Blues Off-season and 2025-26 Season

[GeddyWrox]

If the GD Fvckhawks get the #1 or #2 pick again, I'm going to lose my sh!t.

[cardsfantx]

The wings and NYI both eliminated after giving up 1st round picks (and more) for Faulk and Schenn

NYI esp seemed like a lock for the playoffs when the trade was made

[Popeye_Card]

Shame that the best the NYI pick can be is (I believe) #27, since it is Colorado's pick.

But that's alright. With a deeper draft, we can either get a decent player there still or use it to shift around where we pick in the 1st.

EDIT to note: I had forgotten that we don't have any 2nd round picks this year, but we do at least have 3 picks toward the top of the 3rd round (ours, SJ's, and NJ's).

[cardsfantx]

Shame that the best the NYI pick can be is (I believe) #27, since it is Colorado's pick.

But that's alright. With a deeper draft, we can either get a decent player there still or use it to shift around where we pick in the 1st.

EDIT to note: I had forgotten that we don't have any 2nd round picks this year, but we do at least have 3 picks toward the top of the 3rd round (ours, SJ's, and NJ's).

yeah no kidding; prob be the last pick in the 1st round with how good COL is unfortunately

I don't have an issue with Kyrou as much as most people seem to; but he's but just invisible the 2nd half, and his ice time is the lowest it's been in like 5 years. He just seems so uninterested in playing. I'm wondering if they're going to try and get him to waive his NTC and use a 1st of ours to move him, to move up in the draft or find another C. they way he's playing, Carbonneau can replace that IMO on the RW next year.

Thomas, Dvorsky, Suter, and Finley at C already, and if you can find someone better to slot in at say 2c and push suter to a wing, I like that look

[Popeye_Card]

The worst the COL pick can be is #31, thanks to the penalty assessed to Ottawa they will be picking 32nd no matter what.

I'd definitely look at what we can do with Kyrou. I can't remember the last time he's made a great play in the offensive zone - just going through the motions and honestly putting up some pretty low-percentage shots. If he's not being a plus player offensively, he brings virtually no value to the team because he's (at best) an extremely average defender. At least when Buch is struggling offensively, his defensive game is pretty solid.

[Popeye_Card]

One of the fun things to watch down the stretch has been the Maple Leafs desperately trying to lose games to do their best to lock in a top-5 pick. They traded a 1st for Carlo last year which is top-5 protected (maybe should have asked for top-10). Right now they are pretty locked in to the #5 worst record, however because of the quirks of the NHL lottery that still leaves a ~58% chance that they pick at 6th or 7th, which would go to the Bruins.

Blues are getting pretty locked in to the #9 position, which gives them ~5% odds (each) to pick 1st or 2nd, ~88% odds to pick 9th or 10th. Detroit's pick has a ~1% chance of jumping up to #5, otherwise it is 98% going to stay at #15.

[JCShutout]

Sigh lol, Blues win their final 4 to end the year with the 10th or 11th pick depending on what Nashville does. Smh lol. 3-1-0 and they would be 8th. 2-2-0 and maybe they’re 7th depending on tie breakers. Oh Blues. SMFH.

[Popeye_Card]

Hey, at least they finished at 11th that keeps the door ever so slightly cracked open to get the #1 pick (3%). Just one more OT win and they would have shut the door on the #1 pick. I'm satisfied that in a deep draft the Blues can snag good players at ~11, ~15, and ~31.

In other news, the Oilers narrowly ended one quirky streak and extended another. Anaheim ended up edging out LA for the #3 spot in the Pacific, preventing the fifth(!) consecutive first round matchup between the Oilers and Kings. They can save it for the second round this year. Meanwhile, the Oilers fell two points shy of the Pacific division title, extending their NHL record to 29 years (28 seasons) of not winning their division. They won 6 division titles in a row before the streak started, and they have won 2 Stanley Cups (reaching 5 finals) in that stretch.

Not looking fantastic for Canadian teams ending the cup-less streak north of the border. Only 3 teams made the playoffs (Oilers, Sens, Habs), and the Oilers are probably the only team that will get out of the first round. Habs and Bolts will be a great series.

[cardsfantx]

I’d rather watch good hockey, so glad they kept fighting till the end

Plus after the cards got [expletive] in their own lottery, I never think anything good is going to happen so whether they finished 8th or 11th, doesn’t matter to me.

[Popeye_Card]

I'll absolutely take how the Blues finished up the season, rather than continue to scuffle along and nabbing a top 5 pick. Mailloux's development, Broberg's continued emergence, and the establishment of that top line (Snuggy-Thomas-Holloway) are huge building blocks going into next season. Complimented with two extra 1st rounders from the trades, I feel much more comfortable entering next season as a mid-tier playoff contender.

Hofer establishing himself as a starter caliber goalie was a positive development as well.