Line Combos: This years PowerPlay

[Majorityof1]

not on the power play, he only had 28 power play points across 87 games in the AHL
if he is not wracking up PP points as their top defenseman prospect, I have my doubts as to him suddenly being a stud at it in the NHL (although it would be awesome if it happened)

Where did you find the PP points on Broberg? I was looking at how many PP points Perunovich had in the AHL as a comparable. 28 PP points across a season (little more) isn't bad. Perunovich only had 3 PP goals in 41 AHL games. I could not find how many Assists/points in the PP in the AHL. But even if he had a better per game rate, it still matters how much PP TOI/gm each got and how good the rest if the PP was. We just don't get that good of a stat breakdown in the AHL to say for sure based on stats.

 

[joe galiba]

Where did you find the PP points on Broberg? I was looking at how many PP points Perunovich had in the AHL as a comparable. 28 PP points across a season (little more) isn't bad. Perunovich only had 3 PP goals in 41 AHL games. I could not find how many Assists/points in the PP in the AHL. But even if he had a better per game rate, it still matters how much PP TOI/gm each got and how good the rest if the PP was. We just don't get that good of a stat breakdown in the AHL to say for sure based on stats.

I had the same problem because I was curious about Broberg, I got frustrated that it wasn't easily found so I just started clicking on a bunch of different sites that didn't show anything until I found a couple the showed PP points, and those didn't even break it down by goals and assists

 

[Reality Czech]

when I watch someone like Krug, or any of the best guys at running a power play, they are able to manipulate the defenders using small changes in position with dekes and edgework to create openings for passes and shots for themselves and their teammates, plus the ability make the good decisions on what to do with the puck
if you are a great passer or have a great shot and cannot create an opportunity to use them it does you no good

Very true. Krug's biggest strength is his ability to move the puck around seamlessly like a point guard in basketball. Peru might be the only other guy who can do that well, but I guess we could use Thomas or Kyrou in that role if none of the D-men can do it.

Honestly with guys blocking so many shots, I feel we rarely see point shots go in anymore unless they are deflected or a total screen.

 

[Blanick]

Very true. Krug's biggest strength is his ability to move the puck around seamlessly like a point guard in basketball. Peru might be the only other guy who can do that well, but I guess we could use Thomas or Kyrou in that role if none of the D-men can do it.

Honestly with guys blocking so many shots, I feel we rarely see point shots go in anymore unless they are deflected or a total screen.

I don't love the idea of Kyrou at the point on a PP unit. Half wall sure but the point, that scares me a bit. Maybe move Buch off the top unit and have him QB the 2nd unit?

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I don't love the idea of Kyrou at the point on a PP unit. Half wall sure but the point, that scares me a bit. Maybe move Buch off the top unit and have him QB the 2nd unit?

Kyrou is a little too flighty to play the PP point.

 

[Reality Czech]

I don't love the idea of Kyrou at the point on a PP unit. Half wall sure but the point, that scares me a bit. Maybe move Buch off the top unit and have him QB the 2nd unit?

Kyrou is a little too flighty to play the PP point.

I can agree with that. He's got crazy puck skills but is also prone to turnovers. He's the guy you want finishing the play rather than handing the puck all the time. Buch might work but we may be better off with Peru, Faulk, or Leddy in that spot.

 

[EastVillageBlues]

I can agree with that. He's got crazy puck skills but is also prone to turnovers. He's the guy you want finishing the play rather than handing the puck all the time. Buch might work but we may be better off with Peru, Faulk, or Leddy in that spot.

Yeah. of those available this season, Perunovich is still the guy whose skill-set is most aligned with a PP-QB, whose highest valued attributes are puck handling, creativity, and distribution. The other guys should be adequate, but definitely not as good as Krug in that role.

But we should count on Perunovich missing half a season at least.

 

[Brian39]

-----------Neighbours---------------
Kyrou---------------------------------
---------------Buch-------------------
----------------------------Broberg--
---------Thomas---------------------

Neighbours camps in front of the net for screens/deflections/rebounds. He slides over for backdoor plays and is the guy who goes below the goal line most frequently.

Kyrou largely slides up and down the left wall inside the faceoff circle. He can slide below the circle for backdoor and one-time plays and is free to roam the zone and create with the puck on his stick.

Buch is the bumper. He can slide to the right as the play dictates, but is largely kept at about the faceoff dot or lower when he does.

Thomas is the 'QB' with freedom to walk the blue line either direction. Everything runs through him.

Broberg is on the right side of the blueline, but would often be sliding down into the right faceoff circle pretty much any time Thomas is doing his thing with the puck. He is largely my pick here due to the process of elimination. I want Thomas handling the puck up top as much as possible, which negates a lot of Perunovich's skillset. I have Kyrou as a one-time threat on the left side, so I think parking Parayko/Faulk as a shooting threat from that side is a bit redundant. That leaves us with Leddy or Broberg as the lefty D candidates to park on the right side. I'd rather see what Broberg can do with these minutes, I think his shot is better than Leddy's, and I like having Leddy rest during our PPs given how damn hard we ride him at 5 on 5 and PK.

 

[BlueMed]

-----------Neighbours---------------
Kyrou---------------------------------
---------------Buch-------------------
----------------------------Broberg--
---------Thomas---------------------

Neighbours camps in front of the net for screens/deflections/rebounds. He slides over for backdoor plays and is the guy who goes below the goal line most frequently.

Kyrou largely slides up and down the left wall inside the faceoff circle. He can slide below the circle for backdoor and one-time plays and is free to roam the zone and create with the puck on his stick.

Buch is the bumper. He can slide to the right as the play dictates, but is largely kept at about the faceoff dot or lower when he does.

Thomas is the 'QB' with freedom to walk the blue line either direction. Everything runs through him.

Broberg is on the right side of the blueline, but would often be sliding down into the right faceoff circle pretty much any time Thomas is doing his thing with the puck. He is largely my pick here due to the process of elimination. I want Thomas handling the puck up top as much as possible, which negates a lot of Perunovich's skillset. I have Kyrou as a one-time threat on the left side, so I think parking Parayko/Faulk as a shooting threat from that side is a bit redundant. That leaves us with Leddy or Broberg as the lefty D candidates to park on the right side. I'd rather see what Broberg can do with these minutes, I think his shot is better than Leddy's, and I like having Leddy rest during our PPs given how damn hard we ride him at 5 on 5 and PK.

Thomas is an excellent passer, but walking the blue line and finding shooting lanes from the point is not necessarily his strength. It's almost certain that Justin Faulk will get that opportunity on the top powerplay unit given his success in Carolina. If Perunovich plays well enough to make the regular lineup, he'll be able to quarterback that second power play unit.

 

[BluesReport25]

For me I think the only hard choice on the top powerplay will be who the dman is.

I'd like to see the below

1st unit

----------Neighbours----------
Kyrou--------Buch------Thomas (Thomas can roam)
----------Perunovich-----------

2nd unit

------------Schenn-------------
Holloway----Saad------Bolduc
-------------Faulk--------------

If Perunovich doesn't make the lineup then I'd give Broberg a chance on the top unit. I think Faulk needs to stick with the 2nd unit simply because it needs a right shot from somewhere.

The Blues powerplay will get a lot more exciting once Snuggerud is added and gives the Blues a serious one-timer threat from the left side.

 

[Brian39]

Thomas is an excellent passer, but walking the blue line and finding shooting lanes from the point is not necessarily his strength. It's almost certain that Justin Faulk will get that opportunity on the top powerplay unit given his success in Carolina. If Perunovich plays well enough to make the regular lineup, he'll be able to quarterback that second power play unit.

That wasn't a strength for Krug either.

Thomas was up high a lot on the PP in the 2nd half last season. I'd expect him to do a lot of what he did last year (walking the line looking for passing lanes instead of shooting lanes).

 

[BlueMed]

That wasn't a strength for Krug either.

Thomas was up high a lot on the PP in the 2nd half last season. I'd expect him to do a lot of what he did last year (walking the line looking for passing lanes instead of shooting lanes).

I don't get the sense that the Blues will experiment with Thomas given Faulk's prior experience running a power play. It would be interesting to see though.

 

[joe galiba]

Faulk has reached double digits twice in his career in PP assists
he finished 18th and 20th in PP assists among defenseman in those two seasons
his lack of PP assists in his career matches my eye test
having him on the PP on the wall to use his shot is one thing, running the point is something else and a no go to me

Faulk running a power play is not remotely a match for his skillset

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Faulk has reached double digits twice in his career in PP assists
he finished 18th and 20th in PP assists among defenseman in those two seasons
his lack of PP assists in his career matches my eye test
having him on the PP on the wall to use his shot is one thing, running the point is something else and a no go to me

Faulk running a power play is not remotely a match for his skillset

Fair enough, but if peru isn't in the lineup do we have a better option? I don't think we do.

 

[ds774622]

Broberg may very well work his way into one of the PP units during the season, but I don't expect him to start there. With there being consensus on the four forwards for that top unit (Neighbours, Buch, Kyrou, and Thomas), I'm undoubtedly in the minority that I'd like to see Parayko on that point role with Thomas acting as the QB. I'm loving the Neighbours comps to Kreider, and he makes his living on tips in front of the net. Putting Jake in that position you need someone like Fox to whip some point shots in there for a Neighbours or Buch tip. Kyrou could make a living on the back door tap ins.

 

[Brian39]

I don't get the sense that the Blues will experiment with Thomas given Faulk's prior experience running a power play. It would be interesting to see though.

My opinion is that Faulk's experience running the PP in Carolina is more disqualifying than qualifying for consideration to QB the top unit here. He was the clear QB of their top unit for 5 seasons from 2014/15 through 2018/19.

He had 10+ PP assists in just 2 those seasons. He hit the 20 PP point mark a single time.

Carolina's PP was 26th in the league over that 5 year stretch. Their highest single-season PP% in that stretch was 15th and they were 20th or worse in each of the other 4 years.

My eye test then (and continued eye test when he's gotten PP time here) is that he his success (and instincts) is centered around cranking shots and not distributing the puck around the zone. I think his absolute best case upside as a PP QB is that he can get your PP to hover at or approaching adequacy. And I don't think he is a lock to get your PP to that point.

I don't view running the PP through Thomas as much of an experiment. He was positioned up high for a very long stretch of games last season and was the primary puck distributor on the unit. His 19 PP assists was 6 more than any player on the team and he moved laterally a ton. I think there is a good argument that he ran the PP in the 2nd half of last season.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Faulk is much more suited in the role of a trigger man than a playmaker/QB.

 

[TurgPavs]

I think the Scott Perunovich experiment is quickly coming to a close.
Army doesnt go out and sign Suter, Broberg, and to some extent POJ, if the plan was to continue with Peru.
You can argue that Kessel has passed up Peru in the depth chart.

At some point you gotta cut bait and move on. IMO the Blues will roll with Leddy, CP, Faulk, Broberg, Suter, Kessel, and either POL or Kessel. I expect Peru to be placed on waivers.

Discussing how Peru will contribute this season, seems a little off, I doubt he is with the Blues must longer.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

I think the Scott Perunovich experiment is quickly coming to a close.
Army doesnt go out and sign Suter, Broberg, and to some extent POJ, if the plan was to continue with Peru.
You can argue that Kessel has passed up Peru in the depth chart.

At some point you gotta cut bait and move on. IMO the Blues will roll with Leddy, CP, Faulk, Broberg, Suter, Kessel, and either POL or Kessel. I expect Peru to be placed on waivers.

Discussing how Peru will contribute this season, seems a little off, I doubt he is with the Blues must longer.

With Krug out, there's more room on the roster for a sheltered offensive defenseman who can also run the PP. Perunovich fits that bill, so he's got a shot at a roster spot. Now if he's outplayed by other guys, I have no issue with moving on from him, but I don't think he should be entirely counted out.

 

[joe galiba]

I think the Scott Perunovich experiment is quickly coming to a close.
Army doesnt go out and sign Suter, Broberg, and to some extent POJ, if the plan was to continue with Peru.
You can argue that Kessel has passed up Peru in the depth chart.

At some point you gotta cut bait and move on. IMO the Blues will roll with Leddy, CP, Faulk, Broberg, Suter, Kessel, and either POL or Kessel. I expect Peru to be placed on waivers.

Discussing how Peru will contribute this season, seems a little off, I doubt he is with the Blues must longer.

the Blues also made sure he hit the threshold of games played last year so they would have his rights for this year
the additions since then may make him expendable, but he does bring something that the none of the other D on this roster possesses
I would guess that Suter, POJ, Kessel and Peru will be in competition for the bottom pairing and the Blues will let it shake itself out

 

[Brian39]

I think the Scott Perunovich experiment is quickly coming to a close.
Army doesnt go out and sign Suter, Broberg, and to some extent POJ, if the plan was to continue with Peru.

I disagree that those acquisitions mean that there isn't a plan to continue with Perunovich. We signed both of those guys before there was even remote clarity about being able to land Broberg via offer sheet and that subsequent offer sheet very well could have made either of them expendable in the eyes of the front office.

Suter reportedly refused to play on the right side last year and I have no clue whether or not Joseph has ever played on the right side. But I do know that Perunovich played that side in college, which tells me that he is probably better suited to be a 7th D that can fill in on either side than the others. He's also the only one of the 3 with any potential to be a quality PPQB, which is a big question mark for our team.

Waiving Suter or Joseph would cost us less real money and cap space than waiving Perunovich as well.

I don't think any are locked into jobs entering camp and Perunovich very well could become the odd man out. But I don't think that existing plan is to move on from him.

 

[SirPaste]

If I was a betting man I would be the Blues plan on rolling with 8 dmen like they did for much of last season with 2 of Peru/POJ/Suter all taking turns in the press box depending on form, injuries, giving Suter some rest, etc.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

If I was a betting man I would be the Blues plan on rolling with 8 dmen like they did for much of last season with 2 of Peru/POJ/Suter all taking turns in the press box depending on form, injuries, giving Suter some rest, etc.

I would bet on this as well. Here's how I see it unfolding:

Offensive locks (11): Buchnevich, Faksa, Holloway, Joseph, Kyrou, Neighbours, Saad, Schenn, Texier, Thomas, Toropchenko.

Defensive locks (4): Broberg, Faulk, Leddy, Parayko

Goaltenders (2): Binnington, Hofer

That leaves six spots up for grabs to start the season. Barring something unforeseen, these will be the players that are realistically in competition for them.

Offense: Bolduc, Kapanen, Sundqvist, Walker

Defense: Joseph, Kessel, Perunovich, Suter, Tucker

I think it's likely to be Bolduc, Kapanen, Joseph, Kessel, Perunovich, and Suter to fill those 6 spots to start the season. This would leave us with 8 defensemen. We should be able to pass Walker through waivers. Tucker could pass through waivers but I wouldn't be surprised to see him claimed by a bottom feeder. Either way I don't see much of a future for him here. I may have missed an update but I don't believe Sunny is likely to be ready to go to start the season. If Sunny is ready to go, it complicates the decision a little bit. Obviously if there are any injuries it makes these decisions even easier.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I would bet on this as well. Here's how I see it unfolding:

Offensive locks (11): Buchnevich, Faksa, Holloway, Joseph, Kyrou, Neighbours, Saad, Schenn, Texier, Thomas, Toropchenko.

Defensive locks (4): Broberg, Faulk, Leddy, Parayko

Goaltenders (2): Binnington, Hofer

That leaves six spots up for grabs to start the season. Barring something unforeseen, these will be the players that are realistically in competition for them.

Offense: Bolduc, Kapanen, Sundqvist, Walker

Defense: Joseph, Kessel, Perunovich, Suter, Tucker

I think it's likely to be Bolduc, Kapanen, Joseph, Kessel, Perunovich, and Suter to fill those 6 spots to start the season. This would leave us with 8 defensemen. We should be able to pass Walker through waivers. Tucker could pass through waivers but I wouldn't be surprised to see him claimed by a bottom feeder. Either way I don't see much of a future for him here. I may have missed an update but I don't believe Sunny is likely to be ready to go to start the season. If Sunny is ready to go, it complicates the decision a little bit. Obviously if there are any injuries it makes these decisions even easier.

You may be right, but I don’t like the 8d idea. Having 2 d sitting nightly is suboptimal. Guys like sunny and walker are energy guys, so when they are in they bring something specific. I don’t see that advantage from extra extra d. If someone claims peru or POJ, so be it.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

You may be right, but I don’t like the 8d idea. Having 2 d sitting nightly is suboptimal. Guys like sunny and walker are energy guys, so when they are in they bring something specific. I don’t see that advantage from extra extra d. If someone claims Perot or POJ, so be it.

May be true in general, but Suter will need nights off to get the best out of him. I also would be surprised if they carry 8 after the season gets rolling and someone gets injured.