Blues Discussion Thread 2018-2019

[Dbrownss]

If Army wasnt willing to deal Kyrou during the season, why would he deal him for a guy with even less control.

 

[Ranksu]

This is going to be loooooooooong off-season in here.

 

[MissouriMook]

Everyone knows a top 6 center is more important than a winger. Who do you honestly think the Blues have a shot at getting? @MissouriMook

I don't see it happening. I hope to be wrong.

Hard to say, but I can't see them spending Kyrou and the WIN 1st on yet another left shot winger and NOT addressing the C position. You might have to get down in the dregs for a guy like Bozak or hope you can lure Stastny back.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

There are only 69 (nice) right-handed shot centermen in the NHL right now, or a little over a third of all centers and 14% of all NHL forwards. There just aren’t that many out there, relative to everything else. Most of those guys (e.g. Kesler, Getzlaf, Scheifele, etc) aren’t going anywhere. You’ve gotta draft em.

 

[The Grouch]

This is going to be loooooooooong off-season in here.

Your avatar is making it slightly more bearable.

 

[Robb_K]

Your avatar is making it slightly more bearable.

I'm getting tired of it already. What happened to the proposed avatar with the agitated little girl driving the tank???

 

[Celtic Note]

How funny would it be to win a lottery pick after the Blackhawks publicly stating wanting to "ruin" the Blues season?

I am going to borrow your daydream for a while. It seems incredibly pleasant.

 

[Celtic Note]

Everyone knows a top 6 center is more important than a winger. Who do you honestly think the Blues have a shot at getting? @MissouriMook

I don't see it happening. I hope to be wrong.

I could be reading into Mook's post, but using our best assets for a winger when center is our biggest hole, basically ensures mediocrity (playoffs, but no real chance at the Cup) barring any FA signing (read Tavares) or Thomas finding magic in his first year (maybe two).

 

[Spektre]

I could be reading into Mook's post, but using our best assets for a winger when center is our biggest hole, basically ensures mediocrity (playoffs, but no real chance at the Cup) barring any FA signing (read Tavares) or Thomas finding magic in his first year (maybe two).

I don’t think anyone is arguing against that logic. Maybe Army finds another Schenn type deal where we take a top 6 winger with limited center experience and the player is able to transition to center. I’m not betting on that outcome.

Name a young top 6 center the Blues would be interested in. If that player is available, show me a deal that makes sense for that team where the a 1st + Kyrou type package isn’t what it will take to land that player.

I’m hoping for the best but I’m trying to look at it realistically.

Fabbri is the biggest wildcard at this point. If he can return to form that’s adding one top 6 player. Army isn’t going to wait long enough to find out. I think most fans agree it’s a forgone conclusion the Blues add a top 6 player around the draft. Given the circumstances around Fabbri I doubt he could be the main piece in said trade. His value is too unknown.

My bet is Army will secure a top 6 player via trade and hope Fabbri can be a cheap added bonus to the roster.

 

[Xerloris]

If we're going to play the game of make believe then what if we not only sign Tavares but the Penguins trade us Kessel? I really really wanted us to get Kessel from Toronto and I felt like it was a huge f*** up that we didn't, especially when I saw what the Pens paid for him.

 

[Shwabeal]

If we're going to play the game of make believe then what if we not only sign Tavares but the Penguins trade us Kessel? I really really wanted us to get Kessel from Toronto and I felt like it was a huge **** up that we didn't, especially when I saw what the Pens paid for him.

What reason would the Pens have to move him...?

 

[TheChamber91]

So I know this is a long shot but do you guys think we should try for Kovalchuk? Who do you think will sign him?

 

[Alklha]

So I know this is a long shot but do you guys think we should try for Kovalchuk? Who do you think will sign him?

Kovalchuk could make sense if we trade for a centre in June and miss out on Tavares in UFA. We'd have the cap space, and Kovalchuk isn't likely to get more than 3 years anywhere.

That's not going to happen though. He can start negotiating with teams from today, so he'll have a contract lined up from a team to sign on July 1. From all reports that is the Rangers.

He's still a good player, but he is a 35 year old with a bad back, and hasn't faced the grind of an NHL season in 6 years.

 

[Weiss1604]

Calle Jarnkrok could be a potential buy low option + he's on a great long term contract . Obviously he wouldn't be my first choice but if Tavares , Johnson , Reinhardt etc aren't a viable option then i believe we should at least consider this stop gap at 2c for a season or earlier if Thomas proves he's ready .
I'm sure everyone agrees we absolutely need to avoid free agency , nothing good comes from it in the new young,speed,skill NHL. Someone like Bozak might look like a good option now but within a year we'd be regretting such a stupidly dumb move .
We have missed the playoffs once & some of the overreaction to this has astounded me , if Doug does something rash like trading away our long term future for a quick fix like some fans want then prolonged purgatory awaits us .

 

[TheChamber91]

Kovalchuk could make sense if we trade for a centre in June and miss out on Tavares in UFA. We'd have the cap space, and Kovalchuk isn't likely to get more than 3 years anywhere.

That's not going to happen though. He can start negotiating with teams from today, so he'll have a contract lined up from a team to sign on July 1. From all reports that is the Rangers.

He's still a good player, but he is a 35 year old with a bad back, and hasn't faced the grind of an NHL season in 6 years.

Yea that makes sense, but on a side note I heard he's denying the rumors about the Rangers.

 

[Alklha]

Yea that makes sense, but on a side note I heard he's denying the rumors about the Rangers.

There might be nothing to the NYR rumours, but he has to deny it. He said he hasn't spoken, or reached agreement, with any team. If he had said otherwise, then the team would be guilty of tampering.

 

[fishsandwichpatrol]

Watching the Pacers today made me think about what heart is. Those dudes took it to the Cavs on their own turf. Wish we had that kind of spirit. #mcmillanforcoach

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Watching the Pacers today made me think about what heart is. Those dudes took it to the Cavs on their own turf. Wish we had that kind of spirit. #mcmillanforcoach

The Cavs don't even sniff the playoffs this year without The King.

On a hockey related note. No to players like Nash/Kovalchuk/Jarnkrok. Too slow. I want fast players NOW. Watching the playoffs has opened my eyes to the amount of speed and I can't get enough of it.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

Watching the playoffs has opened my eyes to the amount of speed and I can't get enough of it.

And to think McDavid and Barzal arent even in the playoffs.

 

[simon IC]

The Cavs don't even sniff the playoffs this year without The King.

On a hockey related note. No to players like Nash/Kovalchuk/Jarnkrok. Too slow. I want fast players NOW. Watching the playoffs has opened my eyes to the amount of speed and I can't get enough of it.

I agree, we really need more speed. I think for that reason we keep Thomas and Kyrou at all costs. I would also like to add Galchenyuk and Reinhart to the "too slow" list.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Who are these players? I feel like people here want speedy, right-shooting, U26 centers with cheap long-term contracts that are freely on the market for our taking. Who actually is that? I mean if we’re crossing Galchenyuk, Reinhart, Jarnkrok, Wennberg, Lindholm, etc off the list... who is still “on the list” at this point? I guess I’m just curious as to what the list is whittling down to. Because if there’s nobody left after the process of elimination there, then we’ve got ourselves a “perfect is the enemy of the good” situation going on.

 

[Frenzy31]

Speed seems to be a hot topic right now - as in wanting to add it.

I think we have a glaring hole in our top 6 and it isn't speed. It is physicality and net front presence. Who in our top 6 has net front presence? Who has the ability to lay a big hit on opposition d? We really don't have anyone how makes his living getting junk goals. We have snipers like JS and VT. I guess you could say Schenn, but centers typically don't go to the font of the net. Berglund, Steen, and Fabbri are more snipers then ugly goal scorers. We really don't have a crease player. I hoped Jaskin would become that, but it isn't going to happen.

Did you know we had 0, ZERO 2 man advantage goals the entire year? How the *())( do you have that and still finish just one point out of the playoffs? I am not a big fan of Brouwer, but we need a guy who gets the ugly goals. Not advocating trading for him either, but.

You know this is the first year where we didn't have a single line that spent most of their time finishing checks.

 

[Celtic Note]

Speed seems to be a hot topic right now - as in wanting to add it.

I think we have a glaring hole in our top 6 and it isn't speed. It is physicality and net front presence. Who in our top 6 has net front presence? Who has the ability to lay a big hit on opposition d? We really don't have anyone how makes his living getting junk goals. We have snipers like JS and VT. I guess you could say Schenn, but centers typically don't go to the font of the net. Berglund, Steen, and Fabbri are more snipers then ugly goal scorers. We really don't have a crease player. I hoped Jaskin would become that, but it isn't going to happen.

Did you know we had 0, ZERO 2 man advantage goals the entire year? How the *())( do you have that and still finish just one point out of the playoffs? I am not a big fan of Brouwer, but we need a guy who gets the ugly goals. Not advocating trading for him either, but.

You know this is the first year where we didn't have a single line that spent most of their time finishing checks.

I would say we have enough physicality in the sense that we hit in the upper portion of the league. The net front presence is missing, but look across the league and the guys that do it aren’t always physical by traditional standards. We just need a willingness to go there.

Speed is overrated to me, atleast in the sense that most fans let on. But, and it’s an important and missing element IMO, not having speed is taxing our forwards. In the games where we keep up with speed utilizing hard work (and we need to deploy more consistency in our effort) we are typically worn down by the third. If you have to exert more energy to keep up, assuming all other things being equal, then your tank will drain faster. I would rather have a reserve of energy for the third, especially in tight games and the playoffs when we need that one big stop or goal. One or two more players in the middle 6 with speed would help.

 

[Alklha]

Who are these players? I feel like people here want speedy, right-shooting, U26 centers with cheap long-term contracts that are freely on the market for our taking. Who actually is that? I mean if we’re crossing Galchenyuk, Reinhart, Jarnkrok, Wennberg, Lindholm, etc off the list... who is still “on the list” at this point? I guess I’m just curious as to what the list is whittling down to. Because if there’s nobody left after the process of elimination there, then we’ve got ourselves a “perfect is the enemy of the good” situation going on.

I agree. A RHS centre with speed would be great, but it isn't essential. We don't need every player on the roster to be fast to become a faster team, but I don't see people suggesting that either.

Where I will complain about a player being RH or LH is when it comes to trading assets for a top-6 winger. My stance on that might relax in July.

Speed seems to be a hot topic right now - as in wanting to add it.

I think we have a glaring hole in our top 6 and it isn't speed. It is physicality and net front presence. Who in our top 6 has net front presence? Who has the ability to lay a big hit on opposition d? We really don't have anyone how makes his living getting junk goals. We have snipers like JS and VT. I guess you could say Schenn, but centers typically don't go to the font of the net. Berglund, Steen, and Fabbri are more snipers then ugly goal scorers. We really don't have a crease player. I hoped Jaskin would become that, but it isn't going to happen.

Did you know we had 0, ZERO 2 man advantage goals the entire year? How the *())( do you have that and still finish just one point out of the playoffs? I am not a big fan of Brouwer, but we need a guy who gets the ugly goals. Not advocating trading for him either, but.

You know this is the first year where we didn't have a single line that spent most of their time finishing checks.

We have a lot of issues with roles. It's partially down to roster construction and partially down to coaching/execution.

Who is available to fill this role though. Gallagher would be ideal, despite his size, but Montreal are too dumb to be looking to rebuild. Any other options?

 

[Celtic Note]

I would say the RHS is only a requirement for RW. We simply need a top 6 center. Those are significantly harder to come by, so I wouldn’t want to limit that with an additional qualifier. The PP is where the RHS is most pressing but it could help 5v5 too. Thus the RHS RW requirement in my book.