannister took over.

Bannister has upped Parayako's minutes by almost 2 minutes a night beyond what Berube was doing. Parayko is up to 25 minutes a night under Bannister and it is not due to the Faulk injury. Parayko has played 24+ minutes in 10 of the team's 12 games under Bannister and has played 25+ minutes in 6 of those games. His lowest TOI is 22:45, which came while Faulk was hurt.

Parayko was already getting extremely difficult usage and heavy minutes, but it appears Bannister wants even more out of him. He has responded well so far and it was nice to see him rewarded with time on the top PP unit last night. Not sure he is the long-term best option there, but both PP units were humming last night.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I had a post praising Parayko's game against the Rangers in the 3 star voting thread, but I wanted to make another post about Parayko since Bannister took over.

Bannister has upped Parayako's minutes by almost 2 minutes a night beyond what Berube was doing. Parayko is up to 25 minutes a night under Bannister and it is not due to the Faulk injury. Parayko has played 24+ minutes in 10 of the team's 12 games under Bannister and has played 25+ minutes in 6 of those games. His lowest TOI is 22:45, which came while Faulk was hurt.

Parayko was already getting extremely difficult usage and heavy minutes, but it appears Bannister wants even more out of him. He has responded well so far and it was nice to see him rewarded with time on the top PP unit last night. Not sure he is the long-term best option there, but both PP units were humming last night.

yes. I responded in the other thread but this is probably better place for this discussion. reposting here. parayko is looking more and more like what we thought he was when petro left. a slavin-type 1d. not at the level of a makar or miro, and not good enough to carry us to Cup without much more help, but having him anchoring 1 pair and the mythical 1d we are chasing (basically a young petro) anchoring the other, that is basis of dang good d that you can fill out with (younger) leddy and a (younger) marco or whomever and guys like kessel on 3rd pair. i think lindstein is the leddy guy and perhaps we already have someone else in system (burns, loof, etc.. ) who can fill marco role or otherwise we can hopefully get that in 2nd this year.

not saying this is going to be easy, but parayko's resurgence makes this path much easier to envision.

 

[Brian39]

this is basically where i am. but i'm not rooting for us to play poorly in order to improve pick. i want our guys to play well, grow as players, improve their value around league. unless we get lucky with ping pong balls, we aren't picking top 5. while there IS a difference in quality of prospect at 7 versus 17, is that value difference as big as the difference between thomas at last year's level versus this year? i don't think it is.

This is where I am at right now.

The value isn't in making the playoffs. Playoffs are fun and revenue is good for the organization. But the real value is in learning which guys should still be in the team's 5 year plan, sustaining a culture where losing isn't acceptable, and boosting the trade value of guys not in the 5 year plan.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

This is where I am at right now.

The value isn't in making the playoffs. Playoffs are fun and revenue is good for the organization. But the real value is in learning which guys should still be in the team's 5 year plan, sustaining a culture where losing isn't acceptable, and boosting the trade value of guys not in the 5 year plan.

100%. Thank you for more clearly saying what I was trying to!

i thought conroy had interesting comments in recent interview (i think in athletic) where he talks about how sure you want to get mackinnons in rebuild rather than monahan, but it's not that simple. and how do tell guys to start playing hard after you told them basically you are trying to lose? so he is i think basically in same place we are.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Just saw something from the Blues app saying Faulk activated and Vrana sent down.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Torts is one of a kind. I hope he goes into broadcasting when he isn’t coaching. When he got Columbus to win that series it was inspiring. He has a way of cutting to the truth in almost any situation.

and this is the dark side of torts. here he is answering question about scratching brink in game where he would have played in minnesota for first time in nhl and 30 friends and families were coming to see him. admittedly, he hasn't scored in last 5 games but he did score twice when wild were in philly earlier this year. this isn't first time he's done something like this.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

View attachment 801779

and this is the dark side of torts. here he is answering question about scratching brink in game where he would have played in minnesota for first time in nhl and 30 friends and families were coming to see him. admittedly, he hasn't scored in last 5 games but he did score twice when wild were in philly earlier this year. this isn't first time he's done something like this.

I believe Torts benched him that game on purpose to motivate, as a psychological tactic. Its not cool. But I get that his job is to win hockey games, and if that improved the teams' points acquisition, I think he has a strong argument that it was the right move. Its not the same as taking a guy's phone or humiliating him by breaking confidentiality in the locker room.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I believe Torts benched him that game on purpose to motivate, as a psychological tactic. Its not cool. But I get that his job is to win hockey games, and if that improved the teams' points acquisition, I think he has a strong argument that it was the right move. Its not the same as taking a guy's phone or humiliating him by breaking confidentiality in the locker room.

it's still a dick move. and while he may have done it to motivate, i'd ask if there is a better way to motivate player than by depriving him of special moment and instead potentially leaving him angry and humiliated.

 

[Celtic Note]

this is basically where i am. but i'm not rooting for us to play poorly in order to improve pick. i want our guys to play well, grow as players, improve their value around league. unless we get lucky with ping pong balls, we aren't picking top 5. while there IS a difference in quality of prospect at 7 versus 17, is that value difference as big as the difference between thomas at last year's level versus this year? i don't think it is.

I am rooting for us to lose while playing an entertaining game where our future core and accompanying youngsters continue to grow and evolve their game. Let’s play a hard game where we lose by one goal, while being highly entertaining.

I don’t want there to be any misconceptions about where we stand and we start to make shortsighted moves or keep guys that don’t fit into mid to long-term plans. Let’s build a strong future. Let’s play entertaining hockey with the promise that we can contend in a few years.

 

[Celtic Note]

Torts may have his good moments, but he certainly has his bad ones in spades. I would want him nowhere near our team. Let some other team get the video clips and sound bites.

 

[wiscrev]

I am rooting for us to lose while playing an entertaining game where our future core and accompanying youngsters continue to grow and evolve their game. Let’s play a hard game where we lose by one goal, while being highly entertaining.

I don’t want there to be any misconceptions about where we stand and we start to make shortsighted moves or keep guys that don’t fit into mid to long-term plans. Let’s build a strong future. Let’s play entertaining hockey with the promise that we can contend in a few years.

I get your premise and not trying to act like the Grinch, but "can you really be a die-hard fan and wish your team would lose? Win, which I'll always root for, or lose, I'm still a fan. I understand why you would feel that way, but I just can't root for my team to lose. JMHO

 

[Celtic Note]

I get your premise and not trying to act like the Grinch, but "can you really be a die-hard fan and wish your team would lose? Win, which I'll always root for, or lose, I'm still a fan. I understand why you would feel that way, but I just can't root for my team to lose. JMHO

wouldn’t a die hard fan support the team even if it doesn’t fill a desire for immediate gratification? I think we can all argue what we think it means to be a die hard and come up with varying terms and conditions.