2024-2025 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread.

[ChicagoBlues]

sad face

 

[MissouriMook]

Just noticed on CapFriendly that we are at 49 of 50 allowable contracts, with only Abramov (who is apparently headed to the KHL) and Alexandrov left to sign. That is before factoring in the slides, where we have 6 possible, 5 of which are probable. For those who, like me, were wondering why we haven't signed Alexandrov yet, it is probably to allow the flexibility to take on another useful player like Faksa or Joesph for nothing or less than nothing.

While we're at it, does anyone have a recommendation for following cap and contracts once CapFriendly officially goes private? I would have expected that by now, but I would be grateful for any recommended alternatives.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Just noticed on CapFriendly that we are at 49 of 50 allowable contracts, with only Abramov (who is apparently headed to the KHL) and Alexandrov left to sign. That is before factoring in the slides, where we have 6 possible, 5 of which are probable. For those who, like me, were wondering why we haven't signed Alexandrov yet, it is probably to allow the flexibility to take on another useful player like Faksa or Joesph for nothing or less than nothing.

While we're at it, does anyone have a recommendation for following cap and contracts once CapFriendly officially goes private? I would have expected that by now, but I would be grateful for any recommended alternatives.

Puck Pedia is probably the best bet right now. It's a step down and I've already noticed some differences on data compared to Cap Friendly.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Alexandrov was qualified and has until the 15th to accept or renegotiate He has almost no leverage for anything else. He didn't do himself any favors last season.

 

[simon IC]

Just noticed on CapFriendly that we are at 49 of 50 allowable contracts, with only Abramov (who is apparently headed to the KHL) and Alexandrov left to sign. That is before factoring in the slides, where we have 6 possible, 5 of which are probable. For those who, like me, were wondering why we haven't signed Alexandrov yet, it is probably to allow the flexibility to take on another useful player like Faksa or Joesph for nothing or less than nothing.

While we're at it, does anyone have a recommendation for following cap and contracts once CapFriendly officially goes private? I would have expected that by now, but I would be grateful for any recommended alternatives.

Spotrac is pretty good

 

[STL fan in MN]

Alexandrov was qualified and has until the 15th to accept or renegotiate He has almost no leverage for anything else. He didn't do himself any favors last season.

Yep. And he wasn’t even arbitration eligible so he has pretty much zero leverage.

His QO was a $874,125 two-way offer. I’m sure he’ll be wanting a one-way deal. So maybe he’ll get one-way but need to cut some off the top and accept something closer to the $775k league minimum.

Or maybe the Blues don’t see him making the team and stick to a two-way. Then he can either hold out or try to negotiate his AHL salary. Say, asking for $300-400k or something.

I’ll be interested to see the exact deal they eventually agree to…assuming PuckPedia can get those details like capfriendly did…

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Yep. And he wasn’t even arbitration eligible so he has pretty much zero leverage.

His QO was a $874,125 two-way offer. I’m sure he’ll be wanting a one-way deal. So maybe he’ll get one-way but need to cut some off the top and accept something closer to the $775k league minimum.

Or maybe the Blues don’t see him making the team and stick to a two-way. Then he can either hold out or try to negotiate his AHL salary. Say, asking for $300-400k or something.

I’ll be interested to see the exact deal they eventually agree to…assuming PuckPedia can get those details like capfriendly did…

In the event he doesn't accept his QO (which would expire) and he doesn't sign a different contract by 12/1, then he is ineligible to play this season, correct?

I can imagine PuckPedia is getting lots of attention from people trying to help them flesh out their site and make it as useful as CF.

 

[STL fan in MN]

In the event he doesn't accept his QO (which would expire) and he doesn't sign a different contract by 12/1, then he is ineligible to play this season, correct?

I can imagine PuckPedia is getting lots of attention from people trying to help them flesh out their site and make it as useful as CF.

Correct. Dec 1 is the deadline.

That said, I’d be absolutely shocked if that happened. Heck, I’d be pretty surprised if he’s not signed sometime yet this month. He has near zero leverage and it’d harm his career. It’d really only make sense for an elite player looking for a big longterm deal and all the team is offering is a small bridge deal.

 

[Spektre]

What is Army's plan? He seems happy and maybe even proud of the assembled roster. I don't get it. I have never heard him say anything like, "in 3 years", or "in 5 years", or "in 1 year" we expect to be out of the "retool".

How long is this retool/rebuild expected to last?

Army brought in Texier, Joseph, and Faksa. Texier could possibly have some upside, but Faksa is who he is. Texier's had his best year point wise last year with 12 goals and 30 points. Joseph also had his best season last year with 11 goals and 35 points.

I would agree Army added some speed and physicality to the forward lineup. I'd also agree the Blues needed improvement in that area, as well being consistent. That's all rosy and great, but the defense isn't any better, and you still have to outscore teams to win.

The Blues scored 239 goals last year. That's 9th worst in the league. Colombus was the 4th worst team in the entire league by points, and they scored 237.

Does anyone predict the Blues scoring a lot more goals next year?

Army also seems excited about the prospects, but it typically can take being in the NHL for 2-3 years for good prospects to really figure it out. Thomas put it all together in his 4th season. It will be nice to see Snuggerud, Dvorsky, Bolduc, etc.. on the team. I don't see them catapulting the Blues to success as soon as they are all on the team.

What's the plan?

 

[bleedblue1223]

The plan is to more or less build through the draft. I expect the next 2 seasons to be more of the same, the focus will be on developing the ready and near ready prospects. Ideally Bolduc gets good minutes and has a decent season, I'm thinking Dvorsky gets a mid-season call up after we make moves as a seller, and Snuggerud joins after his NCAA season concludes. Bolduc has the main NHL development this season, and Dvorsky and Snuggerud for next season. And even Neighbours, what player is he going to be.

For defense, we basically have to wait out the vets, which is a big factor on why we can't do a quick turnaround. Hopefully Faulk bounces back. For the prospects, this could take longer, but hopefully Lindstein has a big year with his team being promoted.

As a fan, I wouldn't expect major moves that push us up the standings until summer of 26. At that point, a few of the prospects should be decent contributors, and some of the vet contracts have either expired or will be easier to move. I think we'll view the 25 draft as another to stockpile prospects, and the 26 draft could be one where we look at acquiring NHL talent.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Correct. Dec 1 is the deadline.

That said, I’d be absolutely shocked if that happened. Heck, I’d be pretty surprised if he’s not signed sometime yet this month. He has near zero leverage and it’d harm his career. It’d really only make sense for an elite player looking for a big longterm deal and all the team is offering is a small bridge deal.

Totally agree. I was interested in procedure.

 

[STL fan in MN]

What is Army's plan? He seems happy and maybe even proud of the assembled roster. I don't get it. I have never heard him say anything like, "in 3 years", or "in 5 years", or "in 1 year" we expect to be out of the "retool".

How long is this retool/rebuild expected to last?

Army brought in Texier, Joseph, and Faksa. Texier could possibly have some upside, but Faksa is who he is. Texier's had his best year point wise last year with 12 goals and 30 points. Joseph also had his best season last year with 11 goals and 35 points.

I would agree Army added some speed and physicality to the forward lineup. I'd also agree the Blues needed improvement in that area, as well being consistent. That's all rosy and great, but the defense isn't any better, and you still have to outscore teams to win.

The Blues scored 239 goals last year. That's 9th worst in the league. Colombus was the 4th worst team in the entire league by points, and they scored 237.

Does anyone predict the Blues scoring a lot more goals next year?

Army also seems excited about the prospects, but it typically can take being in the NHL for 2-3 years for good prospects to really figure it out. Thomas put it all together in his 4th season. It will be nice to see Snuggerud, Dvorsky, Bolduc, etc.. on the team. I don't see them catapulting the Blues to success as soon as they are all on the team.

What's the plan?

My guess is he’s very purposefully being vague about the plan. Why answer questions he doesn’t really need to? Until fans start buying fewer tickets or our beat writers actually hold him accountable and ask the question, why rock the boat and put perimeters and deadlines on himself?

That said, I’d also really really like for him to detail out the plan. I assume he has a plan and I assume it’s better than an underpants gnome caliber plan…but I don’t know that for sure.

 

[MissouriMook]

Regarding why Army is less that forthcoming with details about "the plan", I would assume that the plan for building a roster isn't much different than the plan for running any other business. It is almost certainly subject to regular course correction based on any number of changing and volatile factors. We know based on human nature, the moment he makes a public statement to the effect that "our plan is to do X, Y then Z in that order" and then has to tweak the plan based on new information, a good portion of the fan base will be up in arms because he did something differently than what he explained 6 months earlier. It is certainly in Army's interest to keep details of "the plan" on a need to know basis, and as fans of the team we simply don't need to know.

 

[bleedblue1223]

How many GMs lay out what their actual plan is and is that even a good idea to do so? And I think for fans like us, we can get an understanding of what he says in interviews or can gather from the moves he makes or players that he's shown interest in. I think because he's made other suprise or major moves in the past, some think he always has this ace up his sleeve that he's quiet about, that a Brady Tkachuk trade is just around the corner, but I do think he's been pretty straightforward with his plans.

I don't think Army is going to pursue a major trade like a Brady Tkachuk. I don't think Army is going to consider selling a piece like Parayko or Binnington unless it's a season where the wheels have completely fallen off and we are looking like a top 5 pick type of team. I never say never with Kyrou just because of the timing of his NTC, but I still don't see that as a likely move.

 

[oPlaiD]

Army's plan seems to be to "tank" without actually selling off pieces to do so. One the things he has been vocal about is wanting to avoid creating a losing culture, and retaining Buch and upgrading the bottom 6 at least shows you aren't waving a white flag. He's betting that drafting in the top 10 instead of the top 5 will still get us enough pieces to eventually compete and that maintaining a competitive team culture, whether it's by challenging to make the playoffs or requiring young players to earn roster spots, is worth the difference.

I also think he kind of hamstrung himself with the defense since he left very little wiggle room to make significant improvements, or maybe even significant downgrades to truly tank, with the contracts given our veterans. It became clear very quickly that Leddy, Parayko, Faulk, and Krug as a top 4 wasn't going to make us a real contender, but the only real way to move on from them is time, as we saw when he tried to move Krug.

 

[Spektre]

I know Army isn’t going to lay out every detail of this plan.

Next season will be the 3rd year of missing the playoffs. It’s not a giant leap of speculation to imagine that outcome.

We don’t know yet how many prospects will get significant playing time this season. As currently constructed, I don’t see both Dean and Bolduc getting big minutes. I’m hoping Bolduc does but we’ll see.

Even if all goes well with development, I don’t see how they’re contenders for 4-5 years.

 

[MissouriMook]

Army's plan seems to be to "tank" without actually selling off pieces to do so. One the things he has been vocal about is wanting to avoid creating a losing culture, and retaining Buch and upgrading the bottom 6 at least shows you aren't waving a white flag. He's betting that drafting in the top 10 instead of the top 5 will still get us enough pieces to eventually compete and that maintaining a competitive team culture, whether it's by challenging to make the playoffs or requiring young players to earn roster spots, is worth the difference.

I also think he kind of hamstrung himself with the defense since he left very little wiggle room to make significant improvements, or maybe even significant downgrades to truly tank, with the contracts given our veterans. It became clear very quickly that Leddy, Parayko, Faulk, and Krug as a top 4 wasn't going to make us a real contender, but the only real way to move on from them is time, as we saw when he tried to move Krug.

Regarding the bolded, I think the “wiggle room” you’re referring to comes in the next couple of years. In two years Krug and Faulk can be moved or bought out and Leddy will be a UFA. I think Parayko is here to stay, but you open up three slots, with Lindstein or Jiricek hopefully filling one slot. If you’re holding the line on salary the next two seasons and free up the cap from those 3D slots, you could have $25M-$30M in space as the cap increases to around $97M in 2026-27. That’s a ton of space to spend on a couple of premium D at a time you’re looking at reaching contention.

 

[Celtic Note]

The plan is to more or less build through the draft. I expect the next 2 seasons to be more of the same, the focus will be on developing the ready and near ready prospects. Ideally Bolduc gets good minutes and has a decent season, I'm thinking Dvorsky gets a mid-season call up after we make moves as a seller, and Snuggerud joins after his NCAA season concludes. Bolduc has the main NHL development this season, and Dvorsky and Snuggerud for next season. And even Neighbours, what player is he going to be.

For defense, we basically have to wait out the vets, which is a big factor on why we can't do a quick turnaround. Hopefully Faulk bounces back. For the prospects, this could take longer, but hopefully Lindstein has a big year with his team being promoted.

As a fan, I wouldn't expect major moves that push us up the standings until summer of 26. At that point, a few of the prospects should be decent contributors, and some of the vet contracts have either expired or will be easier to move. I think we'll view the 25 draft as another to stockpile prospects, and the 26 draft could be one where we look at acquiring NHL talent.

We removed our second best pick in the 2025 draft and only acquired a 3rd. There are plenty of charts showing that as you move down in the 1st there is a big drop in quality players that emerge. Then there is also another big drop after the top of the second. By the third round you are in more hope and a prayer territory. So I am not sure stockpile is how I would describe our current trend line.

Army's plan seems to be to "tank" without actually selling off pieces to do so. One the things he has been vocal about is wanting to avoid creating a losing culture, and retaining Buch and upgrading the bottom 6 at least shows you aren't waving a white flag. He's betting that drafting in the top 10 instead of the top 5 will still get us enough pieces to eventually compete and that maintaining a competitive team culture, whether it's by challenging to make the playoffs or requiring young players to earn roster spots, is worth the difference.

I also think he kind of hamstrung himself with the defense since he left very little wiggle room to make significant improvements, or maybe even significant downgrades to truly tank, with the contracts given our veterans. It became clear very quickly that Leddy, Parayko, Faulk, and Krug as a top 4 wasn't going to make us a real contender, but the only real way to move on from them is time, as we saw when he tried to move Krug.

i am not sure the vision is to draft in the top 10. We only did it once. We may very well not do it again. We certainly haven’t helped our chances in that regard since the ROR/Barbashev sell off. At this point I think the plan is just wait and see what happens and hope one year of trade offs was enough.

He may also feel that signing bad contracts and aging players was a mistake and there isn’t much of a way out. I mean we had to give out a 2nd to move on from Hayes. Will Krug cost a 1st and a second? Is it better just to wait out that mess till it resolves itself? Same for Schenn?

Crossing our fingers and hoping the scouts find more rare hidden gems that fall to us might just be lessor of other poor choices.

 

[bleedblue1223]

We removed our second best pick in the 2025 draft and only acquired a 3rd. There are plenty of charts showing that as you move down in the 1st there is a big drop. Then there is also another big drop after the top of the second. By the third round you are in more hope and a prayer territory. So I am not sure stockpile is how I would describe our current trend line.

What I meant by stockpile prospects, was that we'll view the draft as making all the picks that we have, I'm not expecting us to look to trade our picks for young NHL talent, unless it's just a perfect trade. For the 26 draft, I think that's when Army/Steen look to be more aggressive and would be more open to trading picks for players to help the NHL roster. I'm not expecting us to accumulate a ton of picks for the 2025 draft, which is how I think you interpreted that part.

I think ideally Faksa nets us a 2nd or 3rd, and maybe something opens up on another vet that we were already wanting to move.

 

[Celtic Note]

What I meant by stockpile prospects, was that we'll view the draft as making all the picks that we have, I'm not expecting us to look to trade our picks for young NHL talent, unless it's just a perfect trade. For the 26 draft, I think that's when Army/Steen look to be more aggressive and would be more open to trading picks for players to help the NHL roster. I'm not expecting us to accumulate a ton of picks for the 2025 draft, which is how I think you interpreted that part.

I think ideally Faksa nets us a 2nd or 3rd, and maybe something opens up on another vet that we were already wanting to move.

Will Faksa be worth a 2nd? Or even a third for that matter? I mean he was just given away for free and looks to be a player in decline.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Will Faksa be worth a 2nd? Or even a third for that matter? I mean he was just given away for free and looks to be a player in decline.

I think he'll get something. Dallas wanted to clear his full cap, and I doubt there were many takers with his full cap hit, or others wanted compensation and we were willing to just take him. If he proves he's still a good defensive forward, he'll get something at the deadline.

 

[Celtic Note]

I think he'll get something. Dallas wanted to clear his full cap, and I doubt there were many takers with his full cap hit, or others wanted compensation and we were willing to just take him. If he proves he's still a good defensive forward, he'll get something at the deadline.

Follow up question, if he is good defensively, will we end up trading him or will we see his as a valued “culture” piece. I mean we still have Saad and I would wager he would be worth more or at least something.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Follow up question, if he is good defensively, will we end up trading him or will we see his as a valued “culture” piece. I mean we still have Saad and I would wager he would be worth more or at least something.

If he had 2 years on his contract, probably keep him, since it's 1 year, I think we'll trade him. Like for Joseph, I think some may have an expectation that we'll trade him at the deadline if he's having a good season, and I don't think that's true. Just how I don't think it's a guarantee that we trade Leddy or Saad if we are sellers at the deadline.

We were lucky to have our really bad year in a season where we had major players as UFAs.

 

[Celtic Note]

If he had 2 years on his contract, probably keep him, since it's 1 year, I think we'll trade him. Like for Joseph, I think some may have an expectation that we'll trade him at the deadline if he's having a good season, and I don't think that's true. Just how I don't think it's a guarantee that we trade Leddy or Saad if we are sellers at the deadline.

We were lucky to have our really bad year in a season where we had major players as UFAs.

It’s starting to look like luck to me too. Fortunately it was also a very good draft. Luck and good scouts may just be what saves our bacon.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

We were lucky to have our really bad year in a season where we had major players as UFAs.

And to have a stacked draft class during the same offseason.