2024-2025 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread.

[bleedblue1223]

More Parayko stats, he's 3rd among D in 5v5 goals scored and 11th in points.

 

[LGB]

Good article from DeFranks focusing on the 81-10-25 line

Schenn on Holloway: “He’s relentless. He comes to the rink every day and tries to get better. I’m not just saying that, I mean that. He’s a guy that wants to be the best version of himself, works extremely hard, goes to the hard areas. He has a tremendous amount of skill.”

 

[tfriede2]

Good article from DeFranks focusing on the 81-10-25 line

Schenn on Holloway: “He’s relentless. He comes to the rink every day and tries to get better. I’m not just saying that, I mean that. He’s a guy that wants to be the best version of himself, works extremely hard, goes to the hard areas. He has a tremendous amount of skill.”

I wasn’t sold early in the season, but Holloway is legit - he’s becoming part of the core. Amazing.

 

[PocketNines]

Dylan Holloway is my favorite forward on the Blues NHL roster this year. He is awesome. He is a 1st line NHL player. It was a huge get

 

[bleedblue1223]

I do think Holloway will play a Schwartz like role on this new core. They aren't really the same player, but have similar traits, but I think he'll be someone that we'll just always have a better record when he's in the lineup. He'll be one of the guys that will just make us go.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I do think Holloway will play a Schwartz like role on this new core. They aren't really the same player, but have similar traits, but I think he'll be someone that we'll just always have a better record when he's in the lineup. He'll be one of the guys that will just make us go.

I think in the end Holloway-Dvo-Kyrou fills the same role as Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko did just with higher offensive output.

 

[Stealth JD]

Dylan Holloway is my favorite forward on the Blues NHL roster this year. He is awesome. He is a 1st line NHL player. It was a huge get

Agree. I was tempted to make a poll asking which offer sheet boy has been better, but with as awesome as Broberg has been for the Blues, it almost seems unfair to him to put him against Holloway.

If both of these guys can stay healthy the Blues are going to have a new problem on their hands: paying them what they’re worth after next season.

 

[StLewis11]

I feel the 81-10-25 line is doing great because of Holloway. He has grit and skills together, so I feel any line you put him on would make it a good match. He simply makes any linemate better with his play

 

[Mike Liut]

Agree. I was tempted to make a poll asking which offer sheet boy has been better, but with as awesome as Broberg has been for the Blues, it almost seems unfair to him to put him against Holloway.

If both of these guys can stay healthy the Blues are going to have a new problem on their hands: paying them what they’re worth after next season.

Will Saad, Laddy, Faulk and Fowler be UFA’s?

Edit: Faulk and Krug after 2026-2027 season. 2 more season each.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

I feel the 81-10-25 line is doing great because of Holloway. He has grit and skills together, so I feel any line you put him on would make it a good match. He simply makes any linemate better with his play

I agree. We saw how he elevated Bolduc, now he's elevating Kyrou and Schenn.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I agree. We saw how he elevated Bolduc, now he's elevating Kyrou and Schenn.

I said it before when he was on their line, but Getting Saad off that line was severely needed. Dude was a boat anchor.

 

[ArenaRat]

I agree. We saw how he elevated Bolduc, now he's elevating Kyrou and Schenn.

We've seen Kyrou building a more well-rounded game the past couple of years, not consistently but in glimpses. Now suddenly he's opposite a player with dynamic speed and skills who plays the game the right way, and Kyrou's found more game at both ends. Holloway is unquestionably activating Kyrou's capabilities, but also have to give credit to Kyrou for pushing himself to get there.

Always exciting when 1+1=3.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I agree. We saw how he elevated Bolduc, now he's elevating Kyrou and Schenn.

I love it that Holloway has not played with too much tunnel vision as the season has progressed. I’ve noticed how he can lose vision of the overall game and get way too focused on his immediate surroundings.

He still plays and skates with a low center of gravity, but he’s keeping his head up a lot more than in the past.

We've seen Kyrou building a more well-rounded game the past couple of years, not consistently but in glimpses. Now suddenly he's opposite a player with dynamic speed and skills who plays the game the right way, and Kyrou's found more game at both ends. Holloway is unquestionably activating Kyrou's capabilities, but also have to give credit to Kyrou for pushing himself to get there.

Always exciting when 1+1=3.

Credit to Jordan Kyrou!!! Absof***intootely!!

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I said it before when he was on their line, but Getting Saad off that line was severely needed. Dude was a boat anchor.

If Saad is tired of playing hockey, then he needs to be a good sport and let us trade him to wherever we can get the best return. And then he can retire.

Mr. Saad, Thank you now please leave.

BuhBye!!

 

[Linkens Mastery]

If Saad is tired of playing hockey, then he needs to be a good sport and let us trade him to wherever we can get the best return. And then he can retire.

Mr. Saad, Thank you now please leave.

BuhBye!!

Dude has been worthless outside of like 5 games.

 

[Mike Liut]

I said it before when he was on their line, but Getting Saad off that line was severely needed. Dude was a boat anchor.

And people thought we’d get a 1st or a 2nd for him. We’d be lucky to get a 4th. And I’d easily take a 4th right now

 

[Xerloris]

We all thought Broberg was the target for Army but maybe it was Holloway?

 

[Mike Liut]

We all thought Broberg was the target for Army but maybe it was Holloway?

They are both studs. We are very fortunate. I think we just sped up the rebuild by 2 years.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I feel the 81-10-25 line is doing great because of Holloway. He has grit and skills together, so I feel any line you put him on would make it a good match. He simply makes any linemate better with his play

I think this is largely true, but Kyrou has been really good in his doggedness and details for much of the season too.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

They are both studs. We are very fortunate. I think we just sped up the rebuild by 2 years.

And then what would a EP/Nemec infusion do for the rebuild?

I’m in the ‘not interested’ camp when it comes to EP, but I can be persuaded.

 

[Brian39]

Agree. I was tempted to make a poll asking which offer sheet boy has been better, but with as awesome as Broberg has been for the Blues, it almost seems unfair to him to put him against Holloway.

If both of these guys can stay healthy the Blues are going to have a new problem on their hands: paying them what they’re worth after next season.

I'm not too worried on that front.

We currently have $60M of cap commitments for the season they will be due raises, with all of Saad, Texier, Joseph, Leddy, and Fowler coming off the books naturally before any raise kicks in. However, that number includes Krug and I feel pretty comfortable that he is in LTIRetirement. On the off chance he comes back (and is unmovable as a shell of his former self), that season is the last year of his deal and we could free up $4M in space with a buyout (only taking a $2M 'extra' cap hit the following season). That season is also the last year of Faulk's contract. Faulk becomes fairly moveable this summer when his trade protection ends as his real dollars are $2M less than his cap hit each year. Push comes to shove, getting out of either/both those deals for 2026/27 shouldn't be too bad.

The cap should be above $100M+ by year 1 of their extensions too.

Realistically, we are (currently) looking at about $40M-$50M of cap flexibility for the offseason we have to pay them and we don't have anyone on the roster owed big money before then. We'll also have to extend/replace Fowler and some middle of the lineup players, but Neighbours won't be due a raise until the following season and any prospect who makes the team between now and then will still be on their ELC until at least year 2 of Broberg/Holloway extensions. I expect a good chunk of cheap young players in the middle of our lineup.

Binner, Faulk, and Krug naturally come off the books the following summer and then Schenn comes off the next summer, so we have a nice little cascade of money coming off the books to allocate to up and comers who deserve raises in the mid-to-late 2020s. We'll have plenty of roster spots to fill and (hopefully) plenty of young guys who earn more money than we'd like to give. But our cap structure over the next 5 years is in good shape.