Confirmed with Link: STL/ANA Cam Fowler, 2027 4th for 2027 2nd, Jeremie Biakabatuka

[CaliforniaBlues310]

The game card matched the eye test today. I thought he looked excellent.

 

[Xerloris]

He’ll fit right in with our other non physical dman

Do you have any idea what I would give for a prime Pronger or Stevens?

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Do you have any idea what I would give for a prime Pronger or Stevens?

They were awesome, but so were Lidstrom and Niedermayer. Would you rather have Heiskanen or Lindell? Makar or Manson? Physicality on D doesn't feel like our biggest need.

 

[simon IC]

They were awesome, but so were Lidstrom and Niedermayer. Would you rather have Heiskanen or Lindell? Makar or Manson? Physicality on D doesn't feel like our biggest need.

Respectfully, there is a difference there. Lidstrom and Niedermayer weren't bangers, but they never shied away from physical contact. They went to the dirty areas. That is what made them effective two-way defencemen. But I do get your point.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Respectfully, there is a difference there. Lidstrom and Niedermayer weren't bangers, but they never shied away from physical contact. They went to the dirty areas. That is what made them effective two-way defencemen. But I do get your point.

Absolutely. And I love physical defensemen. I wanted us to draft the Norwegian kid who was blowing everyone up at WC rather than Jiricek even. I'm just saying that we need to add high-end talent more than we need to add bangers. Tyler Tucker ain't the answer.

 

[shpongle falls]

Fowler has been better than I expected he can really skate and is solid defensively, he looks great considering the amount of games he’s played.

 

[Louie the Blue]

What the definition of not being able to handle it? If it’s that they haven’t been good enough to be a team with a backend capable of doing anything in the playoffs or even making them the yes, I agree. But that IMO should not be our goal this year.

I do not think there are alternatives on the roster that are capable of playing 20 + minutes a night of top 4 average ice time on this roster. Asking Suter, Parayko, Faulk, Broberg to make up the difference with additional playing time risks them to injury, which can exacerbate the flaws of the roster, and ask Binnington/Hofer to face a greater volume of shots on a nightly basis leading them more prone to injury as well.

I don’t care if the Blues make the POs or not this year. Fowler allows the D to be passable without risking injuries to others and stunted development.

 

[simon IC]

I still want to know what happens when Leddy comes back. We will have,
down the left side:
Broberg
Leddy
Fowler
Suter
I don't accept an answer that involves one playing their "off" side. Something will have to give.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I still want to know what happens when Leddy comes back. We will have,
down the left side:
Broberg
Leddy
Fowler
Suter
I don't accept an answer that involves one playing their "off" side. Something will have to give.

Since Kessel shat the bed this year, we only have 2 right handed D. Somebody has to play their offside regardless.

 

[simon IC]

Since Kessel shat the bed this year, we only have 2 right handed D. Somebody has to play their offside regardless.

Yeah.
I hope a stint in the minors will rectify that. I am really bullish on Kessel, and I still have high hopes for him.

 

[Xerloris]

They were awesome, but so were Lidstrom and Niedermayer. Would you rather have Heiskanen or Lindell? Makar or Manson? Physicality on D doesn't feel like our biggest need.

I prefer Stevens and Pronger because they forced other teams to plan around them out of fear.

 

[HighNote]

If we had a Pronger or Stevens today they'd only play half the season due to suspensions.

 

[DatDude44]

I still want to know what happens when Leddy comes back. We will have,
down the left side:
Broberg
Leddy
Fowler
Suter
I don't accept an answer that involves one playing their "off" side. Something will have to give.

Fowler-Parayko
Broberg-Faulk
Suter-Leddy

Is my guess.

tho I really like what perunovich has brought at 5v5 in 3rd pair minutes, he seems to help tilt the ice in our favor most shifts in his limited role. Just don’t foresee us scratching leddy for him and if we scratch Suter then leddy-Peru would be the softest 3rd pair in the league lol

 

[Stlblue50]

To me this trade happened because Faulk has been absolutely terrible. Since this is his 3rd season in a row of struggles, they got tired of waiting for him to snap out of it.

Now they can play either Broberg or Fowler with Faulk while lowering his ice time. Hopefully more sheltered minutes will give him some confidence back.

Fowler looked really good last night. He has always been a smooth skater but his outlet passing was spot on.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I’m way late to the party here but I have some opinions. Heck, I didn’t even know about the trade until I turned on the game in the 2nd and saw a stat about D ice time and Fowler had played about 10 minutes at that point in the game Sat night and I was hella confused. I was at my son’s hockey tourney all day and never opened social media I guess lol.

For the actual trade, I’m ok with it. I’m not a huge fan of trading away another 2nd and I’m not convinced Fowler is all that good anymore at age 33 but clearly Broberg and Suter were getting overworked and unfortunately, Peru, POJ and Kessel weren’t taking the step they were hoping they’d take.

I think my main issue with it is that once again, we are trying to bandaid the top-4 LD hole that’s been gaping ever since Bouwmeester collapsed and had to retire a few years ago. First it was Scandella for a 2nd and 4th. He seemed to fit in alright with Parayko for a while…and then he didn’t. Then it was Leddy for a 2nd, Walman and Sunny. Now Fowler for another 2nd but at least we got a 4th back in the same draft (2 years from now). It just seems like treading water to me. And while 2nd don’t hit a lot, I feel we’re eating them like candy. I’d rather them just go get a guy that’ll actually be a longterm solution instead of all these assets every couple of years to continually try to stop-gap plug the same hole. Hopefully Lindstein is the eventual answer but he’s still likely at least a couple years away and we shouldn’t expect him to just jump right into a top-4 role even when he is ready.

But all that said, it’s not horrible. I can see the need. But he’s 33 so the Fowler in my head likely isn’t the Fowler we got. The joke’s been done a ton already but damn would this likely be a good defense if this was 5-8 years ago.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I’m way late to the party here but I have some opinions. Heck, I didn’t even know about the trade until I turned on the game in the 2nd and saw a stat about D ice time and Fowler had played about 10 minutes at that point in the game Sat night and I was hella confused. I was at my son’s hockey tourney all day and never opened social media I guess lol.

For the actual trade, I’m ok with it. I’m not a huge fan of trading away another 2nd and I’m not convinced Fowler is all that good anymore at age 33 but clearly Broberg and Suter were getting overworked and unfortunately, Peru, POJ and Kessel weren’t taking the step they were hoping they’d take.

I think my main issue with it is that once again, we are trying to bandaid the top-4 LD hole that’s been gaping ever since Bouwmeester collapsed and had to retire a few years ago. First it was Scandella for a 2nd and 4th. He seemed to fit in alright with Parayko for a while…and then he didn’t. Then it was Leddy for a 2nd, Walman and Sunny. Now Fowler for another 2nd but at least we got a 4th back in the same draft (2 years from now). It just seems like treading water to me. And while 2nd don’t hit a lot, I feel we’re eating them like candy. I’d rather them just go get a guy that’ll actually be a longterm solution instead of all these assets every couple of years to continually try to stop-gap plug the same hole. Hopefully Lindstein is the eventual answer but he’s still likely at least a couple years away and we shouldn’t expect him to just jump right into a top-4 role even when he is ready.

But all that said, it’s not horrible. I can see the need. But he’s 33 so the Fowler in my head likely isn’t the Fowler we got. The joke’s been done a ton already but damn would this likely be a good defense if this was 5-8 years ago.

Fowler is a band aid, but we have drafted 3 LD in top 2 rounds last 2 years and acquired Broberg. If 1 or more of Lindstein, Ralph, or Fischer (or even another prospect like Burns or Buchinger or Kormosolov) are good enough to play in top 4, along with Brogberg, we won't have to keep going for these type of fixes. I have pretty high level of confidence that will happen.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Fowler is a band aid, but we have drafted 3 LD in top 2 rounds last 2 years and acquired Broberg. If 1 or more of Lindstein, Ralph, or Fischer (or even another prospect like Burns or Buchinger or Kormosolov) are good enough to play in top 4, along with Brogberg, we won't have to keep going for these type of fixes. I have pretty high level of confidence that will happen.

Yeah, eventually. I definitely believe in Lindstein and am hopeful on some of the others. Even if one or more of Ralph, Fischer, Koromyslov, Burns etc could be a solid #5 Edmundson type, that’d be a win. I guess I’m just annoyed with the last handful of years. To put it in the words of the great Mike Ehrmantraut, no more half-measures. We need full-measures. Or as you say, for one of the prospects to eventually get to that level but that seems a ways off still.