Confirmed with Link: (PHI/STL) Kevin Hayes (50%) to STL for a 2024 6th round pick

[TheOrganist]

It's honestly weird how Armstrong has seemingly whole heartedly switched the type of players he targets since we won the Cup.

I guess you could say he's buying into the "new NHL" where everyone is faster and everyone is scoring more goals, but it's really jarring.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if we somehow trade for Karlsson and just go all-in on the whole no defense and all offense thing.

But re: Hayes, wasn't he supposed to be decent defensively before his time in Philly? I'm not too familiar so I could be completely wrong, but I thought that was how they used him in New York.

You still have to check. Ignoring the stout D, It’s no coincidence that Vegas had the best group of checking forwards in the playoffs. Their back pressure was superb. They hounded the opposition to retrieve pucks.

 

[Mike Liut]

You still have to check. Ignoring the stout D, It’s no coincidence that Vegas had the best group of checking forwards in the playoffs. Their back pressure was superb. They hounded the opposition to retrieve pucks.

this recipe will always be successful in the NHL. I don’t care if you are playing against a team with 5 McDavids. If you check, backcheck and defend well, you’ll have success.

 

[EastVillageBlues]

Seems like we really are trying to build the worst defensive group of forwards. lol

Right, even before this trade, the only reliably good defensive forwards were Saad and Buch, with Schenn sometimes also able to key on the opposition if he feels like it. A few guys like Vrana, Kapanen, Kyrou, etc, who are all not suited in defensive situations. Thomas isn't too hot either for someone who will likely log big minutes. Then we have a bunch of (amost) rookies like Torop, Alexandrov, Neighbours, and possibly Bolduc. Now we are adding the legendary Hayes.

If coaching staff is not careful, we might end up have the worst GA next year.

 

[Mike Liut]

Right, even before this trade, the only reliably good defensive forwards were Saad and Buch, with Schenn sometimes also able to key on the opposition if he feels like it. A few guys like Vrana, Kapanen, Kyrou, etc, who are all not suited in defensive situations. Thomas isn't too hot either for someone who will likely log big minutes. Then we have a bunch of (amost) rookies like Torop, Alexandrov, Neighbours, and possibly Bolduc. Now we are adding the legendary Hayes.

If coaching staff is not careful, we might end up have the worst GA next year.

And everybody will blame Binny

 

[Xerloris]

Blues still in market for a defenseman | FOX Sports

The Blues entered the NHL free agency period searching for a top-four defenseman. They are still looking.

www.foxsports.com

Holy shit, you mean this was reported?

Did we talk about it here? Of course we did. Was it discussed on every Blues blog at the time in addition to being reported? (It was in the Post too)

You've now made such a huge deal with all the personal derision out of saying this is my rumor, will you now apologize like you should?

I genuinely think Armstrong is not able to differentiate among defensemen. I remember him throwing money at Matt Carle in 2012. His approach to defense seems to be whichever guy is available, lock that guy up forever with an NTC and assume it'll be fine. He is a true hack on defense. I give him a vote of no confidence. This is all hilarious to me. He made his bed and now he is enjoying it.

Here, I went back and quoted your original post that started this. You're claiming Armstrong was "throwing money" at Carle which totally makes sense since we didn't even sign him. Having talks with a free agent that plays a position we need is him doing his job. So what we have now is you making shit up about throwing money at some guy and then going nono, see the media says we talked to him! So I must be right. Kind of getting obsessed with Doug to the point of obsessing over shit and hating him for shit he didn't even do.

No ROR

Money wasted on a half assed trade.

Everyone else is fairly happy with the trade. Did you really think ROR was going to sign here for almost nothing? That foolishness is all on you.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I will be shocked if we don't have Sunny signed day 1 of free agency. He's been living it up around town since the Wild flamed out in the first round (again).

Except…Sunny hasn’t played C in years.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Everyone else is fairly happy with the trade. Did you really think ROR was going to sign here for almost nothing? That foolishness is all on you.

Naw. Jamie Rivers said about the same about the ROR situation after getting Hayes. DA would have to have a miracle trade to make room for ROR.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

Except…Sunny hasn’t played C in years.

I think he could still split C/FO duties with Alexandrov like he used to with Barbashev back in 2018-2020.

 

[BlueOil]

bring back acciari, sunny might be a fan favorite, but he's not gonna win draws often enough to be a reliable 4C

 

[BluesAL]

Another incredible trade by Army. Buchy, Vrana and now Hayes. Mark it - he will become a locker room favorite right away and a fan favorite in a few months. A change of scene and some new teammates is going to do Hayes a world of good. The Blues locker room was desperately missing a glue guy last season too. 10/10 trade, great start to the Draft festivities.

 

[Robb_K]

I'm happy that The Blues didn't give up one of their 1st Rounders to dump off Krug, and still got Hayes, anyway, at only $3.6 million per year for just a 6th Rounder. I want them to draft 3 high-level prospects with the 3 1st Rounders in this deep draft. They need to stock up on very young, very talented, low-cost players, who will have the same mid-prime career window as Thomas, Kyrou, Perunovich, Dean, Vrana, Bolduc, and next season's first couple draft choices. I imagine The blues will just play him one year and then dump him off. His addition just means The Blues have one more one-dimensional offence-only player that Berube is going to have to coax to attempt to play SOME defence. That's going to be a tough chore.

 

[Renard]

We will find out for ourselves if Hayes is terrible defensively as many have claimed

 

[Renard]

That’s my question too. Hanafin is possibly a marginal upgrade, but I’m not convinced he’s that much of an upgrade and he’d be more expensive to acquire because he doesn’t carry the risk of the long term $. The upgrade from Krug to Sanheim is massive. He’s not a top pairing stud, but neither is Hanafin or anyone else available. We’re probably going to have to draft that guy.

And to be in a position to draft a true no.1, we would have to be drafting in the top five of the first round, meaning we need to have another terrible year or two.

I dont want that. I'm OK with having a group of capable defensemen but no superstar.

 

[BrokenFace]

Naw. Jamie Rivers said about the same about the ROR situation after getting Hayes. DA would have to have a miracle trade to make room for ROR.

Yesterday Rivers was also saying how good Hayes is defensively and how adding him will help our team defense even if we made no other changes. I thought Flyer fans were saying he's not good defensively. Even if he's a good 2 way guy, he won't solve our defense problems. Even RoR wasn't elevating our team defense last season.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

And to be in a position to draft a true no.1, we would have to be drafting in the top five of the first round, meaning we need to have another terrible year or two.

I dont want that. I'm OK with having a group of capable defensemen but no superstar.

I mean the team can be pretty bad even with a group of capable defensemen.

Rebuilds are inevitable in modern sport. A restrictive salary cap that limits spending ensures that. A few bad years are nothing in the grand scheme of things if it means that the team can have a prolonged run of successful years. The best way to achieve that run is to draft top end players. Does a team need a top-5 pick to draft top-end talent? No. But it sure helps.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Yesterday Rivers was also saying how good Hayes is defensively and how adding him will help our team defense even if we made no other changes. I thought Flyer fans were saying he's not good defensively. Even if he's a good 2 way guy, he won't solve our defense problems. Even RoR wasn't elevating our team defense last season.

Fair enough.

I just miss the ROR-DP57 chemistry from 2021-2022. DA hosed that up by not resigning DP. He's gonna close the window on ROR, who is a great player and leader.

 

[TurgPavs]

I think he could still split C/FO duties with Alexandrov like he used to with Barbashev back in 2018-2020.

Considering his best season point wise, was at the C and Minny moved him back to the C last season, which resulted in the best FOW% on the Wild last season, I think history and stats show he would be a solid signing for that role.

Who is he blocking? We don’t have a center prospect worth worrying about. If we draft one this year with an NHL future, he won’t be ready this year or next. If he forces his way onto the roster we can move Hayes or Schenn to the wing by that point.

Couldn't agree more. If Dean was ready, wouldnt he have at least gotten a cup of coffee at the end of last season?

 

[bleedblue1223]

Considering his best season point wise, was at the C and Minny moved him back to the C last season, which resulted in the best FOW% on the Wild last season, I think history and stats show he would be a solid signing for that role.


Couldn't agree more. If Dean was ready, wouldnt he have at least gotten a cup of coffee at the end of last season?

He had 3 faceoffs with the Wild.

 

[TurgPavs]

Lets not forget that Buch and Hayes played on the same line in New York and had some solid chemistry.

Hayes is also pretty solid on the PK ad plays a pretty solid 200 foot game.

 

[Blueston]

Considering his best season point wise, was at the C and Minny moved him back to the C last season, which resulted in the best FOW% on the Wild last season, I think history and stats show he would be a solid signing for that role.


Couldn't agree more. If Dean was ready, wouldnt he have at least gotten a cup of coffee at the end of last season?

Dean wasn’t eligible for cup of coffee at end of last season. He was still in juniors.

 

[TurgPavs]

Dean wasn’t eligible for cup of coffee at end of last season. He was still in juniors.

I stand corrected.

So he is likely still a ways away from being a full time NHL player

 

[LetsGoBooze]

The fact we got him for a 6th round pick, he fills a need, and there is only a 3 year commitment for his 31, 32, and 33 yearold seasons @50% retained. I'd say this is a savvy move, not sexy, but savvy.

 

[Oberyn]

I just watched two vides of him mic'd up on Youtube and that was good enough for me. He's f***ing hilarious.

 

[EastVillageBlues]

I'm happy that The Blues didn't give up one of their 1st Rounders to dump off Krug, and still got Hayes, anyway, at only $3.6 million per year for just a 6th Rounder. I want them to draft 3 high-level prospects with the 3 1st Rounders in this deep draft. They need to stock up on very young, very talented, low-cost players, who will have the same mid-prime career window as Thomas, Kyrou, Perunovich, Dean, Vrana, Bolduc, and next season's first couple draft choices. I imagine The blues will just play him one year and then dump him off. His addition just means The Blues have one more one-dimensional offence-only player that Berube is going to have to coax to attempt to play SOME defence. That's going to be a tough chore.

Most of your points are valid.

But Vrana is most definitely not in the same window as someone drafted today. He was drafted a full 9 years ago, and will be well into his 30s when this year's kids develop into big time NHL players.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I just watched two vides of him mic'd up on Youtube and that was good enough for me. He's f***ing hilarious.

My favorite one is on Twitter where he's constantly just saying how much he f***ing sucks and that he needs to retire. Lol