Daily draft position watch

[mk80]

At least with all of Philly, Detroit, Washington, and Pittsburgh having a realistic chance at making one of the final spots in the east, those teams still have an incentive to pick up points. Hopefully some can finish above us and help get us the highest pick possible.

 

[PocketNines]

Philly Detroit and Washington all lost in regulation tonight lol

 

[mk80]

Philly Detroit and Washington all lost in regulation tonight lol

I'll take the blame for the jinx on that with my post about them today...

bright side at least Buffalo was the team that beat Philly and moved within 5 points of catching us, although I think we'll win enough to keep that from happening

 

[Ted Hoffman]

The "tragic number" is currently 5, but effectively it's 4 because the Kings own the 1st tiebreak. If the Kings win tonight, it drops to 3 because the Predators have locked up the 1st tiebreak so we'd have to win outright on points.

My guess is that if we get to 90 points, we'll lock up the 16th pick. 89 might still do it.

Are we pledging support for any team, or are we doing free-for-all?

 

[sfvega]

Absolute worst of both worlds. Knew it was gonna end this way.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Absolute worst of both worlds. Knew it was gonna end this way.

Eh, at least the team was playing competitively enough to be in the playoff race all season. There were high points, and they managed to gut out a lot of wins in games when the stats said they should lose. Is there a team in the league who won more games they should lose than the Blues?

 

[Majorityof1]

Eh, at least the team was playing competitively enough to be in the playoff race all season. There were high points, and they managed to gut out a lot of wins in games when the stats said they should lose. Is there a team in the league who won more games they should lose than the Blues?

Are you saying that's a good thing? We got to watch bad hockey AND we get a worse draft pick so we will continue to watch bad hockey. What's the upside of constantly playing bad but winning games we don't deserve to finish right outside the playoffs?

 

[sfvega]

Are you saying that's a good thing? We got to watch bad hockey AND we get a worse draft pick so we will continue to watch bad hockey. What's the upside of constantly playing bad but winning games we don't deserve to finish right outside the playoffs?

Agreed. I've said the Bermuda Triangle of bad. Good enough to not be top 10, bad enough to miss the playoffs. Picking 14-16 is the worst imaginable scenario. No playoff money, no shot at moving up to top 3, a good chance we aren't looking at a premium D prospect. We can try and look on the bright side, but the outcome really sucks tbh,

 

[542365]

Last 5 Dmen taken at 16th overall:

Guhle
Vallimaki
Chychrun
Zadorov
Leddy

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Are you saying that's a good thing? We got to watch bad hockey AND we get a worse draft pick so we will continue to watch bad hockey. What's the upside of constantly playing bad but winning games we don't deserve to finish right outside the playoffs?

The games this season were more interesting than if we’d been San Jose fans. It’s Armstrong’s job to acquire better players. It’s the players’ job to try and win. They managed to do that better than any of us would have predicted, and I can’t help but respect that when it’s happening.

I’d prefer the first overall pick, but as we know that doesn’t guarantee anything. That player could tear his ACL in a golf cart accident and never be a difference maker for your team, and the front office can accumulate quality assets other ways. I’m not going to whine about not getting an earlier pick because the Blues were fighting and scrapping for points too effectively.

Getting a later pick doesn’t absolve Armstrong of his responsibility for hiring a good head coach, or of assembling a competitive roster that builds toward contender status.

 

[CoMoBlues]

Just saw the Metropolitan standings, and outside of the top two teams, that are above 100 points, the rest of the division is a bag of trash. That’s not helping our draft position at all.

 

[Celtic Note]

Just saw the Metropolitan standings, and outside of the top two teams, that are above 100 points, the rest of the division is a bag of trash. That’s not helping our draft position at all.

There are really only 14 teams worthy of playoff spots this year IMO. Two teams will be there that have no business being in the playoffs. The league is in this strange spot where there is parity but it’s located in a sizable, soft middle that leaves a lot to be desired. It has moved the competitive needle down across the league. I think this is giving some fans false hope about their team’s chances both now and in the near future. It’s been a pretty disappointing year for the NHL as a whole IMO. There is a reason that fans can believe we are a few moves from playoff bound, but would not be competitors.

 

[Majorityof1]

Nashville officially clinched. Not that anyone is really expecting us to make the playoffs at this point, but that is one less team to catch. LA is tied with Anaheim. They'll clinch with a win as well. That will leave Vegas, who would need 4 points ( or 3 and tie break) to be out of reach.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Vegas seems determined to keep the Blues alive in the playoff hunt. Blues have to win out. Vegas pretty much has to lose out, but its not impossible. If the Blues had won a couple more games, this could have become realistic.

Carolina-Seattle-Dallas. Blues max points possible are 95 (and they're at 89 currently after Chicago).

Vegas has Minnesota-Colorado-Chicago-Anaheim. They sit at 92 points, so they could win one more game, but no loser points. The Blues will lose the tiebreaker, so Vegas is only allowed 2 more points (assuming the Blues win out).

I'd love to see this get close enough that Vegas starts to sweat. They're playing pretty mediocre hockey right now.

EDIT - I guess there are scenarios where the Blues could get the tiebreaker over Vegas, but its unlikely.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

If the Blues win out in regulation and Vegas goes 1-2-1, we'll be in. Even on a tie on RWs, we'd take the tiebreak on ROWs. But, as you point out: our remaining schedule has Carolina (still playing for a division title, maybe even home ice in the East) and Dallas (might still have something to play for, might have the West clinched and nothing to play for). Vegas has Minnesota (out, nothing to really play for), Chicago (nothing to play for) and Anaheim (also nothing to play for).

A lot will be clear after Friday night. Even more will be clear by Sunday evening. It would be a very Blues thing to win the next 2 games, go into the Dallas game where it's "win and in" or "win and possibly in" and Dallas rests guys and we still lose, and then Vegas wins the next night to seal the coffin on our season.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

If the Blues win out in regulation and Vegas goes 1-2-1, we'll be in. Even on a tie on RWs, we'd take the tiebreak on ROWs. But, as you point out: our remaining schedule has Carolina (still playing for a division title, maybe even home ice in the East) and Dallas (might still have something to play for, might have the West clinched and nothing to play for). Vegas has Minnesota (out, nothing to really play for), Chicago (nothing to play for) and Anaheim (also nothing to play for).

A lot will be clear after Friday night. Even more will be clear by Sunday evening. It would be a very Blues thing to win the next 2 games, go into the Dallas game where it's "win and in" or "win and possibly in" and Dallas rests guys and we still lose, and then Vegas wins the next night to seal the coffin on our season.

You’re probably right on that forecast, but man it would be fun to see Vegas slide out after their trade deadline.

 

[TheDizee]

If the Blues win out in regulation and Vegas goes 1-2-1, we'll be in. Even on a tie on RWs, we'd take the tiebreak on ROWs. But, as you point out: our remaining schedule has Carolina (still playing for a division title, maybe even home ice in the East) and Dallas (might still have something to play for, might have the West clinched and nothing to play for). Vegas has Minnesota (out, nothing to really play for), Chicago (nothing to play for) and Anaheim (also nothing to play for).

A lot will be clear after Friday night. Even more will be clear by Sunday evening. It would be a very Blues thing to win the next 2 games, go into the Dallas game where it's "win and in" or "win and possibly in" and Dallas rests guys and we still lose, and then Vegas wins the next night to seal the coffin on our season.

this is like fan fiction and wishful thinking.

this team has NO CHANCE IN HELL of making the playoffs. But to further Bluesy this shit season up and add my own fan fiction, I think it would be fitting to have Vegas or LA lose and the Blues beat CAR/DAL but lose to Seattle and thus miss the playoffs.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

You’re probably right on that forecast, but man it would be fun to see Vegas slide out after their trade deadline.

If Minnesota hadn't been eliminated, the ultimate Blues outcome would be "Minnesota wins out, Vegas does whatever it needs to fall behind Minnesota, we lose *exactly* enough points to fall 1 short of overtaking Minnesota."

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Dallas could have polished off the Central Division with a win ... but, it didn't. Meaning, going into game 82 with a Stars team that has something to play for is still a possibility.

Washington loses, Detroit loses (in OT), Philadelphia wins. Pittsburgh wins, but that vaults the Pens into the 2WC spot.

Best possible draft spot: 13. We can't fall under the Red Wings.

The playoffs? We're out with a regulation loss + a Vegas win

 

[Drubilly]

Dallas could have polished off the Central Division with a win ... but, it didn't. Meaning, going into game 82 with a Stars team that has something to play for is still a possibility.

Washington loses, Detroit loses (in OT), Philadelphia wins. Pittsburgh wins, but that vaults the Pens into the 2WC spot.

Best possible draft spot: 13. We can't fall under the Red Wings.

The playoffs? We're out with a regulation loss + a Vegas win

Sooooooo you're really saying after they win a lottery draw the Blues will be picking #3OA??

 

[Majorityof1]

Vegas won. We are officially out of the playoffs. We are sitting at 16th overall pick, The Wild cannot catch us. The only teams we can sink below are Philly,Washington and Detroit. If one of those 3 teams does pass us, they would possibly, maybe even probably get a playoff spot. So we wouldn't necessarily even drop in the draft order if the team that fell out was below us as well.

Philly would have to win out in regulation while we lose out in regulation. Detroit and Washington have a magic number of 3. We are picking between 13-16, but most realistically 14-16. And most likely we will stay 16. Who would have seen that coming?

 

[TK 421]

I had them ending up with the 13th pick before the season started so hopefully some magical stuff happens and that comes true.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Time to bring out the old skate, pass, and shoot board so the goalies don’t continue to keep us in games…..

 

[Majorityof1]

Fairly good night for our draft pick. First 3 teams that can pass us won although Pittsburgh is down. Caps moved into the WC, and Pittsburgh popped out.

16th -Blues - 89 points, 4 possible. 30 RW
WC - Capitals - 87 points 4 possible, 30 RW
15th - Flyers - 87 points, 2 possible, 30 RW
14th - Detroit - 87 points, 4 possible points, 27 RW (can't win Tie with us)
13th -Pittsburgh - 86 points, 4 possible points, 31 RW

Edit: Pitt lost, updating the possible points

 

[Majorityof1]

Blues win. That seals us as the 16th overall. The Flyers, Detroit and Pittsburgh cannot pass us. Washington can, but then they will be in the Wild Card.

So we officially pick 16th, or 15th if Ottawa forfeits their pick as Kimzey pointed out was a possibility. The worst case scenario happened.