2024-2025 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread.

[BadgersandBlues]

I'm comfortable saying that Buch will never be as good at center as he is on the wing, but I don't agree with the apparent consensus opinion that he has been a disaster at center. We've outscored teams 8 to 5 with him on the ice at 5 on 5 and his underlying metrics aren't too far below what they've been the last couple seasons. I think he's been an adequate (or below average) #2 center. That's far less than what he is as a winger and it isn't remotely good enough for team success when you don't have a #1 center.

But I'm honestly not sure what more can be reasonably expected out of him without Thomas in the lineup. I also don't think that moving him back to wing right now would lead to better team results. I expect that would improve his game, but it would also crater the play of whoever slides into the role he is vacating.

I think he's going to have to eat it and play center for another 40+ games. I don't think that means we are hoping that he can grow and become a long term center option. I still think that the long term plan for him (and the reason for the extension) is for him to either play on the wing with Thomas or Dvorsky as this team is actualizing around the on-their-way youth. And I'm not worried about his ability to play that role well based on what I've seen from him this year.

I couldn't disagree more. He's on a massive PDO bender to start the season, sitting at 1.048 after 11 games (As a reminder, 1.000 is average). He has the 5th best 5v5 save % and the 4th best shooting % on the team. His xGF% is under 45%. He has massively outscored his xGF and he's come in under his xGA - plus his faceoff numbers are putrid. I don't disagree that if we moved him to wing we'd be better off, but he's not even an adequte 2C atm.

 

[Celtic Note]

We certainly have issues with the bottom 6, and guys like Texier and Schenn should be better because they are middle 6 players. At the same time, they are probably meeting realistic expectations for where they are at now as players. If they were preforming better, they'd be exceeding expectations. Guys like Kyrou and Buchnevich need to be better, Buch has sort of an excuse because he's not a center. After a hot start, Kyrou is back to his historical early season struggles. Buchnevich is horrific in the middle, the experiment failed, it needs to end, we are better off with him on the wing and suffering with Schenn or whoever else in a larger role than they should be in.

On a positive note, Broberg continues to be really good.

I don’t disagree that Kyrou needs to step up. I don’t think he is playing poorly though, turnover withstanding. He is really our only threat at the moment with a Buch at center and Thomas on IR. He is easy for the opposition to circle his name as the one forward they need to stop.

Honestly I am not surprised though. We filled up in depth players this off-season and while it was a need to an extent since we are rushing the RE, it wasn’t one of our most prominent issues.

The depth we acquired has some potential. Now is the time if they are going to show it IMO given they all have existing experience.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I don’t disagree that Kyrou needs to step up. I don’t think he is playing poorly though, turnover withstanding. He is really our only threat at the moment with a Buch at center and Thomas on IR. He is easy for the opposition to circle as the one forward they need to stop.

Honestly I am not surprised though. We filled up in depth players this off-season and while it was a need to an extent since we are rushing the RE, it wasn’t one of our most prominent issues.

The depth we acquired has some potential. Now is the time if they are going to show it IMO given they all have existing experience.

It's not like he only stopped scoring goals when Thomas got hurt though.

 

[Xerloris]

Kyrou and Buch are not pre-season top 100 players on any respected list I’ve seen. It’s not realistic to expect them to carry this team while the teams best player is out.

I don't expect them to carry us but I would at the very least expect them not to make minor league terrible mistakes like what Kyrou did last night with 3 minutes to go.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Or what about our PP. We are 23rd in the league and Net PP% which factors in short-handed goals against, we are 30th. We also have the fewest PP opportunities per game in the league, so improving PP probably doesn't do much, but we also don't draw enough penalties.

 

[Mike Liut]

I’m starting to think we are much worse than we all thought.

 

[BleedBlue14]

I’m starting to think we are much worse than we all thought.

When you take the engine out of the offense, it's not going to look pretty.


On another note though I'm very excited that they're experimenting with Broberg on the PP. I think this is a really good step to his development that could potentially supplement 15-20 points for him over the length of the season. He's already scoring at a pretty high rate 5v5 although I'm sure it will balance out. But if he sticks on PP1 for the entirety of the year I don't think 50 points is out of the question for him.

 

[Celtic Note]

It's not like he only stopped scoring goals when Thomas got hurt though.

He certainly need to pick it up. He has another level or two of play and he needs to deliver on that. I am not saying that Thomas being out changed his play, rather that it will be harder now than it was with him in the line up. The opposition coaching strategy and line deployment is so much easier now.