Confirmed with Link: Blues sign Chris Thorburn (2 years @ $900k)

[Evocable Manager]

Bolded: Welcome to Blues forum where different opinion isn't allowed or you will be bashed down.

This is very, very true.

 

[trevorftw]

Bolded: Welcome to Blues forum where different opinion isn't allowed or you will be bashed down.

...or you'll be drown out by one guy posting his opinion over and over again in threads that have nothing to do with that topic.

I don't see how Thorburn is a bad signing. More insurance than anything else. I don't mind bumping down prospects if they project to be 4th line grinder types. I prefer experience in those positions. Thorburn never seemed like a dirty player to me...

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Why not Neil, he fits that role to a T and will do whatever it takes to protect his teammates, if some little rat agitator just smiles and gives him the "What are you gonna do about it BS he will still take care of business. Give the little rat a cheap shot or better yet one of his teammates, it's called letting the players police themselves.

Why not Neil? Because he's terrible and one could make a legitimate argument he isn't even an NHL caliber player at this point.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

Why not Neil, he fits that role to a T and will do whatever it takes to protect his teammates, if some little rat agitator just smiles and gives him the "What are you gonna do about it BS he will still take care of business. Give the little rat a cheap shot or better yet one of his teammates, it's called letting the players police themselves.

Wait, why would we want to give the other team a potential power-play? And doing that would just be justifying the agitators role on the other team, so all that happened was we just played into the other team's hands.

Honestly, these above reasons are probably the biggest reasons team's are striving away from the enforcer role. The referees are very strict and will call much more penalties on more questionable calls. Having an enforcer or tough guy just isn't wholly beneficial. If we are worried about about team toughness, then having one player isn't really going to change that. Team toughness is a derivative of playing physical hockey, in other words, it's a strategy. You can't just expect the team to be tougher because we have one player on the roster, especially when that player will most likely play a tenth of the entire game. If it were up to me, I wish we just go for more agitating players instead of enforcing players. I really wish Maxim Lapierre could have worked out here for longer, because that is the type of player I wish our team had, but I digress.

Saying all of that, I really couldn't care much about the Thorburn signing. I can't say I'm upset, nor am I glad. He's not being payed much and most likely won't play often, so he's highly movable because of that. I'm in the group that is glad we didn't go for Neil, because he was brutal when he had the puck... or when he didn't have the puck... or just playing hockey in general... So in that, case, if we were to go for a tough guy, I guess I'm happy with who we got for what we got him for.

 

[c-carp]

Bolded: Welcome to Blues forum where different opinion isn't allowed or you will be bashed down.

You said it not me, I am the one that caught flak for having a different opinion, but it is what it is this is too much fuss for a role player and very little meaningful discussion on the subject which has legit points on both sides but say so and your silly lol

 

[c-carp]

Wait, why would we want to give the other team a potential power-play? And doing that would just be justifying the agitators role on the other team, so all that happened was we just played into the other team's hands.

Honestly, these above reasons are probably the biggest reasons team's are striving away from the enforcer role. The referees are very strict and will call much more penalties on more questionable calls. Having an enforcer or tough guy just isn't wholly beneficial. If we are worried about about team toughness, then having one player isn't really going to change that. Team toughness is a derivative of playing physical hockey, in other words, it's a strategy. You can't just expect the team to be tougher because we have one player on the roster, especially when that player will most likely play a tenth of the entire game. If it were up to me, I wish we just go for more agitating players instead of enforcing players. I really wish Maxim Lapierre could have worked out here for longer, because that is the type of player I wish our team had, but I digress.

Saying all of that, I really couldn't care much about the Thorburn signing. I can't say I'm upset, nor am I glad. He's not being payed much and most likely won't play often, so he's highly movable because of that. I'm in the group that is glad we didn't go for Neil, because he was brutal when he had the puck... or when he didn't have the puck... or just playing hockey in general... So in that, case, if we were to go for a tough guy, I guess I'm happy with who we got for what we got him for.

I get your point the role has been lessened and you can't go crazy every time a game gets physical and take stupid penalties and cost your team the game, it has always been that way, the guys who do this job have to walk a fine line, be physical, protect your teammates but don't take a lot of bad penalties. The good ones learn how to do it over time you pick your spots to get even. I feel they can still fill a role and as lopsided as that trade seemed on the surface and the Blues had to make it if Reaves gets the Pittsburgh skilled guys a little more room to relax and play out there as I think he will the trade will work for both teams

 

[AVictoryDive]

Hey it's a spot where we invested a tiny bit of cash on a player that may not be in the line up often.
No biggie.
Don't mind the signing at all,
Plus, c-carp it was a joke about Chris Carpenter.
I wasn't trying to insult you same with the poster that posted it.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

It seems really odd to me that the Blues GM really had to query other GMs around the league to figure out if he needed an enforcer. Team toughness is still important, but the enforcer role is pretty clearly a thing of the past.

Strange that the Blues offered him two years, but whatever. It's hard to get worked up about a move this minor. He'll get his handful of minutes a night if nobody beats him out for a 4th line gig, and sit out if someone does.

Even if he's sitting out, he's costing the Blues what, a few hundred thousand over a minimum contract sitting out instead? It's essentially meaningless.

If he doesn't fight Reaves this year it will be a disappointment.

 

[c-carp]

If he doesn't fight Reaves this year it will be a disappointment.

It could happen opening night, Reaves will be wanting to show the Pens fans why they brought him in and if he gets running around they'll go

 

[c-carp]

Hey it's a spot where we invested a tiny bit of cash on a player that may not be in the line up often.
No biggie.
Don't mind the signing at all,
Plus, c-carp it was a joke about Chris Carpenter.
I wasn't trying to insult you same with the poster that posted it.

My bad, I wasn't having a good day sorry

 

[Renard]

If they play Thorburn on the top line, I'll be angry. But if he sits out a lot of games, and is only in the lineup against teams that try to intimidate, then I'm OK with it.

 

[AVictoryDive]

If they play Thorburn on the top line, I'll be angry. But if he sits out a lot of games, and is only in the lineup against teams that try to intimidate, then I'm OK with it.

Haha just imagine Thorburn riding Tarasenkos coat tails and racking up the points haha

 

[kimzey59]

Haha just imagine Thorburn riding Tarasenkos coat tails and racking up the points haha

I admit that it was 7 years ago; but Thorburn did have a season with 9 goals. At least at one point, he wasn't completely without skill.

I'm not sure how much he has left in his legs, but at one point I looked at him a lot like we look at Reaves now. Great fighter, great locker room guy and far more talented than your run of the mill enforcer. Not sure what happened to him last year, but he pretty consistently notches 5+ goals and 10+ points a year. As long as his wheels haven't completely fallen off, there are far worse 4th line types out there.

 

[DeuceNine]

Pittsburgh just sees Reaves as a concussion shield for Crosby. Doesn't work that way, but we'll take the return we got.

 

[c-carp]

Pittsburgh just sees Reaves as a concussion shield for Crosby. Doesn't work that way, but we'll take the return we got.

With all that high end skill they have this was a good deal for both teams