2024-2025 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread.

[STL fan in MN]

Honestly, I wouldn’t be totally opposed to kicking the tires on Toews. Seeing if he can still play. It’d have to be a 1 year 35+ contract that’s incentive based though. Something like $1M salary and then he can earn more based on games played or points scored.

But his hometown team of Winnipeg could offer that same type of 35+ contract to be their 3C…question is, will they? I’ll be interested to see what kind of interest there will be in him this summer.

Just read this article (link)on it and this was the part that stood out to me in it:

The first week, he did some skills work. Last week, he went hard on conditioning skates. He’s most looking forward to skating with some old friends and teammates in the summer, once they’re done with their seasons. That’s when he’ll know for sure how feasible this whole comeback thing really is.

So my guess is we hear more on Toews later this summer once he’s skated with some current NHLers and has a better idea if he feels he can actually still play in this league or not.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Nope. He’ll end up in EDM or SJS with the Bowman/Coach Q connections, respectively.

I think you mean Anaheim rather than SJ.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Honestly, I wouldn’t be totally opposed to kicking the tires on Toews. Seeing if he can still play. It’d have to be a 1 year 35+ contract that’s incentive based though. Something like $1M salary and then he can earn more based on games played or points scored.

But his hometown team of Winnipeg could offer that same type of 35+ contract to be their 3C…question is, will they? I’ll be interested to see what kind of interest there will be in him this summer.

Just read this article (link)on it and this was the part that stood out to me in it:

So my guess is we hear more on Toews later this summer once he’s skated with some current NHLers and has a better idea if he feels he can actually still play in this league or not.

Same. I don't think he'd come here, I think he'd want a place with some amount of familiar faces, or a legit Cup chance. Would definitely be weird though.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

I think you mean Anaheim rather than SJ.

Six of one, half dozen of the other

 

[BlueDream]

I've been critical of the prospect of signing Bennett, but it has less to do with his cheap shots and more to do with the term he'll likely demand and how he will age. To be clear, I don't hate him. He's a hell of a hockey player. My issue with his play is that invites the same head hunting and shots at our top guys. I mentioned all of this in another post I made regarding Bennett the other day, all of which points were conveniently glossed over by another poster who preferred to call the apprehension in signing him "Moral Grandstanding" My opinion on the head hunting aspect of the game has changed, as there is no longer an enforcer roll to maintain checks and balances. I'd prefer to not lose Thomas, Broberg, Kyrou, Holloway, Bolduc or Snuggy to a concussion for an undisclosed amount of time in the middle of the season due to some half assed retribution from a game the week before. But what do I know?? I'm just a virtue signaler..

Once again you missed the entire point.

I never called not wanting to sign Bennett “moral grandstanding.” That comment was made directly to your statement about the Blues not employing dirty players throughout their history. I called you out and proved you wrong about it, you have still yet to acknowledge or refute that, and now this is the result. You’re still talking about it days later. Lol.

 

[Brian39]

Edit: Ignore this. @Majorityof1 wrote basically the same post I did days earlier.

 

[Brian39]

Posted on the main boards but relevant discussion for here.

I was trying to extrapolate Bennett's next contract. Using Brayden Schenn as a comp for Bennett (physical, 50-60 point, 2-way center), Schenn signed an 8 year extension at 28 at 6.5M (7.98% of the cap). Adjusting Bennett to 95.5M cap and accounting for 7 years, somewhere between 7.6M and 8.7M for 7 years is probably the floor of what he will get.

Stephenson and Lindholm signed 7-year deals last July for 7.1% and 8.8% of cap, respectively.

In a bidding war, I could easily see Bennett eclipse 9M-10M on AAV. GMs are pretty shrewd around the league but the cap is expected to continue to increase in the short-term.

If all it costs the Blue is cap space, adding Bennett for 7 years at ~8M is something I would consider if I were Army especially if Holloway and Broberg are extended prior to 7/1 and we know what the cap allocations look like 2-3 years out.

In the 95.5M+ cap era? It's just a numbers game. He's likely to to get a contract that approaches/exceeds 8% of the cap based on comps. That's the going rate for 50-60 point centers. And it works out to an AAV close to 8M per year with a bidding war driving the price a bit higher than the norm.

View attachment 1039616

All your comps were pretty noticeably more productive '50-60 point' centers than Bennet. This was the first year Bennet hit 50+ points and he had 51. His career high pace was 56 points. He's paced for 50+ points 3 times in his career (3 of the last 4 years).

Schenn had 4 straight 50+ point seasons leading up to his contract. His best season was 70 points and his worst season in that stretch was a 56 point pace.

Lindholm had 82, 78, and 64 point seasons on his resume plus a 68 point pace COVID season on his resume.

Stephenson had 64 and 65 point seasons on his resume in addition to his 51 point season immediately before inking his deal.

We're talking about 3 guys who have all hit the 65 point mark vs Bennet who's career-best is 51. There is a pretty clear gap in upside there and I think it is a pretty big stretch to lump them into the same 50-60 point range. Given that gap, I don't think you can lump Bennet into that group to then call the 7-8% of the cap AAV his floor.

I think he's got a chance at an $8M AAV based on his other strengths, but I don't think it is his floor and I think there is a good chance that he needs to give up a year or two of term to get that AAV. Because the strengths in his game that make up some production difference are also things that highly suggest that he's not going to be able to maintain that level of play in years 4+.

I have zero interest in the Blues giving him $8M x 7 years. Beyond simply being an overpay, that sets up Holloway to absolutely take us to the cleaners. That would allow Holloway to go into next season knowing that he would (likely) be on a line with our new $8M AAV center with the chance to outproduce Bennet by 15+ points while bringing as much physicality, more speed, and better possession numbers.

 

[MissouriMook]

I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that Bennett is going anywhere. Florida is looking like a juggernaut on its way to being a dynasty. I could see Zito working some magic to keep the band together. By my math they have around $20 million to work with next season to bring back, Bennett, Marchand and Ekblad plus a couple of support players.

 

[Spektre]

I don’t see a big problem with the idea of signing Bennett. I also don’t see the comparison to Backes, at least not apples to apples. Backes was what, 32 when he signed with Boston? Bennett isn’t a #1c but he’s a legitimate #2, especially in the playoffs.

69 points in 98 playoff games. 42 points in the last 53 playoff games.

He’s a gamer with an edge.

Buchnevich Thomas Snuggerud
Holloway Bennett Kyrou
Neighbors Schenn Bolduc
Toro Sundqvist Walker

With Dvorsky coming, I don’t mind it.

 

[Reality Czech]

I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that Bennett is going anywhere. Florida is looking like a juggernaut on its way to being a dynasty. I could see Zito working some magic to keep the band together. By my math they have around $20 million to work with next season to bring back, Bennett, Marchand and Ekblad plus a couple of support players.

100% I think it's 50/50 at best that he leaves Florida. It all depends on how much he prioritizes maxing out his salary vs. enjoying living and playing for the Panthers. And if he decides to leave I seriously doubt he chooses St. Louis over all the other teams that are going to make an offer.

 

[Mike Liut]

I love STL, lived here my entire… but nobody is picking STL over Florida.