"Doug Armstrong is getting ready to Unload his roster and locker room issues"

[Linkens Mastery]

I didn’t mean all 3. I should have specified. My bad

Nah, I didn't comprehend what you meant. My bad.

 

[jmwc95]

I didn’t mean all 3. I should have specified. My bad

I don’t understand why you left Parayko’s name out.

 

[Mike Liut]

I don’t understand why you left Parayko’s name out.

I’m on the fence with him

 

[jmwc95]

I’m on the fence with him

He’s my second choice behind Krug. He gets the nod over Leddy because of contract. Faulk is the only one I think is salvageable.

 

[Mike Liut]

He’s my second choice behind Krug. He gets the nod over Leddy because of contract. Faulk is the only one I think is salvageable.

I don’t disagree. I would just love to move a couple. At least one

 

[jmwc95]

All this talk of Perron being a locker room problem seems really f***ing stupid considering we were arguably the second best team in the league last year and the only other losses from last year’s roster were Bozak (who we replaced with Acciari) and a backup goaltender. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say Perron wasn’t the f***ing problem.

 

[jmwc95]

I don’t disagree. I would just love to move a couple. At least one

One can dream.

 

[Cotton McKnight]

Blow the whole thing up and send DA with them.

This is the most unlikeable Blues team I've seen in my 20+ years of being a fan.

The most unlikable team in blues history was captained by Eric Brouwer, and don't ever forget that. That firesale to sell the team was hot garbage years. Honorable mention was the Purina years, early 80's, and late 70's.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

The most unlikable team in blues history was captained by Eric Brouwer, and don't ever forget that. That firesale to sell the team was hot garbage years. Honorable mention was the Purina years, early 80's, and late 70's.

Correct, but Brewer caught all the hell from Blues fans because he was the primary piece in the Pronger trade and Laurie's inside crew did everything it could to tout Brewer as an equal to Pronger, if not better - which only amplified fan anger. And in both instances you mention, those teams were the result of shitty ownership screwing up the on-ice product. Those teams were unlikeable because anger was really intended for ownership, past or then-present.

This year? It's unlikeable because guys spend 30, 40 minutes a night playing like they just don't give a shit, doing the same stupid shit they did the prior game and the game before that and so on and so on, and then show up in postgame interviews with the same I don't know why we keep doing this, it's frustrating, we need to be a better team, play harder, quit making mistakes cliches - and then go do it all again the next game. Much of the same roster that put up 107 points last season and went to the 2nd round and gave Colorado a run for its money is trending toward putting up under 80, in a points system when you can lose 47 of your games and still get to 82 points.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

View attachment 647743

Those 6 seconds feel like an eternity with him staring into and judging my soul

 

[Brian39]

This sounds like an enormous amount of speculation based on either nothing or third hand sources.

I'm always weary of "league sources" who claim to know about the locker room dynamics of a specific team because the absolute best-case scenario for their 'knowledge' is that they got their info from a player who demands anonymity. In that circumstance, the league source is (best case scenario) hearing a disgruntled player's biased version of what is going on. Worst case scenario, the player is using the source to further his own interests by fabricating something.

I wouldn't be surprised if there is division in the room. I would be stunned if a league source can accurately gauge who the organization views as the 'problem' players. Army has no incentive to leak that info now and our front office is tight enough that this type of info isn't getting leaked without his permission.

Given all that, I take all this with an enormous grain of salt and don't see much value in speculating about the source (or perceived solution) to locker room issues. With that said, I don't really care all that much about the locker room at the moment. If it is truly a problem, then let's do some major surgery. If it isn't a major problem, then let's do the retool.

No matter what, I'm 100% in favor of figuring out which of the NTC holders want to be here for the next 3+ years. No one on this team is an untouchable like McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Makar, etc. Thomas and Kyrou aren't moving because no one will offer a return to make it worthwhile. But everyone else should have a selling price that is within the realm of possibility and those markets should be explored over the next 5 months.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

If we could unload Krug-let alone somehow get assets for him-that'd be great. Tear it down to the studs-by which I mean Thomas, Kyrou, Neighbors, Schenn, Faulk and Parayko are the only players I wouldn't entertain moving.

And in regards to OP, I could easily see it being Husso (due to the goaltending controversy last year) and Krug...but I wonder if that NTC player is Buch. I dunno but dude never seems happy in interviews and on the bench.

I think Buch is just an introvert when it comes to the media, as most athletes tend to be. And he probably isn't very happy at the moment. I imagine nobody on the team is.

 

[PocketNines]

There are no untouchables on the current roster if the price is right IMO.

The Midnight Snuggler is off limits and we have to see what we have in Hofer/Zherenko but there isn't anyone who HAS to stay if the right price is met.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I would be sort of curious what our plans with Buchnevich is. He will still have 2 years left at a great cap hit, but depending on what Army's long-term retool/rebuild plan looks like, he's the guy that we can get a haul for. I don't want to move him, but it's kind of like 2019 with him where we had a bunch of guys rumored to be out there that weren't rentals, and had big time value.

If we get the sense that he'd want to test free agency, then I'd absolutely put a few calls in and see if someone will give us an arm and a leg.

 

[Brian39]

I would be sort of curious what our plans with Buchnevich is. He will still have 2 years left at a great cap hit, but depending on what Army's long-term retool/rebuild plan looks like, he's the guy that we can get a haul for. I don't want to move him, but it's kind of like 2019 with him where we had a bunch of guys rumored to be out there that weren't rentals, and had big time value.

If we get the sense that he'd want to test free agency, then I'd absolutely put a few calls in and see if someone will give us an arm and a leg.

I hope the plan is to keep him and extend him before his current deal is up.

We've got a full year between the time when all the full NTCs become limited NTCs and the time a Buch extension would kick in. The cap should be up to $90M+ by the first year of an extension and Bolduc, Snuggy and any player we pick between now and then will all still be on ELCs for the first year of a Buch extension. Any prospect who doesn't go pro next year will still be on his ELC for year 2 of a Buch extension. And then the large majority of bad money comes off the books.

Saad and Leddy come off the books after year 1 of a Buch extension. Binner, Faulk, and Krug come off the books after year 2 of a Buch extension. We should have plenty of cap space to pay Buch UFA value without hindering our ability to pay Snuggy/Bolduc/picks as they become owed raises.

A Buch extension will cover his 30 year old season and beyond. I'm very comfortable with him as the veteran forward who helps our young guys develop as we pull out of a retool and is still in his very early 30s when we are trying to legitimately contend again.

Like everyone, he's not untouchable if a team offers a massive return for him. But I wouldn't be looking to move him and I'd need an absolute haul to move him.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I hope the plan is to keep him and extend him before his current deal is up.

We've got a full year between the time when all the full NTCs become limited NTCs and the time a Buch extension would kick in. The cap should be up to $90M+ by the first year of an extension and Bolduc, Snuggy and any player we pick between now and then will all still be on ELCs for the first year of a Buch extension. Any prospect who doesn't go pro next year will still be on his ELC for year 2 of a Buch extension. And then the large majority of bad money comes off the books.

Saad and Leddy come off the books after year 1 of a Buch extension. Binner, Faulk, and Krug come off the books after year 2 of a Buch extension. We should have plenty of cap space to pay Buch UFA value without hindering our ability to pay Snuggy/Bolduc/picks as they become owed raises.

A Buch extension will cover his 30 year old season and beyond. I'm very comfortable with him as the veteran forward who helps our young guys develop as we pull out of a retool and is still in his very early 30s when we are trying to legitimately contend again.

Like everyone, he's not untouchable if a team offers a massive return for him. But I wouldn't be looking to move him and I'd need an absolute haul to move him.

Yeah, ideally we can keep him and he is the vet of the next core. My scenario is basically only if Army has an indication at this point if Buch isn't that interested in staying here.

 

[TheDizee]

Buch's play in the playoffs last year is a concern before I would lock him up. He was not very good and I hope he was playing through injuries.

 

[Brian39]

Yeah, ideally we can keep him and he is the vet of the next core. My scenario is basically only if Army has an indication at this point if Buch isn't that interested in staying here.

I get that. If that is the case, I'd still be shopping him very quietly. His 12 team no-trade list has already kicked in, so no rush there. With another 2 years left on the deal, we've got a couple trade deadlines and a draft to move him as more than a rental. And then if those fail, we'd still have the 2024 draft/summer to try and move him with a full year of term left. With that kind of time, no need to overplay your hand.

 

[bleedblue1223]

And my bigger thinking is basically don't repeat Shattenkirk, which at the time did make sense to hold since we were competing, but with this current team, we aren't reasonably contending next season and a lot would have to go right to contend in 24/25.

 

[TheDizee]

And my bigger thinking is basically don't repeat Shattenkirk, which at the time did make sense to hold since we were competing, but with this current team, we aren't reasonably contending next season and a lot would have to go right to contend in 24/25.

This team can absolutely contend next season, but they need to be healthy and they need people to play up to their contracts. I personally think they need to stockpile as many picks for the UFAs as they can which gives them more flexibility on what to do this offseason. That includes bringing back the same UFAs they traded aka what they did with Weight and Tkachuk.

I want them to move EVERY UFA they have. Every single one. And if you want to bring them back in the offseason, you let them know that before you trade them.

My main concern with this team is it has no heart. They have very bad team spirit and fight and the leadership on the team is very soft IMO. Why is Binner the only one trying to get the team engaged sometimes? Your goalie should not be the one doing that. A lot of rot on the team in terms of leadership for the past few years but the loss of Perron and Chuckie sank this team and it was never replaced or filled.

 

[mk80]

Those 6 seconds feel like an eternity with him staring into and judging my soul

I think Vladdy could feel those daggers behind him and that’s what made him request a trade.

 

[joe galiba]

can't see Perron or Krug or Schenn (maybe him telling someone to suck it up and put in the effort, but that isn't anything unusual in a locker room) being locker room problems
they are known quantities as people
sounds like people looking at 1+1 and trying to find a way to say it equals 3

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

can't see Perron or Krug or Schenn (maybe him telling someone to suck it up and put in the effort, but that isn't anything unusual in a locker room) being locker room problems
they are known quantities as people
sounds like people looking at 1+1 and trying to find a way to say it equals 3

someone can be a bad fit in locker room without them being a bad guy. which is what i wonder about with krug.

 

[mk80]

Overall on locker room issues I think a lot of things get blown out of proportion, especially in today’s social media content driven media world where “locker room problem” headlines generate clicks. I think as in a group, and one made up of all highly competitive people like an NHL locker room is, sometimes an argument or moment of confrontation gets misconstrued as a locker room issue. When in reality there’s nothing to it more than just that moment.

I have no doubt the Blues locker room has been no exception to having moments of tension between teammates but that doesn’t mean there’s a true locker room problem.

 

[Frenzy31]

I feel that the lockerroom part is total click bait. we have two pages already and will likely have more of fans discussing this.

Armstrong tends to play things tight. Berube did also, until he finally named players. But he never said there was a locker room problem. when was the last time their was a source in the locker room.

To me the story is the Blies have under achieved and are looking to trade players on expiring contracts. Well that is a no kidding kind of story and will not be picked up by anyone. But if locker room drama is added, then we have news.