Blues Discussion Thread 2018-2019

[Stelmacki]

I haven’t been this excited for a season in a long time.

And the Cardinals are pretty boring, so that’s not helping move this offseason along.

 

[Renard]

I know Barbashev was projected by many to be a 3C but still recall some thought he had 2C potential.

With the center depth we have in front of him now doubt he ever gets a chance here. Does anyone still think he has what it takes or will he just loose all value like Schmaltz buried on our 4th line

He looked pretty good two seasons ago when Stastny was injured, and he got regular playing time. I expected good things from him early this season, but he was demoted, Yeo saying that he wasn't playing at the level he had the previous season.

Some say he got out of shape in the off season. If that's true, I assume he has learned his lesson. He needs to play a fast, hustling game. He doesn't show much inclination to mix it up or battle on the boards.

If he doesn't step it up in training camp this year, he risks being exceeded by other prospects.

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

He looked pretty good two seasons ago when Stastny was injured, and he got regular playing time. I expected good things from him early this season, but he was demoted, Yeo saying that he wasn't playing at the level he had the previous season.

Some say he got out of shape in the off season. If that's true, I assume he has learned his lesson. He needs to play a fast, hustling game. He doesn't show much inclination to mix it up or battle on the boards.

If he doesn't step it up in training camp this year, he risks being exceeded by other prospects.

As of today, I could see Armstrong and Yeo penciling Barbashev as the 4th line C. I think he did very well in that role last year. Soshnikov and Barbashev feel like very similar players to me. They like to play with pace. They aren't afraid to mix it up or shoot. They push other teams pretty hard and need to be a little more defensively responsible, but that can be coached. They have enough skill that I think teams would have to respect them, but definitely not play for them.

Barbashev still has the potential to be a 2C, but I think it's like Bozak. I think he's a 2C on a mediocre to bad team. On a good team, he's where Bozak is now, he's a 3C or fill in winger in top 6.

I also think having guys like Bozak and O'Reilly will help Barbashev. Bozak, despite his defensive lapses, is kind of who I think Barbashev could become but with better defensive abilities.

 

[Quaz]

When Barbashev came up two years ago he was strong on the puck. I didn't notice that as much last year. He is young and a lot players go through the sophomore slump. I hope he rebounds and comes back strong this year. I believe he played well last year when on a line with Jaskin or Sosh. I think they could make up a very solid 4th line this year. Competition will be tough for the last forward spots on this team at camp.

 

[Chief Steele]

It"s my understanding that Barbs showed up to camp last year out of shape thinking he had a spot locked up since he played so well the season before.. On a line with Tank for a while.. then he bombed and got sent back to the AHL.. I would expect him to come into this years camp looking to make a point that he can be a top 6 player.. Now is that true don't know he is still young and has some time to figure it out but if he is not careful the younger kids will pass him.

 

[DatDude44]

If he is anything like he used to be....PLEASE

 

[McSwaingles28]

I can't see Kyrou and Thomas both in the top 9 unless someone gets injured. Thomas will probably get a 9-game tryout and go back to juniors (I know, I know, he has "nothing left to prove", but another year of junior won't kill him), while Kyrou will get a little pro seasoning in the AHL.

Schwartz-Schenn-Perron
Fabbri-ROR-Tarasenko
Steen-Bozac/Thomas-Thomas/Bozac
Soshnikov-Barbashev-Jaskin

After tryout, Bozac takes 3C and Kyrou flips back and forth with Perron.

Kyrou most likely will see time in the AHL to season and work on defensive aspects. Thomas from what I hear is 100% ready to be in the top nine. The scouting report is that he has an exceptional two way game and a top six skill potential.

I can't see Kyrou and Thomas both in the top 9 unless someone gets injured. Thomas will probably get a 9-game tryout and go back to juniors (I know, I know, he has "nothing left to prove", but another year of junior won't kill him), while Kyrou will get a little pro seasoning in the AHL.

Schwartz-Schenn-Perron
Fabbri-ROR-Tarasenko
Steen-Bozac/Thomas-Thomas/Bozac
Soshnikov-Barbashev-Jaskin

After tryout, Bozac takes 3C and Kyrou flips back and forth with Perron.

I can see Kyrou taking time to get adjusted to a man’s game. Playing in the AHL can help that also can help him grow defensively. I believe he’s offensively skilled enough to succeed at a third line scoring role. I think putting Thomas down in juniors would be unwise. Virtually no cap hit for him I would just let him prove to us what he can already do at the pro level. I think there could be potential for Kyrou to be a defensive liability at times in certain situations. Hopefully I’m dead wrong! In the case of that happening though, you can just send him back to San Antonio where he will get plenty of minutes and only positive things can come from that (heaven forbid any injuries). With Thomas, all signs says he’s ready to go. I think we will see Thomas a more than adequate two way play whether he’s down the middle or on the wing. No reason to not play him. I think they will take the same approach with him as they did with Vince Dunn. Just put him in and let him play, make mistakes and let him work his way into to being a trusted player as a center or wing somewhere in the top nine. To be honest, what do we have to lose. We had an awful 3rd unit last year. And I hope Fabri can rejoin the team that would be amazing! Being medically cleared is great but having torn an ACL and parts of the meniscus once in each of my legs in back to back years myself after 15+years of ice hockey, man I feel for him. The mental aspects of that injury and physical rehabilitation are some of the most difficult hurdles in an athletes life given his circumstance; being in that place for nearly two years watching from the sidelines just absolutely makes you sick. Not only that he torn the same tendon not once (like myself ) but twice in the same leg. The successfulness of that tendon graph replacement greatly decreases. He’s lucky to even be a redshirted practice player, let alone in a game uniform again. Pray for him to be able to come back and play! God bless him!

 

[mk80]

Kyrou most likely will see time in the AHL to season and work on defensive aspects. Thomas from what I hear is 100% ready to be in the top nine. The scouting report is that he has an exceptional two way game and a top six skill potential.

I can see Kyrou taking time to get adjusted to a man’s game. Playing in the AHL can help that also can help him grow defensively. I believe he’s offensively skilled enough to succeed at a third line scoring role. I think putting Thomas down in juniors would be unwise. Virtually no cap hit for him I would just let him prove to us what he can already do at the pro level. I think there could be potential for Kyrou to be a defensive liability at times in certain situations. Hopefully I’m dead wrong! In the case of that happening though, you can just send him back to San Antonio where he will get plenty of minutes and only positive things can come from that (heaven forbid any injuries). With Thomas, all signs says he’s ready to go. I think we will see Thomas a more than adequate two way play whether he’s down the middle or on the wing. No reason to not play him. I think they will take the same approach with him as they did with Vince Dunn. Just put him in and let him play, make mistakes and let him work his way into to being a trusted player as a center or wing somewhere in the top nine. To be honest, what do we have to lose. We had an awful 3rd unit last year. And I hope Fabri can rejoin the team that would be amazing! Being medically cleared is great but having torn an ACL and parts of the meniscus once in each of my legs in back to back years myself after 15+years of ice hockey, man I feel for him. The mental aspects of that injury and physical rehabilitation are some of the most difficult hurdles in an athletes life given his circumstance; being in that place for nearly two years watching from the sidelines just absolutely makes you sick. Not only that he torn the same tendon not once (like myself ) but twice in the same leg. The successfulness of that tendon graph replacement greatly decreases. He’s lucky to even be a redshirted practice player, let alone in a game uniform again. Pray for him to be able to come back and play! God bless him!

At this point I hope for Fabbri to return and be competitive in the lineup and continue to stay healthy for his own sake rather than the team's.

 

[Evocable Manager]

There is absolutely no way he should near the NHL roster out of camp. Same goes for Nolan, their both freakin awful at the NHL level. This should be an AHL move where he only plays in the most desperate of situations.

 

[Oberyn]

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Sigh... And I was so happy with the way Armstrong handled this offseason so far.

 

[ZigZagBluesFan]

If he comes here it's going to be on a cheap deal, probably $2M or less per. I don't know where we slot him but it's not hard to imagine that we're probably not going to have 12 healthy forwards formost of the season and he'd be pretty great depth that can be kept on the 4th line until we need him for more at that cost.

 

[Edgar Carrow]

If he is anything like he used to be....PLEASE

Fabbri's first NHL goal... What the hell happened to Lehtera...

 

[Evocable Manager]

Given the circumstances of the team financially I can't imagine the deal could be more than 2M given we have roughly 6M with Edmudnson to sign (I'd imagine that's around 3-4M depending on term) and Jaskin (1-1.5M is imagine).

The only real way he fits in is if we can move some money out (Gunnarsson/Bouwmeester).

So the contract in and of itself doesn't scare me but I wonder why DA would even bother given we have a wealth of bottom six options and there's no reason to push for a guy who will likely play on the fourth line and isn't going to be playing on the PP and isn't a defensive stalwart or PKer.

Who gives a crap where he's from? He doesn't make us any better.

 

[Evocable Manager]

I'm not worried at all about bringing back 27 at the end of his deal. The organization is well run, competitive and is looking up for the foreseeable future. Of course in such an interview he's going to say everything is positive but he doesn't have to say anything at all if he doesn't believe it himself.

I don't think he's quite on the Doughty or Karlsson tier, something around 8M AAV would be rather fair.

 

[ezcreepin]

Given the circumstances of the team financially I can't imagine the deal could be more than 2M given we have roughly 6M with Edmudnson to sign (I'd imagine that's around 3-4M depending on term) and Jaskin (1-1.5M is imagine).

The only real way he fits in is if we can move some money out (Gunnarsson/Bouwmeester).

So the contract in and of itself doesn't scare me but I wonder why DA would even bother given we have a wealth of bottom six options and there's no reason to push for a guy who will likely play on the fourth line and isn't going to be playing on the PP and isn't a defensive stalwart or PKer.

Who gives a crap where he's from? He doesn't make us any better.

Not that I want him here, because I think we have enough options, but aren't we allowed to put Bouw and Gunnar on LTIR to save cap to actually sign someone like Maroon? Or how would that work?

 

[Ranksu]

I haven’t been this excited for a season in a long time.

+ 1 for me, our lineup is major upgrade for previous seasons and I bet there will be new guys who'll have serious impact for us. I believe its more of just one player. Someones of Kyrou, Thomsa, Mikkola or Husso.

 

[The Note in MI]

We would be able to start them on IR yes if they aren’t healthy

According to cap friendly if we move JBo to LTIR he have 5.8m in cap space and with Gunnarsson on IR instead we have 3.29m

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Not that I want him here, because I think we have enough options, but aren't we allowed to put Bouw and Gunnar on LTIR to save cap to actually sign someone like Maroon? Or how would that work?

LTIR exemption isn’t cumulative. So the minute they come off IR, their cap hit is back on the books. So unless they are out all season its not really an option.

 

[Chief Steele]

Not that I want him here, because I think we have enough options, but aren't we allowed to put Bouw and Gunnar on LTIR to save cap to actually sign someone like Maroon? Or how would that work?

I don't think its a huge cap saving move if they do but I would think the league would want to know the injury updates. They don't want another Chicago incident... especially with Army saying they will be ready for camp. I could be way off here too...

 

[Ranksu]

I don't understand if Maroon comes in Blues instead of Brodziak who was more of like free $ for Blues with 1mill.$ note also how versatile and important player he was to Blues.

 

[BlueDream]

How are people saying Maroon doesn’t make us better? On the 4th-line over Soshnikov or Jaskin? Yes he would clearly be better than them.

I’d be fine with that signing.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Of course he would. Doesn’t mean it makes sense to give 2 or 3 million to a guy to play on the fourth line.

 

[Chief Steele]

IMO when it comes to Maroon I think he really wants to play in STL.. If Army can make a move to maybe push out someone then I think he signs, and I would not be surprised if its not with a hometown discount... he would help the team in the bottom 6 and if he had to play in the top for a short time it would not hurt.. the question is who leaves and can he beat out who we have if no one goes...

 

[Ranksu]

Of course he would. Doesn’t mean it makes sense to give 2 or 3 million to a guy to play on the fourth line.

+1, and our winger spots are fine imo currenlty at 4th line. Center position is the weakest and not ideal for 4th line.