Blue Goose
Registered User
I just get the sinking feeling that the Blues teams assembled over the past 7-8 seasons bear such a striking resemblance to those Quebec/Colorado teams from 20-25 years ago. Does this sound familiar?
In the summer of 1987, Quebec traded one of their biggest stars (Dale Hunter) in exchange for a package that included the #15 pick in the draft (which became future captain Joe Sakic). In 2003, the Blues picked future captain David Backes in the second round.
After finishing in 4th place in their division in 1987, Quebec missed the playoffs every year from 1988-1992, and amassed the following draft picks from which to rebuild their team:
1987 Draft: Bryan Fogarty, Joe Sakic
1988 Draft: Curtis Leschyshyn, Stephane Fiset, Valeri Kamensky, Alexei Gusarov
1989 Draft: Mats Sundin, Adam Foote
1990 Draft: Owen Nolan, Andrei Kovalenko
1991 Draft: Eric Lindros, Rene Corbet
After first round playoff exits in 2003 and 2004, the Blues would miss the playoffs in five of the next 6 seasons, amassing the following draft picks from which to rebuild their team:
Backes, Stempniak (became Steen), Nikitin (became Russell), Polak, Oshie, Bishop, Reaves, Erik Johnson (became Shattenkirk and Stewart), Berglund, Eller (became Halak), Cole, Perron, Palushaj (became Dags), Petro, McRae, Allen.
Between 1989 and 1991, Quebec went through 4 head coaches, before finally settling on Pierre Page. After Quenneville and Kitchen, the Blues finally settled on Andy Murray.
Here's where it gets interesting (in my opinion): those young Quebec teams definitely resembled these Blues teams, but they didn't "get over the hump" until they made some tough trades to shake up the roster and add depth/experience to an otherwise young team rebuilt through the draft.
In the midst of their rebuild in March 1992, Quebec traded former first round pick Bryan Fogarty to Pittsburgh in exchange for Scott Young. That June, they made the "Lindros trade", in which they got Steve Duchesne, Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, Peter Forsberg, and a 1st round pick in 1993 (Jocelyn Thibault). While nothing will EVER match the Lindros trade, I would draw a slight comparison between these two deals and the Pronger/Weight trades, in terms of how it "shook up" the team during the rebuilding years.
The young Quebec team over-achieved and made it to the playoffs in 1993, losing in the 1st round. The young Blues team over-achieved and made it to the playoffs in 2009, losing in the 1st round.
In the 1994 draft, Quebec picked Chris Drury and Milan Hejduk. In 2010, St. Louis picked Schwartz and Tarasenko.
During the dismal 1993-94 season, Quebec traded Steve Duchesne to St. Louis (for a package including Garth Butcher and Ron Sutter, who was subsequently traded for Uwe Krupp) and then made a blockbuster deal that summer, sending Mats Sundin (and Butcher) to Toronto for Wendel Clark and Sylvain Lefebvre. After dealing Lars Eller for Halak in the summer of 2010, the Blues followed up during the dismal 2010-11 season by trading away Eric Brewer and Brad Boyes, and making the blockbuster deal with Colorado for Stewart and Shattenkirk.
Following the disappointing season and blockbuster trade, Page was replaced by Marc Crawford, who went on to lead his team to a surprising Division title, and won the Jack Adams Award in his first season (1995). Following the disappointment seasons of Murray and then Payne, and blockbuster trade, Hitchcock was brought in and led his team to a surprising Division title, and won the Jack Adams Award in his first season (2012).
Now, here's where we get the rest of the Blues' story:
After getting a taste in 1993 and then again in 1995, Quebec (who had just moved to Colorado) made THREE key trades in the fall of 1995, each involving core players being traded for either veteran depth or to fill much-needed holes in their otherwise impressive roster:
1. Wendel Clark (just shy of 29 years old) was traded to the NY Islanders, in a 3-team deal that sent reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Claude Lemieux (aged 30) to the Avalanche.
2. Former 1st overall pick Owen Nolan (aged 23) was traded to San Jose, in exchange for offensive-minded power-play QB defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh (also 23).
3. Forwards Andrei Kovalenko (aged 25) and Martin Rucinsky (aged 24), and goalie Jocelyn Thibault (almost 21) were traded to Montreal, in exchange for team captain Mike Keane (aged 28) and Patrick Roy (aged 30).
Quebec/Colorado knew that in order to get to the next level, they needed to package some young core pieces to get the right chemistry for their eventual Cup-winning team in 1996. Should the Blues be prepared to do the same? We shall see...
PS. Thanks for indulging me - this just stuck in my head, so I had to write it all down.
In the summer of 1987, Quebec traded one of their biggest stars (Dale Hunter) in exchange for a package that included the #15 pick in the draft (which became future captain Joe Sakic). In 2003, the Blues picked future captain David Backes in the second round.
After finishing in 4th place in their division in 1987, Quebec missed the playoffs every year from 1988-1992, and amassed the following draft picks from which to rebuild their team:
1987 Draft: Bryan Fogarty, Joe Sakic
1988 Draft: Curtis Leschyshyn, Stephane Fiset, Valeri Kamensky, Alexei Gusarov
1989 Draft: Mats Sundin, Adam Foote
1990 Draft: Owen Nolan, Andrei Kovalenko
1991 Draft: Eric Lindros, Rene Corbet
After first round playoff exits in 2003 and 2004, the Blues would miss the playoffs in five of the next 6 seasons, amassing the following draft picks from which to rebuild their team:
Backes, Stempniak (became Steen), Nikitin (became Russell), Polak, Oshie, Bishop, Reaves, Erik Johnson (became Shattenkirk and Stewart), Berglund, Eller (became Halak), Cole, Perron, Palushaj (became Dags), Petro, McRae, Allen.
Between 1989 and 1991, Quebec went through 4 head coaches, before finally settling on Pierre Page. After Quenneville and Kitchen, the Blues finally settled on Andy Murray.
Here's where it gets interesting (in my opinion): those young Quebec teams definitely resembled these Blues teams, but they didn't "get over the hump" until they made some tough trades to shake up the roster and add depth/experience to an otherwise young team rebuilt through the draft.
In the midst of their rebuild in March 1992, Quebec traded former first round pick Bryan Fogarty to Pittsburgh in exchange for Scott Young. That June, they made the "Lindros trade", in which they got Steve Duchesne, Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, Peter Forsberg, and a 1st round pick in 1993 (Jocelyn Thibault). While nothing will EVER match the Lindros trade, I would draw a slight comparison between these two deals and the Pronger/Weight trades, in terms of how it "shook up" the team during the rebuilding years.
The young Quebec team over-achieved and made it to the playoffs in 1993, losing in the 1st round. The young Blues team over-achieved and made it to the playoffs in 2009, losing in the 1st round.
In the 1994 draft, Quebec picked Chris Drury and Milan Hejduk. In 2010, St. Louis picked Schwartz and Tarasenko.
During the dismal 1993-94 season, Quebec traded Steve Duchesne to St. Louis (for a package including Garth Butcher and Ron Sutter, who was subsequently traded for Uwe Krupp) and then made a blockbuster deal that summer, sending Mats Sundin (and Butcher) to Toronto for Wendel Clark and Sylvain Lefebvre. After dealing Lars Eller for Halak in the summer of 2010, the Blues followed up during the dismal 2010-11 season by trading away Eric Brewer and Brad Boyes, and making the blockbuster deal with Colorado for Stewart and Shattenkirk.
Following the disappointing season and blockbuster trade, Page was replaced by Marc Crawford, who went on to lead his team to a surprising Division title, and won the Jack Adams Award in his first season (1995). Following the disappointment seasons of Murray and then Payne, and blockbuster trade, Hitchcock was brought in and led his team to a surprising Division title, and won the Jack Adams Award in his first season (2012).
Now, here's where we get the rest of the Blues' story:
After getting a taste in 1993 and then again in 1995, Quebec (who had just moved to Colorado) made THREE key trades in the fall of 1995, each involving core players being traded for either veteran depth or to fill much-needed holes in their otherwise impressive roster:
1. Wendel Clark (just shy of 29 years old) was traded to the NY Islanders, in a 3-team deal that sent reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Claude Lemieux (aged 30) to the Avalanche.
2. Former 1st overall pick Owen Nolan (aged 23) was traded to San Jose, in exchange for offensive-minded power-play QB defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh (also 23).
3. Forwards Andrei Kovalenko (aged 25) and Martin Rucinsky (aged 24), and goalie Jocelyn Thibault (almost 21) were traded to Montreal, in exchange for team captain Mike Keane (aged 28) and Patrick Roy (aged 30).
Quebec/Colorado knew that in order to get to the next level, they needed to package some young core pieces to get the right chemistry for their eventual Cup-winning team in 1996. Should the Blues be prepared to do the same? We shall see...
PS. Thanks for indulging me - this just stuck in my head, so I had to write it all down.
