2018 - 2019 Blues (Hockey) Season

[JCShutout]

I honestly would rather them sell and tank (including selling Tank-heh, puns) than live in the world of expensive mediocrity. I don't even think this greatly increases their chances at a playoff spot. I think we're still a decent shot at a wild card spot... but hey, atleast we also got older and more expensive! Yippee!

[MrCrowesGarden]

Blues sign goalie Chad Johnson.

If “the kids” work out and they’re stars on ELCs this is fine. Otherwise this is still a team that’s in that 7-10 range in the West.

Sucks we couldn’t even get a meeting with Tavares.

[JCShutout]

What sucks is, we already were a 7-10 team in the West, but now we're much older and much more expensive. I look forward to the 4th round pick we get for Perron at the trade deadline in 3 1/2 years.

[TheoSqua]

I don't hate these trades as I think they fill a decent gap. I also don't think the Blues should tank and rebuild. Even when you get the top-notch talent like Edmonton you cant guarantee a win. And even when you tank for top talent, like Buffalo, you might not get it.

The team still has 3 very solid forwards in Tarasenko/Schenn/Schwartz. And they easily have a top5 prospect pool right now. They could tank for the next 3 years and end up with lesser prospects than they currently have. It also shows the Blues are doing an above average job with drafting, as over the last 10 years their picks are hitting more than any other team.

Obviously the best way to improve the team is to get even better talent and move our top line to a 2nd line. But that requires players to want to play here, and it's a problem that the entire city is having. The Cardinals are struggling to bring in talent, in the NFL it was so bad that the entire team left for better pastures, and the team couldn't get it together enough to get an MLS team. So I don't really think you can hold it against the Blues if they are having the same problem.

So what's the next hole that can be filled on the team? It's secondary scoring. The Blues only had 4 forwards on the roster that scored 32 points or more last season. So adding Bozak and Perron gives that secondary area a lot more depth. It also gives competition to the younger prospect groups and gives opportunities for them to grow in the minors without being rushed if they aren't ready.

So some combination of Perron/Fabbri/Bozak/Kyrou/Thomas/Thompson/Kostin/Blais/etc. will replace parts of Stastny/Brodziak/Jaskin/Berglund/Sobotka/Upshall/Paajarvi.

I'm not sure what more the team could have done. I didn't want to see ROR if it meant giving up Thomas or Kyrou. And the team's core is too good to blow it up and just go with kids. So take whaty ou can get, turn over as much as you can in depth and see what happens.

A team that looks like this could be very different from last year:

Tarasenko - Schenn - Schwartz
Steen - Bozak - Perron
Kyrou - Thomas - Fabbri
Sobotka - Berglund - Barbashev

[albertmvpujols]

OMFG STOP SIGNING EXPENSIVE 3RD LINERS!!!! THIS IS WHY WE SUCK, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO GET TOP 5 PICKS!

6! 6 expensive 3rd line/#4 Dman contracts now! 6! We need to move 4 expensive crappy players now. WHAT ARE WE DOING?

These aren't third liners and these cap hits are not at all bad with the cap going up.

This isn't the ideal off-season but Tavares wouldn't sign here so this is a pretty decent fallback. Sobotka will likely be traded now. These guys can shift down the lineup as the prospects prove they are ready to move up.

Tanking is silly at this point with the blues who have a prime aged core with a solid prospect pool. They have definitely improved their chances on being the 3rd team in the central behind the Preds and Jets.

[albertmvpujols]

I don't hate these trades as I think they fill a decent gap. I also don't think the Blues should tank and rebuild. Even when you get the top-notch talent like Edmonton you cant guarantee a win. And even when you tank for top talent, like Buffalo, you might not get it.

The team still has 3 very solid forwards in Tarasenko/Schenn/Schwartz. And they easily have a top5 prospect pool right now. They could tank for the next 3 years and end up with lesser prospects than they currently have. It also shows the Blues are doing an above average job with drafting, as over the last 10 years their picks are hitting more than any other team.

Obviously the best way to improve the team is to get even better talent and move our top line to a 2nd line. But that requires players to want to play here, and it's a problem that the entire city is having. The Cardinals are struggling to bring in talent, in the NFL it was so bad that the entire team left for better pastures, and the team couldn't get it together enough to get an MLS team. So I don't really think you can hold it against the Blues if they are having the same problem.

So what's the next hole that can be filled on the team? It's secondary scoring. The Blues only had 4 forwards on the roster that scored 32 points or more last season. So adding Bozak and Perron gives that secondary area a lot more depth. It also gives competition to the younger prospect groups and gives opportunities for them to grow in the minors without being rushed if they aren't ready.

So some combination of Perron/Fabbri/Bozak/Kyrou/Thomas/Thompson/Kostin/Blais/etc. will replace parts of Stastny/Brodziak/Jaskin/Berglund/Sobotka/Upshall/Paajarvi.

I'm not sure what more the team could have done. I didn't want to see ROR if it meant giving up Thomas or Kyrou. And the team's core is too good to blow it up and just go with kids. So take whaty ou can get, turn over as much as you can in depth and see what happens.

A team that looks like this could be very different from last year:

Tarasenko - Schenn - Schwartz
Steen - Bozak - Perron
Kyrou - Thomas - Fabbri
Sobotka - Berglund - Barbashev

I should've just read this post first before posting myself. I agree completely with this.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Thomas and Kyrou have to be special. If they are this is fine. If they’re just guys then they missed a chance to be more than the heartland of third liners.

[MrCrowesGarden]

And no matter what it goes against what Armstrong has been saying since April

[JCShutout]

OMFG STOP SIGNING EXPENSIVE 3RD LINERS!!!! THIS IS WHY WE SUCK, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO GET TOP 5 PICKS!

6! 6 expensive 3rd line/#4 Dman contracts now! 6! We need to move 4 expensive crappy players now. WHAT ARE WE DOING?

These aren't third liners and these cap hits are not at all bad with the cap going up.

This isn't the ideal off-season but Tavares wouldn't sign here so this is a pretty decent fallback. Sobotka will likely be traded now. These guys can shift down the lineup as the prospects prove they are ready to move up.

Tanking is silly at this point with the blues who have a prime aged core with a solid prospect pool. They have definitely improved their chances on being the 3rd team in the central behind the Preds and Jets.

I'm not in favor of tanking with our first line and Petro being solid legit top guys IMO. I was just commenting that being just on the outside of the playoffs is way worse than being good (duh) or being bad enough to draft top talent.

What I would like to see is the kids get a legit chance instead of relegating them to the 4th line. I honestly think their upside is higher than Bozak/Perron, and that with decent playing time, will equal those guys production for less money. I get that ROR cost too much and top players didn't want to come here. (Hint hint, hire a coach who plays a modern game that players want to be a part of)

Perron and Bozak only aren't "3rd liners" because we aren't playing them on the third line. By your logic, Jori Lehtera is a top 6 forward because we played him there for 2 awful years (and one decent one, to be fair). They are 3rd liners on any decent contender. They are the type of player that is a solid role player, but really isn't enough for a legit second line threat. (Unless paired with a real star) They aren't the guy to elevate the guys around them. When they get expensive, you move on from them... except the Blues, who sign all of those guys and fill the roster with them.

By the way, Bozak scored less goals and less total points than Steener last year. Anyone think Steen was producing like a top 6 forward last year?

The cost and term are okay... when you have one or two of these guys, not 6, which the Blues have. Berglund, Boat, Steen, Bozak, Perron, Gunnarson, JayBo. Oh [expletive], 7 bad contracts, not six. Awesome. At some point, you can't pounce on an opportunity to take on an elite talent that comes available, or keep better young players because you spend $30m/year for those 7 players.

I felt like we had to move one bad salary before today. Two would be ideal. Now we need to move 3 terrible contracts, at least. Two to only be in as bad a shape as last year. Hopefully Gunnarson and Jaybo go away after this year... though Armstrong will probably resign both for a combined $7m/year because Vince Dunn made one mistake in a Nov game in which he scored 3 points or something.

If the kids excel, then great, that will cover mistakes, but banking on that rarely works... and knowing Yeo, they will get 12 min/night on the 4th line.

Also, Boat needed to be moved before these signings. Now he REALLY needs to be moved. And Berglund, and Gunnarson. (Doubt someone will take Bouw or Steen unless they play well, in which case we will want to keep them)

Basically, we need someone to take Boat away, and we need Steen and JayBo to go back in time, as well as Perron and Bozak to have Schenn-like increases in performance. Its not impossible, just really expensive and unlikely.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Blues get O’Reilly for two picks including a first, Berglund, Sobotka and Tage Thompson