2020-2021 St. Louis Blues: Generic Thread Titles Be Damned (Part II)

[Brian39]

I haven't been happy with the play of Thomas this season, but I don't think there is much cause for concern. He's still 21 and this is just his 3rd NHL season. I think inconsistency is part of the growth of young centers. The vast majority of top 6 centers under 23 are guys who are there because they are elite offensively. That isn't Thomas' game and usually it takes more than 150 games for quality 2 way centers to figure out the NHL. He's shown some flashes of his potential this year, but has largely been mediocre. I'll be a little concerned about it if we are still having this conversation 30+ games into the year, but right now this just feels like a slump that happens in the first 200-300 games of a 2 way center's career. He's on pace for 37 assists over an 82 game season and all those are at even strength. It isn't like he is doing nothing. He needs to work on his shot, but he is doing some things well during this stretch.

 

[Beauterham]

I haven't been happy with the play of Thomas this season, but I don't think there is much cause for concern. He's still 21 and this is just his 3rd NHL season. I think inconsistency is part of the growth of young centers. The vast majority of top 6 centers under 23 are guys who are there because they are elite offensively. That isn't Thomas' game and usually it takes more than 150 games for quality 2 way centers to figure out the NHL. He's shown some flashes of his potential this year, but has largely been mediocre. I'll be a little concerned about it if we are still having this conversation 30+ games into the year, but right now this just feels like a slump that happens in the first 200-300 games of a 2 way center's career. He's on pace for 37 assists over an 82 game season and all those are at even strength. It isn't like he is doing nothing. He needs to work on his shot, but he is doing some things well during this stretch.

I've said it somewhere else on this forum, but this is Thomas' usual start of the season form. Every start of the season (or change of team) Thomas doesn't seem to be at 100%. I suspect he might be like a dieselengine that takes a while to get into his game and then takes off. It's that or it's a preseason conditioning thing (or better said, a lack thereof).

It all started when he got traded as an OHL-star from the London Knights to the Hamilton Bulldogs. His first 10-13 games he seemed like a bust (I believe he had 3-ish points in his first 10 games?), after those games he turned things around and got back into dominating the OHL. After that season he started with us. And again he needed 10-15 games (was scratched a couple of times) before he started to play good. Last season same story: first 10-15-ish games were bad, after that he showed real development untill the season halted. In the bubble he was bad again. This season same story. If he follows the same pattern he'd pick up sooner or later. I'm not worried about him, although I wouldn't be surprised if Chief healthy scratches him for a game as soon as Bozak is back to give a signal (like he did with Dunn).

 

[Blueston]

I've said it somewhere else on this forum, but this is Thomas' usual start of the season form. Every start of the season (or change of team) Thomas doesn't seem to be at 100%. I suspect he might be like a dieselengine that takes a while to get into his game and then takes off. It's that or it's a preseason conditioning thing (or better said, a lack thereof).

It all started when he got traded as an OHL-star from the London Knights to the Hamilton Bulldogs. His first 10-13 games he seemed like a bust (I believe he had 3-ish points in his first 10 games?), after those games he turned things around and got back into dominating the OHL. After that season he started with us. And again he needed 10-15 games (was scratched a couple of times) before he started to play good. Last season same story: first 10-15-ish games were bad, after that he showed real development untill the season halted. In the bubble he was bad again. This season same story. If he follows the same pattern he'd pick up sooner or later. I'm not worried about him, although I wouldn't be surprised if Chief healthy scratches him for a game as soon as Bozak is back to give a signal (like he did with Dunn).

It’s not cute anymore. He needs to show up ready to play. Whether it is conditioning or mental issue, if he wants to become part of team’s core he can’t take 15 games off. We wouldn’t accept it from Schwartz or Schenn, we shouldn’t from Thomas.

 

[Beauterham]

It’s not cute anymore. He needs to show up ready to play. Whether it is conditioning or mental issue, if he wants to become part of team’s core he can’t take 15 games off. We wouldn’t accept it from Schwartz or Schenn, we shouldn’t from Thomas.

Agreed. Don't know if he's still living with Big Walt, but if he does, I hope he's able to beat some sense into him.

 

[Spear]

Agreed. Don't know if he's still living with Big Walt, but if he does, I hope he's able to beat some sense into him.

In other news...Robert Thomas is now living on his own and no longer with Keith and Chantal Tkachuk. - Andy Strickland

 

[Beauterham]

It appears Walt could still smack him, if desired. ;-)

 

[Renard]

Thomas and Parayko are two guys I expected to star this year, and they have just been OK.

I thought Craig Berube knew how to get the best from players. Is he having an off year too?

 

[BlueDream]

Thomas and Parayko are two guys I expected to star this year, and they have just been OK.

I thought Craig Berube knew how to get the best from players. Is he having an off year too?

Berube is getting a lot from Kyrou and Faulk. He’s doing a good job.

I think Parayko is just injured. He’s missed a handful of practices and is rumored to be nursing something. I’m not too worried about him. He’ll bounce back.

Thomas has been frustrating but that’s not on Berube. Of course Chief wants him to play a harder game and be better defensively. That’s now on Thomas to follow orders and do that.

 

[Renard]

I remember now why fans here were frustrated with Kevin Shattenkirk. We were rumored to have a deal in place with Tampa Bay, Shattenkirk-for Jonathon Druin, but Tampa wanted Shattenkirk to be under contract for a price and term they could live with before they would make the trade. But Shattenkirk wouldn't do the new contract.

I'd forgotten about Druin, thought to provide the speed we needed. Druin is now with Montreal and I don't know how he has panned out. But he is a quebecois and probably loved by the fans.

 

[Blueston]

I remember now why fans here were frustrated with Kevin Shattenkirk. We were rumored to have a deal in place with Tampa Bay, Shattenkirk-for Jonathon Druin, but Tampa wanted Shattenkirk to be under contract for a price and term they could live with before they would make the trade. But Shattenkirk wouldn't do the new contract.

I'd forgotten about Druin, thought to provide the speed we needed. Druin is now with Montreal and I don't know how he has panned out. But he is a quebecois and probably loved by the fans.

Habs fans decidedly don’t love him. He is super frustrating player.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

I remember now why fans here were frustrated with Kevin Shattenkirk. We were rumored to have a deal in place with Tampa Bay, Shattenkirk-for Jonathon Druin, but Tampa wanted Shattenkirk to be under contract for a price and term they could live with before they would make the trade. But Shattenkirk wouldn't do the new contract.

I'd forgotten about Druin, thought to provide the speed we needed. Druin is now with Montreal and I don't know how he has panned out. But he is a quebecois and probably loved by the fans.

IIRC there was also the rumor of Hall for Shattenkirk (and probably some other things) but Shatty said he wouldn’t re-sign Thaddeus so it fell apart

 

[EastonBlues22]

IIRC there was also the rumor of Hall for Shattenkirk (and probably some other things) but Shatty said he wouldn’t re-sign Thaddeus so it fell apart

To be fair to Shattenkirk, nobody wanted to re-sign Thaddeus. He was kind of a jerk.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

To be fair to Shattenkirk, nobody wanted to re-sign Thaddeus. He was kind of a jerk.

Holy auto correct....I’m just gonna leave it, f*** it lol.

 

[Eldon Reid]

Well now with Thomas out long term. What you to do?

Hoffman-O'Reilly-Perron
Schwartz-Schenn-Kyrou
Sanford-Sunny-Blais
Clifford-Barbashev-MacEachern

That injury hurts for a bit til Bozak is back

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

Well now with Thomas out long term. What you to do?

Hoffman-O'Reilly-Perron
Schwartz-Schenn-Kyrou
Sanford-Sunny-Blais
Clifford-Barbashev-MacEachern

That injury hurts for a bit til Bozak is back

It will hurt a bit til Bozak is back, but this lineup isn’t too bad considering we’re missing 2 top 9 centers and a top line winger. Thankfully we have great depth.

 

[simon IC]

I just came up with another reason to put Austin Poganski on the taxi squad. He is a RHS. Sundqvist is the only other bottom six RHS forward we have.

 

[Reality Czech]

I just read that Bortuzzo has been activated from IR, so that's a bit of good news at least. I'm not sure who will end up sitting out, but I think we miss his toughness and shot-blocking ability on the backend. I wonder if Chief will stick with 11 F and 7 D for the time being since we're short on forwards.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I just read that Bortuzzo has been activated from IR, so that's a bit of good news at least. I'm not sure who will end up sitting out, but I think we miss his toughness and shot-blocking ability on the backend. I wonder if Chief will stick with 11 F and 7 D for the time being since we're short on forwards.

I don’t love that idea. I also wondered if a Dunn trade was imminent and that was why 7 D happened.

 

[Reality Czech]

I don’t love that idea. I also wondered if a Dunn trade was imminent and that was why 7 D happened.

I'm not thrilled with it either, but then which of Dunn or Mikkola do you sit for Bortz? I didn't see the news before the last game and just assumed Sanford had been healthy scratched, but seems he is sick. Theoretically they can roll 3 centers and 4 sets of wings, or double shift some forwards. It's not ideal, but I don't really know what is right now.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I'm not thrilled with it either, but then which of Dunn or Mikkola do you sit for Bortz? I didn't see the news before the last game and just assumed Sanford had been healthy scratched, but seems he is sick. Theoretically they can roll 3 centers and 4 sets of wings, or double shift some forwards. It's not ideal, but I don't really know what is right now.

It’s a tricky situation. If there really is a desire to move Dunn, you can’t start scratching him. But Mikkola has played well enough to stay in the line-up. Gunnarson probably could be scratched.

 

[simon IC]

It’s a tricky situation. If there really is a desire to move Dunn, you can’t start scratching him. But Mikkola has played well enough to stay in the line-up. Gunnarson probably could be scratched.

Oh, I think Gunnarsson will most definitely be scratched.

 

[Reality Czech]

It’s a tricky situation. If there really is a desire to move Dunn, you can’t start scratching him. But Mikkola has played well enough to stay in the line-up. Gunnarson probably could be scratched.

Gunnar is a given, but that still leaves us with 7 D. I don't see Bortz being scratched for either Mikkola or Dunn currently, but guess I could be wrong.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

So I take it with Bortuzzo back were looking at

Krug-Faulk
Mikkola-Parayko
Dunn-Bortuzzo

 

[Beauterham]

I don’t love that idea. I also wondered if a Dunn trade was imminent and that was why 7 D happened.

Weren't there rumors Pittsburgh was interested in Dunn around the time he got scratched? Well, untill Rutherford resigned that is...

 

[Blueston]

Gunnar is a given, but that still leaves us with 7 D. I don't see Bortz being scratched for either Mikkola or Dunn currently, but guess I could be wrong.

Scandella is hurt. Until he is ready easy choice to scratch Gunnar.