Blues Discussion Thread 2018-2019

[Thallis]

Id rather have Thomas, Kyrou, Husso, Thompson, Kostin, Schmaltz playing and finish in last place than those shlubs. At least we’d be building for the future.

That would be a great way to scare off our core into UFA. If Pietrangelo leaves in few years, we may be screwed and have to start over.

 

[Mike Liut]

That would be a great way to scare off our core into UFA. If Pietrangelo leaves in few years, we may be screwed and have to start over.

Nah, I’d say one year of growing pains with that group and watch the hell out. Especially if Fabbri comes back strong.

 

[Bluesguru]

Do you think parayko will ever be a norris candidate type of dman?

If he starts scoring goals and learns how to be productive on the PP. He does have all the tools. I'd love to see him run into some luck and say pop in 8 goals in 12 games or something. See if that turns on the light. Sometimes that's all it takes to get a guy to start figuring it out.

 

[BleedBlue14]

What do you guys think of Jaden Schwartz shot? Personally I think it's pretty below average I feel like most of the time he scores its because he's right in the middle of everything. His playmaking is fantastic regardless, I just think if I were to be in a position to plan out his summer I would 100% try and strengthen his shot.

Also, as I'm not extremely familiar. Is this even possible? I know repetition would help with accuracy and familiarity but what would you do to work on your release or power/heaviness of the shot? Strengthen your wrists/forearms?

 

[Celtic Note]

Schwartz has a plus level shot. He gets the puck off quick enough and he is accurate. He doesn’t have a lot of velocity, but it doesn’t matter all that much.

 

[stl76]

What do you guys think of Jaden Schwartz shot? Personally I think it's pretty below average I feel like most of the time he scores its because he's right in the middle of everything. His playmaking is fantastic regardless, I just think if I were to be in a position to plan out his summer I would 100% try and strengthen his shot.

Also, as I'm not extremely familiar. Is this even possible? I know repetition would help with accuracy and familiarity but what would you do to work on your release or power/heaviness of the shot? Strengthen your wrists/forearms?

When Schwartz has enough time and space to get one off, he actually has a very good shot IMO. Particularly off the rush, Schwartz's shot can beat NHL goalies from distance. There's definitely things that could be improved about his shot tho. For instance, I think he could get quicker and more deceptive with his release. Schwartz might also improve his shot simply be having more of a shoot first mentality.

To answer the bolded: yes, it is absolutely 100% possible. Individual skills coaches like Darryl Belfry have literally made a career out of improving NHL players' shots/stick handling/skating/etc. I'd be surprised if most of the elite top NHL players don't work with an individual skills coach during the offseason at this point.



Maybe future Blue ( ) John Tavares can convince his buddy Belfry to take on Schwartz as a pupil...

 

[Dbrownss]

What do you guys think of Jaden Schwartz shot? Personally I think it's pretty below average I feel like most of the time he scores its because he's right in the middle of everything. His playmaking is fantastic regardless, I just think if I were to be in a position to plan out his summer I would 100% try and strengthen his shot.

Also, as I'm not extremely familiar. Is this even possible? I know repetition would help with accuracy and familiarity but what would you do to work on your release or power/heaviness of the shot? Strengthen your wrists/forearms?

His shot isnt elite but it is well above average

 

[fishsandwichpatrol]

STOP trolling me ESPN

 

[WeWentBlues]

I am conflicted about what the Blues should do to fix their top 9. Ideally, I would like to see Kyrou and Thomas debut next season. You also have Fabbri coming back. Can the Blues really afford to go into next season with the following?

Resign - Hutton, Brodziak
RFA - Jaskin, Schmaltz, Fabbri, Edmundson
Sign - Stastny, Cole

 

[stl76]

Ian Cole on the top pairing...are you high?

 

[WeWentBlues]

Ian Cole on the top pairing...are you high?

The pairings are interchangeable. The main idea was to put a PMD with a stay at home defender on each pairing. Put Joel on 1st pairing. Slide Dunn up to 2RHD.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I am conflicted about what the Blues should do to fix their top 9. Ideally, I would like to see Kyrou and Thomas debut next season. You also have Fabbri coming back. Can the Blues really afford to go into next season with the following?

Resign - Hutton, Brodziak
RFA - Jaskin, Schmaltz, Fabbri, Edmundson
Sign - Stastny, Cole

View attachment 121593 View attachment 121595

My favorite part of all of this is the part when TOR, who traded Gunnar to us a few years ago for Polak AND gave us a 4th AND retained part of Gunnar’s salary since they had concerns on how he’d recover from hip surgery, is going to now trade for Gunnar as he’s recovering from ACL replacement surgery.

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

I am conflicted about what the Blues should do to fix their top 9. Ideally, I would like to see Kyrou and Thomas debut next season. You also have Fabbri coming back. Can the Blues really afford to go into next season with the following?

Resign - Hutton, Brodziak
RFA - Jaskin, Schmaltz, Fabbri, Edmundson
Sign - Stastny, Cole

View attachment 121593 View attachment 121595

This isn't a terrible roster, but I think it's just a repeat of what they had last year, swapping in Kyrou for Thompson and Thomas for Sobotka. I think the roster needs at least one more legit top 6 forward in that mix and some how rid themselves of 21.

Stastny signing isn't bad, but I don't know if he accepts 3 years $15 million. I like the RFA returns, but I think you hit the max with Fabbri. I don't see him getting more than a million the first year. Cole isn't coming hear. 4 and 19 are here until they can prove they are healthy. Only then would a team look at a trade. I, personally, and I know many will disagree, think Hutton is unnecessary as you can have Husso and Allen split time. Hutton is necessary only if you can move on from Allen w/o a goaltender coming back. I would LOVE for Brodziak to return. I sincerely hope the Blues get a 3rd from Columbus for Sobotka.

I think everyone has different opinions on what the Blues should do. Armstrong's, though, is what really scares me. If he isn't willing to play more than 1 or 2 young guys, and he wants his veteran lined team again, this team will struggle...again.

 

[WeWentBlues]

I'm not advocating that this is what the Blues should do. I think its extremely risky given the unknowns of Fabbri, Thomas and Kyrou.

Going to be an interesting offseason for sure.

 

[Thallis]

This isn't a terrible roster, but I think it's just a repeat of what they had last year, swapping in Kyrou for Thompson and Thomas for Sobotka. I think the roster needs at least one more legit top 6 forward in that mix and some how rid themselves of 21.

Stastny signing isn't bad, but I don't know if he accepts 3 years $15 million. I like the RFA returns, but I think you hit the max with Fabbri. I don't see him getting more than a million the first year. Cole isn't coming hear. 4 and 19 are here until they can prove they are healthy. Only then would a team look at a trade. I, personally, and I know many will disagree, think Hutton is unnecessary as you can have Husso and Allen split time. Hutton is necessary only if you can move on from Allen w/o a goaltender coming back. I would LOVE for Brodziak to return. I sincerely hope the Blues get a 3rd from Columbus for Sobotka.

I think everyone has different opinions on what the Blues should do. Armstrong's, though, is what really scares me. If he isn't willing to play more than 1 or 2 young guys, and he wants his veteran lined team again, this team will struggle...again.

How many competing teams have more than 1 or 2 rookies in the lineup on most nights? Those lineups can be fun to watch because if what they can be, but very rarely does that actually show up in the standings. Guys go through growing pains which are necessary for them to learn, but hurts the team in the short term. This means that the most successful teams are the ones that play only 1-2 young guys. If the team has more than 2 of Thomas Kyrou, Kostin, Thompson, Blais, and Barbashev playing over half of the season, we will finish much lower than we did last season.

 

[BlueDream]

How many competing teams have more than 1 or 2 rookies in the lineup on most nights? Those lineups can be fun to watch because if what they can be, but very rarely does that actually show up in the standings. Guys go through growing pains which are necessary for them to learn, but hurts the team in the short term. This means that the most successful teams are the ones that play only 1-2 young guys. If the team has more than 2 of Thomas Kyrou, Kostin, Thompson, Blais, and Barbashev playing over half of the season, we will finish much lower than we did last season.

I wouldn't count Barbashev, he's now played 83 NHL games. He's not a rookie anymore.

I personally think 2 of Thomas, Kyrou, Thompson would be fine starting the whole season, with a 3rd guy like Blais as an extra forward or call-up guy ready to fill in when needed.

The Blues had 3 rookies (Fabbri, Parayko, Edmundson) in 2016 when they were 2 wins away from going to the Cup. I don't think it matters much anymore as long as you don't have like 5-6 rookies and they can actually contribute. But 3 rookies is definitely not a big deal, the league is getting very young.

 

[Blueston]

How many competing teams have more than 1 or 2 rookies in the lineup on most nights? Those lineups can be fun to watch because if what they can be, but very rarely does that actually show up in the standings. Guys go through growing pains which are necessary for them to learn, but hurts the team in the short term. This means that the most successful teams are the ones that play only 1-2 young guys. If the team has more than 2 of Thomas Kyrou, Kostin, Thompson, Blais, and Barbashev playing over half of the season, we will finish much lower than we did last season.

Well said. Of the remaining 4 teams in this year's playoffs, Vegas has only 2 players under 25 who have scored in postseason, Tampa 3 under 24, and Washington 1 under 23. Winnipeg is the exception, with a boatload of under 25 players, but they've gone through years of struggles as the kids matured.

 

[BleedBlue14]

I am conflicted about what the Blues should do to fix their top 9. Ideally, I would like to see Kyrou and Thomas debut next season. You also have Fabbri coming back. Can the Blues really afford to go into next season with the following?

Resign - Hutton, Brodziak
RFA - Jaskin, Schmaltz, Fabbri, Edmundson
Sign - Stastny, Cole

View attachment 121593 View attachment 121595

There is absolutely 0 chance Fabbri signs a 3 x 1.5. I personally would also much rather hold off on trading both Bouw and Gunnar and signing Ian Cole instead. Realistically our top 4 is set once we figure out the Eddy contract. If we don't need the cap space for a Tavares or any other impact forward keep both of them, we shouldn't need the money and let them walk next year. After what happened at the end of last year having to sign a college UFA and walking him out there because we suffered a Bluesy stretch of injury depth on the blueline wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Now if we are in serious serious contention for a Tavares and actually need the cap space then sure. But I can almost assure you one of our D men will be out for a lengthy period of time and we will be praying to god that Mitch Reinke or Jake Walman can actually play at the NHL level at least somewhat for a stretch if we trade them both. I can also assure you that the open cap space wont matter much at all if we aren't planning on spending it.

 

[Chubbinz]

Cole requested a trade away from the Blues looking for a bigger role. Why would he want to come back to the Blues for a role that could be rather murky at best?

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Cole requested a trade away from the Blues looking for a bigger role. Why would he want to come back to the Blues for a role that could be rather murky at best?

Murky for who? If he signs a UFA contract here wouldn’t he have a pretty good idea of what we wanted his role to be?

 

[Chubbinz]

Murky for who? If he signs a UFA contract here wouldn’t he have a pretty good idea of what we wanted his role to be?

Murky for him which is why he isn't going to sign here. Eddy is better so there's one spot down. Dunn, while used differently, is still going to eat up a decent chunk of ES minutes. So at best Cole is going to get borderline 2nd pairing minutes in defensive situations and PK time. Now consider that the front office may not be willing to take the old yeller route with Jbo like a chunk of the fanbase wants to. Where does Cole fit then? A healthy Jbo is still better than Cole.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Murky for him which is why he isn't going to sign here. Eddy is better so there's one spot down. Dunn, while used differently, is still going to eat up a decent chunk of ES minutes. So at best Cole is going to get borderline 2nd pairing minutes in defensive situations and PK time. Now consider that the front office may not be willing to take the old yeller route with Jbo like a chunk of the fanbase wants to. Where does Cole fit then? A healthy Jbo is still better than Cole.

I'd wager pretty much any amount of VCash that 1) Bouwmeester will be on this team when the season starts and/or that 2) Cole will not be.

 

[simon IC]

I'd wager pretty much any amount of VCash that 1) Bouwmeester will be on this team when the season starts and/or that 2) Cole will not be.

Which I think is a good thing.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Which I think is a good thing.

I agree, on both counts.

Assuming he's healthy, I think Bouwmeester is still pretty easily a top 4 guy, and I think the Blues would love to be able to pick and choose their spots with Dunn for one more year before relying on him in a top 4 role.

I can't imaging the Blues dumping one or both of Bouwmeester and/or Gunnarsson only to turn around and sign Cole.

 

[Ranksu]

I agree, on both counts.

Assuming he's healthy, I think Bouwmeester is still pretty easily a top 4 guy, and I think the Blues would love to be able to pick and choose their spots with Dunn for one more year before relying on him in a top 4 role.

I can't imaging the Blues dumping one or both of Bouwmeester and/or Gunnarsson only to turn around and sign Cole.

Yes create more log jam in in the 3rd pair. I don't view Jbo is anymore top4 Dmen after recent injury, same goes with Gunnar.

Acquire Cole doesn't make any sense.