2024-2025 Blues Multi-Purpose Thread.

[Beninnola]

As you said, St. Louis is the kind of place that people will appreciate once they live here, which is why do many alumni stick around. However, it's not gonna be as attractive to an outsider who has 20 different choices of where try make his home.

Maybe…

One of the first steps is checking out realtor dot com.

I don’t put 5 million in there as my budget but I bet some athletes do.

What they see will be massively different for many markets versus the stl region.

What you get here versus Colorado Springs, New Orleans, San Diego, Houston, Tampa, Seattle… (all places I’ve lived)….its a looooot, depending on what you prioritize. It’s not just the property, its options, cost/availability of craftsmen and our 4 seasons make building strong safe nice things normal and efficient.

 

[StLewis11]

According to NHL players poll by the Athletic, Jim Montgomery is one of the most popular coaches they'd like to play for, so that could also be a factor in attracting FA's. I would think Montgomery being under committed lengthy contract might also help.

NHL player poll: Best/worst facilities? NBA-style tournament? Season too long? Should Bettman retire?

The Athletic polled 111 players on eight questions covering a variety of topics, granting them anonymity so they could speak freely.

www.nytimes.com

 

[ChicagoBlues]

According to NHL players poll by the Athletic, Jim Montgomery is one of the most popular coaches they'd like to play for, so that could also be a factor in attracting FA's. I would think Montgomery being under committed lengthy contract might also help.

NHL player poll: Best/worst facilities? NBA-style tournament? Season too long? Should Bettman retire?

The Athletic polled 111 players on eight questions covering a variety of topics, granting them anonymity so they could speak freely.

www.nytimes.com

Paywall. Can’t bypass it right now, but this is a great point. I think a few top free agents will consider St. Louis if they can start to understand the West County bubble.

 

[Majorityof1]

According to NHL players poll by the Athletic, Jim Montgomery is one of the most popular coaches they'd like to play for, so that could also be a factor in attracting FA's. I would think Montgomery being under committed lengthy contract might also help.

NHL player poll: Best/worst facilities? NBA-style tournament? Season too long? Should Bettman retire?

The Athletic polled 111 players on eight questions covering a variety of topics, granting them anonymity so they could speak freely.

www.nytimes.com

By most popular you mean tied for 4th with 8 players out of 108 asked saying he's the coach they'd most like to play for. I mean it's great he's on the list, but he's not exactly a run-away choice at 7.5%.

Funnily enough, Drew Bannister got a vote for who players would not want to play for. He's in the also receiving votes section so it looks like just 1 vote. I wonder in Buchnevich was polled.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

By most popular you mean tied for 4th with 8 players out of 108 asked saying he's the coach they'd most like to play for. I mean it's great he's on the list, but he's not exactly a run-away choice at 7.5%.

Funnily enough, Drew Bannister got a vote for who players would not want to play for. He's in the also receiving votes section so it looks like just 1 vote. I wonder in Buchnevich was polled.

Berube didn't get a vote for the who players would not want to play for. So Kyrou definitely wasn't in the poll.

 

[Reality Czech]

Maybe…

One of the first steps is checking out realtor dot com.

I don’t put 5 million in there as my budget but I bet some athletes do.

What they see will be massively different for many markets versus the stl region.

What you get here versus Colorado Springs, New Orleans, San Diego, Houston, Tampa, Seattle… (all places I’ve lived)….its a looooot, depending on what you prioritize. It’s not just the property, its options, cost/availability of craftsmen and our 4 seasons make building strong safe nice things normal and efficient.

I'm talking about NHL players making millions of dollars, not the average person.

 

[Mike Liut]

I was very impressed with Snuggs all around game. He has much more tenacity than I thought. Same with Bolduc. But TBH, I’m just not seeing it with Dvo yet. He still has plenty of time to develop, but I’d like to see way more out of him this year. He’s nowhere near ready for the nhl. He has the size, but he needs to get much stronger and quicker, especially his first few strides. I just hope he has the drive and determination to want to get better.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I was very impressed with Snuggs all around game. He has much more tenacity than I thought. Same with Bolduc. But TBH, I’m just not seeing it with Dvo yet. He still has plenty of time to develop, but I’d like to see way more out of him this year. He’s nowhere near ready for the nhl. He has the size, but he needs to get much stronger and quicker, especially his first few strides. I just hope he has the drive and determination to want to get better.

I’m confused by anyone that’s down on or has much of any concerns about Dvorsky. What has he shown that has you questioning his drive or determination? Keep in mind you’re comparing a 19 yr old to a 20 yr old and 21 yr old. When Bolduc was 19 he was playing in the QMJHL. When Snuggerud was 19 he was having a so-so year in the NCAA. At 19, Dvorsky did well in the AHL. Only one other 19 yr old scored more than him in the AHL this season. Him not being ready yet should be of no surprise. There’s typically tremendous growth in these years. He’s right on track IMO.

 

[Louie the Blue]

I’m confused by anyone that’s down on or has much of any concerns about Dvorsky. What has he shown that has you questioning his drive or determination? Keep in mind you’re comparing a 19 yr old to a 20 yr old and 21 yr old. When Bolduc was 19 he was playing in the QMJHL. When Snuggerud was 19 he was having a so-so year in the NCAA. At 19, Dvorsky did well in the AHL. Only one other 19 yr old scored more than him in the AHL this season. Him not being ready yet should be of no surprise. There’s typically tremendous growth in these years. He’s right on track IMO.

Also the fact that Dvorsky plays a much more challenging than Snuggy.

 

[HighNote]

Also the fact that Dvorsky plays a much more challenging than Snuggy.

I assume you mean challenging position

 

[Mike Liut]

I’m confused by anyone that’s down on or has much of any concerns about Dvorsky. What has he shown that has you questioning his drive or determination? Keep in mind you’re comparing a 19 yr old to a 20 yr old and 21 yr old. When Bolduc was 19 he was playing in the QMJHL. When Snuggerud was 19 he was having a so-so year in the NCAA. At 19, Dvorsky did well in the AHL. Only one other 19 yr old scored more than him in the AHL this season. Him not being ready yet should be of no surprise. There’s typically tremendous growth in these years. He’s right on track IMO.

Ever time I see him, I walk away unimpressed. I know he’s young, I’m just saying I hope he has the drive and determination to want to become elite. Nobody knows if he does, except him. This will be a big year for him.

 

[Mike Liut]

My other point was, I was really impressed with Snuggs and Bolduc this year. Bolduc is much more physical than I thought he was, and Snuggs work ethic and tenacity was impressive.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Ever time I see him, I walk away unimpressed. I know he’s young, I’m just saying I hope he has the drive and determination to want to become elite. Nobody knows if he does, except him. This will be a big year for him.

What leaves you unimpressed when you see Dvorsky?

 

[STL fan in MN]

My other point was, I was really impressed with Snuggs and Bolduc this year. Bolduc is much more physical than I thought he was, and Snuggs work ethic and tenacity was impressive.

Don’t disagree with this one bit. Bolduc developing an edge has been a very pleasant surprise. He was pretty soft in Jrs. He’s never going to be a power forward or anything but it’s rare to add an edge to your game after Jrs but he has. He has some holes in his game but he seems very coachable and moldable and that’s a very good thing.

Also agree Snuggy seemed more NHL ready than I expected. And a harder worker than I expected. He quite simply didn’t display a ton of that in college. I mean, he looked like a future NHLer among mostly guys that wouldn’t be but there was nothing to suggest he’d be able to step right into the NHL seamlessly and look like a guy with high work ethic and high tenacity (by even NHL standards). I’ll be hopeful he can hit the ground running when the next season starts up again in October.

 

[Mike Liut]

What leaves you unimpressed when you see Dvorsky?

I’m a big advocate for 2 way play. I love physical play. But I also love tenacity and high compete levels. I just to want to make sure he’s heading in that direction. I don’t notice it as much as I’d like so far, but that doesn’t mean he isnt. I don’t get to watch that much of him, I’m just posting what I’ve noticed.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I think it's hard to make a decision on someone's compete level when he has played a total of 18 minutes and 49 seconds over two games, Add in those 2 games are a week and a half apart from each other where he was sent down and brough back up between them. Not exactly a solid timeframe for someone to get accustomed to the team and any differences in the system between the NHL team and the AHL team.

The souring on Dvorsky two games into his NHL career is insane.

 

[Blanick]

I think it's hard to make a decision on someone's compete level when he has played a total of 18 minutes and 49 seconds over two games, Add in those 2 games are a week and a half apart from each other where he was sent down and brough back up between them. Not exactly a solid timeframe for someone to get accustomed to the team and any differences in the system between the NHL team and the AHL team.

The souring on Dvorsky two games into his NHL career is insane.

Exactly this. I have watched some Thunderbirds games and come away very impressed with Dvorsky but he does need more time. I think a lot of Blues fans just need to find some patience. We took a big leap forward after 4 nations this year but we are still a flawed team at the moment. We need to have patience and let the holes fill in. That means there will be some hits and some misses with the young guys. Everyone is just ready to sell the farm and make all in moves, we are not there yet. Patience.

 

[Mike Liut]

Souring? Where did that come from?

 

[WeWentBlues]

My only issue with Dvorsky, or any D+2 prospect and younger going into next season, is how long until they become impactful players for the NHL team. Last season changed the timeline for this current group. If Dvorsky or other futures can be moved for more pieces in that 23-26 age range or veterans on good surplus value relative to their contract, it's something that has to be considered in my humble opinion.

That would include a guy like McLeod or a guy like Larkin as two examples.

 

[BlueDream]

Souring? Where did that come from?

Your own post. You’re talking about him not looking as good as Snuggerud or Bolduc after 2 NHL games where he played limited minutes, and he’s also younger than those guys and playing a harder position. And how soon you forget that Bolduc didn’t look as good as he does now after his first 2 games. Neither did Robert Thomas, who went through ups and downs to get to the level he’s at today. Every prospect takes time. Recency bias is very prominent in these types of discussions.

And honestly it’s not just you. There’s been more opinions I’ve seen from other Blues fans commenting on Athletic articles and what not, and there’s some odd comments about Dvorsky. And quite honestly, I doubt any of these people are streaming AHL games to be able to see much of him, so they are literally basing their opinions of a 19-year old off of two games.

You are also questioning his determination and drive, and I’m not sure why. For not being the most gifted skater, he was a top 10 pick in a strong draft, dominated juniors, and scored 21 goals in 61 games in the AHL as a teenager playing against grown men. Surely that all takes a lot of work ethic to accomplish, it’s not like we have a single bit of evidence that says he’s lazy. In fact his confidence and mindset has been one of the things I like most about him when I hear his interviews. He’s completely dialed in.

 

[Spektre]

Your own post. You’re talking about him not looking as good as Snuggerud or Bolduc after 2 NHL games where he played limited minutes, and he’s also younger than those guys and playing a harder position. And how soon you forget that Bolduc didn’t look as good as he does now after his first 2 games. Neither did Robert Thomas, who went through ups and downs to get to the level he’s at today. Every prospect takes time. Recency bias is very prominent in these types of discussions.

And honestly it’s not just you. There’s been more opinions I’ve seen from other Blues fans commenting on Athletic articles and what not, and there’s some odd comments about Dvorsky. And quite honestly, I doubt any of these people are streaming AHL games to be able to see much of him, so they are literally basing their opinions of a 19-year old off of two games.

You are also questioning his determination and drive, and I’m not sure why. For not being the most gifted skater, he was a top 10 pick in a strong draft, dominated juniors, and scored 21 goals in 61 games in the AHL as a teenager playing against grown men. Surely that all takes a lot of work ethic to accomplish, it’s not like we have a single bit of evidence that says he’s lazy. In fact his confidence and mindset has been one of the things I like most about him when I hear his interviews. He’s completely dialed in.

Okay but c’mon, 0 goals in his NHL career… he’s a bum

 

[Mike Liut]

Here’s my post again:

I was very impressed with Snuggs all around game. He has much more tenacity than I thought. Same with Bolduc. But TBH, I’m just not seeing it with Dvo yet. He still has plenty of time to develop, but I’d like to see way more out of him this year. He’s nowhere near ready for the nhl. He has the size, but he needs to get much stronger and quicker, especially his first few strides. I just hope he has the drive and determination to want to get better.

Nowhere did I say I’ve soured on him. I just haven’t seen the tenacity yet in his game that I’d like. I also said he has plenty of time still, but I’d like to see more out of him this year. I also said he needs to get stronger and a quicker first few strides.

That’s all said. No need to critique and criticize every post on here. I think some people just like to pick fights and have arguments on.

And it has nothing to do with his couple games from the Blues.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Your own post. You’re talking about him not looking as good as Snuggerud or Bolduc after 2 NHL games where he played limited minutes, and he’s also younger than those guys and playing a harder position. And how soon you forget that Bolduc didn’t look as good as he does now after his first 2 games. Neither did Robert Thomas, who went through ups and downs to get to the level he’s at today. Every prospect takes time. Recency bias is very prominent in these types of discussions.

And honestly it’s not just you. There’s been more opinions I’ve seen from other Blues fans commenting on Athletic articles and what not, and there’s some odd comments about Dvorsky. And quite honestly, I doubt any of these people are streaming AHL games to be able to see much of him, so they are literally basing their opinions of a 19-year old off of two games.

You are also questioning his determination and drive, and I’m not sure why. For not being the most gifted skater, he was a top 10 pick in a strong draft, dominated juniors, and scored 21 goals in 61 games in the AHL as a teenager playing against grown men. Surely that all takes a lot of work ethic to accomplish, it’s not like we have a single bit of evidence that says he’s lazy. In fact his confidence and mindset has been one of the things I like most about him when I hear his interviews. He’s completely dialed in.

Ding ding ding. We have a winner.

Between here, Twitter/X, Facebook, The Athletic, and even people I talk to in real life there are multiple people always saying: They expect more, he's not progressing, he's underwhelming, I've had a co-worker straight up tell me he's "A Bust an a complete waste of a draft pick" why? Because he's not yet in the NHL. The Dude is NINETEEN YEARS OLD!!! It's crazy that we are questioning the drive and Determination of a dude who isn't even able to drink yet. He just put up 45 points in 61 games in the AHL at 19. Bolduc put up 25 points in 50 games at 20/21.

It's like there's a ton of people who unrealistically expect these players to reach there projections overnight.

 

[Brian39]

I'm not concerned about Dvorsky's development and I'm more than content having him continue his development in the AHL next year unless he really, really impresses at camp.

All that said, I think that a lot of the 'he should be further along' handwringing around the internet is likely the result of his draft spot. He's our earliest pick since we picked Petro 4th overall in 2008 (and the only top 15 pick since 2010). He also came from a draft class that was considered extremely strong. I think the perception of the #10 pick in the 2023 draft was that there would still be guys available who would have been picked 5th or 6th or 7th overall in a "normal" draft. Fair or not, I think the general fan expectation for him was a tier of prospect a level above Thomas, Bolduc, Snuggy, and other guys drafted as mid-late 1st rounders. And I think part of that expectation included the belief that a prospect like that wouldn't need as much development time before being ready to contribute in the NHL. Fair or not, I think a lot of the concern from the people who are concerned is based more on "he should be here by now" vs any observed deficiencies in his game.

My personal concern level is still very low with him. I loved what I saw out of him in the OHL in 2023/24. I loved what I saw out of him at the World Juniors (twice). I liked what I saw out of him in the AHL in 2024/25 (although I didn't watch all that much AHL beyond highlights this year). There are absolutely holes to his game and things he needs to improve, but he has also hit a number of development benchmarks before turning 20. Snuggy and Bolduc both really impressed me at the NHL level this year and if we still consider them prospects then I'd have to think long and hard about where I would rank Dvorsky relative to them at the moment. But if we consider the two of them graduated, then Dvorsky is my #1 Blues prospect by a pretty wide margin.

 

[Mike Liut]

I'm not concerned about Dvorsky's development and I'm more than content having him continue his development in the AHL next year unless he really, really impresses at camp.

All that said, I think that a lot of the 'he should be further along' handwringing around the internet is likely the result of his draft spot. He's our earliest pick since we picked Petro 4th overall in 2008 (and the only top 15 pick since 2010). He also came from a draft class that was considered extremely strong. I think the perception of the #10 pick in the 2023 draft was that there would still be guys available who would have been picked 5th or 6th or 7th overall in a "normal" draft. Fair or not, I think the general fan expectation for him was a tier of prospect a level above Thomas, Bolduc, Snuggy, and other guys drafted as mid-late 1st rounders. And I think part of that expectation included the belief that a prospect like that wouldn't need as much development time before being ready to contribute in the NHL. Fair or not, I think a lot of the concern from the people who are concerned is based more on "he should be here by now" vs any observed deficiencies in his game.

My personal concern level is still very low with him. I loved what I saw out of him in the OHL in 2023/24. I loved what I saw out of him at the World Juniors (twice). I liked what I saw out of him in the AHL in 2024/25 (although I didn't watch all that much AHL beyond highlights this year). There are absolutely holes to his game and things he needs to improve, but he has also hit a number of development benchmarks before turning 20. Snuggy and Bolduc both really impressed me at the NHL level this year and if we still consider them prospects then I'd have to think long and hard about where I would rank Dvorsky relative to them at the moment. But if we consider the two of them graduated, then Dvorsky is my #1 Blues prospect by a pretty wide margin.

I just want to see his compete level/ tenacity improve. Everybody can improve that portion of their game. His first few strides can improve with work and time. Those are my only 2 knocks on him. He’s only 19, it can be done.