Blues next goalie

[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

I've had enough of Jake Allen. Too inconsistent.

I'm looking for your thoughts on who our next goalie should be, assuming no Jake.

I want Robin Lehner.



Lehner is 6'4" 240lbs and likes to scrap. I want this.

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[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

Lehner has been with Ottawa and now Buffalo. Two horrible teams. He is a RFA. He's 26 years old and from my family's home town of Gothenburg (we had a family reunion there and Swedish pizza is horrible.)

 

[KirkOut]

Husso?

 

[Dbrownss]

That's an easy pass.

 

[67Blues]

Came in to see the topic, saw Lehner's name.

 

[WeWentBlues]

I think everyone would be as equally frustrated, if not more, with Lehner.

Allen could become a good goalie but he has worn out his welcome here. Resign Hutton. Have Husso back-up or sign another veteran goalie.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

I would take Lehner in a heartbeat. I’m not sure Buffalo has any interest in moving him though.

I would also take a shot on a guy like Markstrom. Does Eddie Lack have anything else left in the tank or is he done?

With Elliott and Hutton, we’ve shown a remarkable ability to take garbage pile goalies and turn them into Jennings candidates. Chad Johnson comes to mind as fitting that mold.

I wonder how much rope Darling has in Carolina, but I’d do an Allen-Darling swap without thinking twice. He was good in the central.

 

[67Blues]

I would take Lehner in a heartbeat. I’m not sure Buffalo has any interest in moving him though.

I would also take a shot on a guy like Markstrom. Does Eddie Lack have anything else left in the tank or is he done?

With Elliott and Hutton, we’ve shown a remarkable ability to take garbage pile goalies and turn them into Jennings candidates. Chad Johnson comes to mind as fitting that mold.

I wonder how much rope Darling has in Carolina, but I’d do an Allen-Darling swap without thinking twice. He was good in the central.

The only rope Darling has left in Carolina is the one which they want to hang him with.

 

[stl76]

If we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel for an NHL backup next season, I really think Chad Johnson could be a good fit stylistically with our defensive structure. He’d be cheap, will only be 32 next season, and has proven to be a capable back up in the past. I think he can bounce back from a horrible season last year given the right circumstances.

 

[Dbrownss]

Boy oh boy.....Lehner, Markstrom, Darling...Johnson and Lack? Man, cant wait till next season.

 

[Celtic Note]

Boy oh boy.....Lehner, Markstrom, Darling...Johnson and Lack? Man, cant wait till next season.

Allen 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, etc.

 

[Dbrownss]

Allen 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, etc.

Yep, I'd rather ride out the more talented turd

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Another guy could be Calvin Pickard. Just had a monster season for the Marlies, previous NHL experience with the Avs where he was serviceable (for awhile) while Varlamov was out so he’s used to the Central. If we can’t bring back Hutton on a 1-year deal, I’d be down for Picks

 

[TK 421]

Like it or not Allen still has 3 years left on his deal. Personally I'm done watching him be out of position and do baffling things that make me say "What....the....****..is he doing?". But with the term left on his contract I expect him to be a Blue through at least this coming season.

Over the last few months I've been a vocal advocate in favor of breaking with our recent organizational philosophy of identifying and signing the right career backups. The Blues have been very successful employing this strategy so it may seem odd to some to suggest a change.

If the Blues didn't have Husso I wouldn't suggest a shift, but they do have him and he's always been viewed as future starter material. He has a very nice pro resume already at 23 years old and plays a style of tending that has proven to be a good fit with our current personnel. I would very much oppose any new vet backup or even Hutton being brought back as long as Allen is still here. We have a chance to give a very promising tender an opportunity to get NHL games this year. If for whatever reason he's deemed not ready by our staff vet backups are sitting without contracts and can easily be signed or acquired at very little money or asset cost.

 

[hullderko]

I thought Allen was traded already? Lol, he is not going anywhere. This org does not have the mojo to move him.

 

[BlueDream]

Of the goalies that have been mentioned, Pickard and Lehner are at least decent and have some potential. I'd probably take a chance on one of them, because those 2 along with Philipp Grubauer are probably our best choices this offseason if we want to move on from Allen.

The other options such as Darling, Markstrom, Lack, etc... pass. They just suck.

 

[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

I thought Allen was traded already? Lol, he is not going anywhere. This org does not have the mojo to move him.

Armstrong has proven time after time he will make huge trades. Allen has limited time IMO.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Armstrong has proven time after time he will make huge trades. Allen has limited time IMO.

Even if Army wants to trade Allen, what team is trading for Allen right now?

It would be hard for Army to trade Allen and end up with a better goalie. Not impossible, but very hard and would take some major help from a fellow GM.

 

[Dbrownss]

Even if Army wants to trade Allen, what team is trading for Allen right now?

It would be hard for Army to trade Allen and end up with a better goalie. Not impossible, but very hard and would take some major help from a fellow GM.

Allen has shown high end skill for intended periods of time, it's just getting it consistently. There's enough evidence to point to change of scenery and coaching working for goalies, especially a "young" one like Jake. The Blues wouldn't get much in value for him, but I doubt they'd have trouble moving him if they desired.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Allen has shown high end skill for intended periods of time, it's just getting it consistently. There's enough evidence to point to change of scenery and coaching working for goalies, especially a "young" one like Jake. The Blues wouldn't get much in value for him, but I doubt they'd have trouble moving him if they desired.

What teams needs a project starter making $4.35M for the next 3 seasons? You make a good point but I just can’t think of too many teams that would be willing or able to take on that project.

 

[Dbrownss]

What teams needs a project starter making $4.35M for the next 3 seasons? You make a good point but I just can’t think of too many teams that would be willing or able to take on that project.

I dont have time to go through teams but I can see teams like Carolina, Ottawa, NYI and Vancouver being possible. Factor in teams that have an aging veteran that's close to being a UFA without a high end prospect in the system. I'm not trying to say there will be demand for Allen but I wouldn't see moving him to be impossible.

 

[Alklha]

Allen has shown high end skill for intended periods of time, it's just getting it consistently. There's enough evidence to point to change of scenery and coaching working for goalies, especially a "young" one like Jake. The Blues wouldn't get much in value for him, but I doubt they'd have trouble moving him if they desired.

The problem is that there are only 5 or 6 teams that don't have $4m+ committed to a goalie next season. Then some of those teams (Pittsburgh, Tampa, Anaheim) aren't going to want a goalie.

So most teams that could be interested would be wanting to send back a goalie. The exceptions potentially being the Sabres and Islanders.

I agree that we wouldn't have trouble getting interest, but the practicalities of moving him might make it difficult.

 

[Brian39]

I'm not married to Jake Allen, but I don't see the point in spending assets for anything that isn't a clear upgrade.

I never thought I'd see the day where Lehner was being discussed as the remedy to inconsistency. Lehner is going to make as much or more than Allen as an RFA (it will cost $4 mil to qualify him and he'll be a UFA the next summer unless you give more money to get term) and he's also had some staggeringly bad stretches. Maybe it's just from being in Buffalo, but in my limited viewing of him he seems to thrive in high shot environments and has trouble maintaining focus (sound familiar?). I don't want to pay assets for a gamble.

I'm also not at all in favor of having Husso backup in the NHL. He's never played more than 41 games in a season as a pro. He needs to learn how to handle an NHL-caliber starting workload in the AHL so that his first time ever playing 50 games isn't coming as he is also adjusting to the NHL.

I either want to see a veteran backup who can handle 30-35 starts so that we aren't treating Allen like an elite level, 60+ start goalie or I want to see a backup who we intend on starting 20 times with a plan to bounce Husso up and down and spot start him in the NHL between AHL starts. I firmly believe that a decent amount of Allen's inconsistency stems from Hitch and Yeo both putting him on pace to start 60-65 games each year. Teams are moving away from that formula and the worst thing you can do to a goalie with mental/consistency issues is overwork him. I think we see a better version of Allen if he is getting an extra game off every 10-12 days than the version who fell apart after being on pace to start 65 games through the first 3 months of the year. I'd prefer that over spending assets for what is likely a very lateral move.

 

[mk80]

Might as well just call up David Poile and see what he wants for Pekka Rinne...

Allen isn't the best, but like it or not he's going to be Blue next season. I'd rather focus on upgrading the roster around him so we can start out scoring whatever softies he gives up, because in my opinion the Blues moving him especially for the likes of Lehner, Markstrom, or some of the other suggestions is as unlikely as the Preds trading away Rinne.

Only way I see us moving him is if the Blues had determined they are in a "rebuild" and were selling him to a team that desperately needs a goaltender. Not many teams fit the bill in that category. That being said if Husso's development continues on track and Seattle for example enters the league in 2 years or so, maybe we expose him in the expansion draft at that point and shed him through that method, but with 3 years left on a 4 year contract and given how high management and the coaching staff are on getting him going, they are not going to move him for anything that's on par with what we've already got.

 

[HockeyGuy73]

I'm still dreaming Holtby somehow becomes available. As long as Garth Snow is still GM in the Islanders, there is a chance to move Allen.