Blues Off-season and 2025-26 Season

[GeddyWrox]

I'm not sure it would matter, because we sucked when everyone was healthy, but our list of injuries is grotesque:

- Kyrou (upper body)
- Neighbours (lower body)
- Holloway (ankle)
- Sundqvist (ankle)
- Thomas (lower body)
- P Suter (ankle)

That is 5/6 of your top 2 lines. WOOF

[Popeye_Card]

I was browsing through the standings yesterday. The Blues have 18 regulation wins. That's more than the Sharks, Ducks, Kings, Preds, Blackhawks, Flames, and of course the Canucks in the West. Equal to Vegas and Seattle. Just one fewer than the Wild. Overall it is tied for 7th most in the West.

But then there's the bad part - 1-9 in OT and SO's. Of course the only team without an OT win. 25 losses in regulation - tied for 2nd-worst with the Flames. -53 goal differential - 2nd-worst in the entire NHL, and just 2 better than the lowly Canucks.

Obviously the injuries have hurt, both literally and figuratively. The late game, OT, and special team struggles though - when do you have to start questioning the coaching? If they didn't want Jim Montgomery so bad, I don't know how any other coach would still be employed.

[Fat_Bulldog]

Forgot to extend the black-out bag into the final 1:30 of the third period too. Only bad things happen to this team in that timeframe.

Again, last night. If only they could close out games.

[cardsfantx]

I'm not sure it would matter, because we sucked when everyone was healthy, but our list of injuries is grotesque:

- Kyrou (upper body)
- Neighbours (lower body)
- Holloway (ankle)
- Sundqvist (ankle)
- Thomas (lower body)
- P Suter (ankle)

That is 5/6 of your top 2 lines. WOOF

and that's just who's hurt NOW...we can't forget that these guys all missed quite a bit of time also...

- Snuggy
- Toropchenko
- Walker
- Bjugstad

IIRC on our forwards, only Schenn and Buch are the only full time guys since the beginning of the season to not be hurt??

[Popeye_Card]

IIRC on our forwards, only Schenn and Buch are the only full time guys since the beginning of the season to not be hurt??

That's odd, because I could swear the two of them disappear most nights.

[GeddyWrox]

HEYOOOOOOOOO

[GeddyWrox]

I was browsing through the standings yesterday. The Blues have 18 regulation wins. That's more than the Sharks, Ducks, Kings, Preds, Blackhawks, Flames, and of course the Canucks in the West. Equal to Vegas and Seattle. Just one fewer than the Wild. Overall it is tied for 7th most in the West.

But then there's the bad part - 1-9 in OT and SO's. Of course the only team without an OT win. 25 losses in regulation - tied for 2nd-worst with the Flames. -53 goal differential - 2nd-worst in the entire NHL, and just 2 better than the lowly Canucks.

Obviously the injuries have hurt, both literally and figuratively. The late game, OT, and special team struggles though - when do you have to start questioning the coaching? If they didn't want Jim Montgomery so bad, I don't know how any other coach would still be employed.

I agree. But I think Monty has a pretty lengthy runway. This is the 3rd coach to have problems with this core. At some point, you have to assume it's the common denominator, no?

[Popeye_Card]

The unbelievably bad special team play (6-on-5 defense, 3-on-3 OT, PP and PK) has been demonstrably worse under Monty though, and those are all scenarios where you look to your coaching staff (not just player performance on the ice).

I agree that Monty has a long runway. But when a team is underperforming their talent level (accounting for injuries), and the areas of the game where they are underperforming that lead directly to losses - the coaching has to get better, or the runway is going to need to be shorter.

I thought maybe it was just a curse of the new uniforms. But they still coughed it up in the classic sweaters last night.

[cardsfantx]

yeah, monty is def safe for now...but he's army's guy (and I know army isn't going away), but this is steen's team starting next year, so I wonder how much runway he'll have left if they get off to a similar start in 26/27?

[GeddyWrox]

The unbelievably bad special team play (6-on-5 defense, 3-on-3 OT, PP and PK) has been demonstrably worse under Monty though, and those are all scenarios where you look to your coaching staff (not just player performance on the ice).

I agree that Monty has a long runway. But when a team is underperforming their talent level (accounting for injuries), and the areas of the game where they are underperforming that lead directly to losses - the coaching has to get better, or the runway is going to need to be shorter.

I thought maybe it was just a curse of the new uniforms. But they still coughed it up in the classic sweaters last night.

Yep, for sure.

The assistants were all retained through both coaching changes, IIRC. Perhaps Monty will want to start fresh with some people he gets to interview/hire. The move of Ott to coach the AHL squad was probably more about the direction the development of the youngins has gone, but it could also be a sign that a larger shakeup is coming with the assistants.