Blues Trade Proposals 2019-20 - Part III

[Dbrownss]

I am not convinced that I agree on Kyrou and I certainly don't agree on Blais.

- Kyrou has had 5 good games in a row now. Before that he was scoreless in 9 straight and was a -3 during that stretch.

Has he really turned the corner into becoming a solid NHL'er or is he just on a hot streak following the Bouw situation?
And how willing are you to risk the 3rd line falling into the toilet during the PO's based on your answer?

Personally, I would like to think that he's turned the corner but I just can't bring myself to bank on it. As we saw last year; you need your 3rd line to be able to win games for you and I'm not convinced that Kyrou is at that level just yet.

-If I'm being specific; Blais is the forward that I think needs to be replaced.
He has been a train wreck since he returned from injury. He is chasing the play instead of driving it, his offensive production is non-existent and his defensive game has fallen off a cliff(likely due to frustration).
And Army has noticed it(he commented on it during the Scandella presser).

Furthermore; Blais does not play a net front game. Even when Maroon wasn't scoring, his butt was in front of the goalie creating havoc and that opened space for Bozak/Thomas.
Blais doesn't play that style. Blais is at his best when he is patrolling the perimeter like a herding dog and driving the puck into the area's he wants it to go(usually right into our defensive coverage). Except that right now he is reacting instead of driving and that is causing defensive breakdowns.

Under normal circumstances, I would say he needs an off-season to reset. But if Army really wants to repeat we don't have that luxury. We need a reliable 3rd line and we won't have that if Blais or Kyrou are expected to play a key role there. As such; Blais is the forward that needs to go in favor of a more reliable option. He is the weakest link up front currently, and he will be in an absolute dogfight for the final lineup spot next year(Blais, MacMac, Kyrou and Kostin will all be going after a single spot).

Again; I'm not entirely sure who the right fit is in such a deal. But if I'm Army I'd be shopping Blais around for a more reliable option.

Blais doesn't even have to be in the lineup when everyone is healthy. He was a wrecking ball last year, so I'm not so quick to undermine his impact

I see no reason to not give Kyrou the benefit of the doubt. Thomas didnt take off till around this time last year. I'm not saying Kyrou will follow the same path but he's trending in the right direction. Any significant improvement is going to be costly as we have to get max retention and we'd be looking at a Palmieri level player.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Well Toronto is on fire, and not in the good way like you want. Their team is just incapable / uninterested (what’s the difference?) of playing team defense, and their goaltending has been a huge issue all year. I wonder if there’s a last-minute swap that could be made to improve both of our lots. Maybe something like:

To STL:
Jack Campbell
Kasperi Kapanen

To TOR
Jake Allen
MacEachern / Blais / Barbashev / DLR

We get a little more firepower up front, and a serviceable backup goalie (a worse option than Allen), plus a little long-term cap relief. Toronto gets a steadier hand in net, plus a forward that can actually shut down opposing lines. Not sure if the math pencils out exactly on the salaries, but it seems like something that could benefit both teams.

 

[Dbrownss]

Well Toronto is on fire, and not in the good way like you want. Their team is just incapable / uninterested (what’s the difference?) of playing team defense, and their goaltending has been a huge issue all year. I wonder if there’s a last-minute swap that could be made to improve both of our lots. Maybe something like:

To STL:
Jack Campbell
Kasperi Kapanen

To TOR
Jake Allen
MacEachern / Blais / Barbashev / DLR

We get a little more firepower up front, and a serviceable backup goalie (a worse option than Allen), plus a little long-term cap relief. Toronto gets a steadier hand in net, plus a forward that can actually shut down opposing lines. Not sure if the math pencils out exactly on the salaries, but it seems like something that could benefit both teams.

I would not be interested in moving Barbashev, he that "glue" type of guy

 

[542365]

Why do people think he'll be better with a bigger role? They already shoe horned him into big minutes. He should be thriving on the 3rd pairing, and he's not. While I dont think he's horrible or atrocious, I wouldn't say he's been fine. He needs to perform to his contract, and he's not. Right now we have the luxury of sticking him on the 3rd pairing and I dont think he bars the Blues from keeping Petro, if Petro wants to stay. But it puts us in cap trouble. I dont think well have to dump him and we can probably get some value out of him in the offseason.

Only Petro has generated more expected goals among Blues Dmen, only Parayko generates more rebounds per shot, only Dunn gets their shot on net more often, only Dunn and Bortuzzo in their sheltered roles are on the ice for fewer expected goals against/60 etc. He's EASILY one of the Blues' top 4 Dmen and we're entertaining the idea of trading him for one of the worst players in the league. It's ridiculous. You're right, he hasn't been "fine". He's been good.

 

[Dbrownss]

Only Petro has generated more expected goals among Blues Dmen, only Parayko generates more rebounds per shot, only Dunn gets their shot on net more often, only Dunn and Bortuzzo in their sheltered roles are on the ice for fewer expected goals against/60 etc. He's EASILY one of the Blues' top 4 Dmen and we're entertaining the idea of trading him for one of the worst players in the league. It's ridiculous. You're right, he hasn't been "fine". He's been good.

I have no interest in trading him for Eriksson.

 

[Mike Liut]

Blais doesn't even have to be in the lineup when everyone is healthy. He was a wrecking ball last year, so I'm not so quick to undermine his impact

I see no reason to not give Kyrou the benefit of the doubt. Thomas didnt take off till around this time last year. I'm not saying Kyrou will follow the same path but he's trending in the right direction. Any significant improvement is going to be costly as we have to get max retention and we'd be looking at a Palmieri level player.

Blais is a very important piece. Like you said, hes a wrecking ball. I’m not sure the Blues win the cup last season without Blais / Sunny / Barbie. Their physicality set the tone. And Blais has such good hands too. He might only be a bottom 6 player, but hes a very valuable piece. He’s the type of player that’s built for the playoffs.

 

[BlueDream]

I am not convinced that I agree on Kyrou and I certainly don't agree on Blais.

- Kyrou has had 5 good games in a row now. Before that he was scoreless in 9 straight and was a -3 during that stretch.

Has he really turned the corner into becoming a solid NHL'er or is he just on a hot streak following the Bouw situation?
And how willing are you to risk the 3rd line falling into the toilet during the PO's based on your answer?

-If I'm being specific; Blais is the forward that I think needs to be replaced.
He has been a train wreck since he returned from injury. He is chasing the play instead of driving it, his offensive production is non-existent and his defensive game has fallen off a cliff(likely due to frustration).
And Army has noticed it(he commented on it during the Scandella presser).

Furthermore; Blais does not play a net front game. Even when Maroon wasn't scoring, his butt was in front of the goalie creating havoc and that opened space for Bozak/Thomas.
Blais doesn't play that style. Blais is at his best when he is patrolling the perimeter like a herding dog and driving the puck into the area's he wants it to go(usually right into our defensive coverage). Except that right now he is reacting instead of driving and that is causing defensive breakdowns.

Under normal circumstances, I would say he needs an off-season to reset. But if Army really wants to repeat we don't have that luxury. We need a reliable 3rd line and we won't have that if Blais or Kyrou are expected to play a key role there. As such; Blais is the forward that needs to go in favor of a more reliable option. He is the weakest link up front currently, and he will be in an absolute dogfight for the final lineup spot next year(Blais, MacMac, Kyrou and Kostin will all be going after a single spot).

Again; I'm not entirely sure who the right fit is in such a deal. But if I'm Army I'd be shopping Blais around for A more reliable option

How does Kyrou’s hot streak have anything to do with Bouwmeester? That’s an odd comment. I’m assuming your opinion is that he is not as connected to Bouwmeester as other guys who have played with him for a lot longer. But I think that’s a complete stretch.

I’m not sure what your obsession is with trading Blais. The kid is 23 and just came back from a long term injury. He has been shaky lately but there’s really no reason to give up on him. We’ve seen his impact in the playoffs, as his hard hitting style is suited greatly for that. With Tarasenko back, all we would need is for Blais/Kyrou to fill one spot. I would think one of them would be able to do it. We basically had Sanford and Fabbri rotating last year and won the Cup so the situation isn’t much different.

Also, those 4 guys you listed are absolutely not competing for one spot next year. Blais and Kyrou likely each have a spot with Bozak traded in the summer. MacMac is a spare forward and has nothing to do with those 2. Kostin is a guy who will be competing for a spot but he will have to earn it.

Schwartz-Schenn-Kyrou
Sanford-ROR-Perron
Blais-Thomas-Tarasenko
Barbashev-Sundqvist-Steen
Mac

is probably along the lines of what we are looking at next year. That’s the lineup unless Kostin literally forces his way onto the team. Maybe he will beat out Blais in camp, who knows. But you could still keep Blais on the team since he’s cheap, there’s really no need to move him - especially for most of the names that are on the market right now.

 

[DatDude44]

I would not be interested in moving Barbashev, he that "glue" type of guy

Not really tho, Sunny is the glue guy.

 

[Brockon]

Well Toronto is on fire, and not in the good way like you want. Their team is just incapable / uninterested (what’s the difference?) of playing team defense, and their goaltending has been a huge issue all year. I wonder if there’s a last-minute swap that could be made to improve both of our lots. Maybe something like:

To STL:
Jack Campbell
Kasperi Kapanen

To TOR
Jake Allen
MacEachern / Blais / Barbashev / DLR

We get a little more firepower up front, and a serviceable backup goalie (a worse option than Allen), plus a little long-term cap relief. Toronto gets a steadier hand in net, plus a forward that can actually shut down opposing lines. Not sure if the math pencils out exactly on the salaries, but it seems like something that could benefit both teams.

No interest in trading Barbashev. Kid is the definition of a utility player, which is far more valuable than the point totals he will score suggest.

He isn't irreplaceable by any means, but his contract, PK ability, physicality and offence in the bottom 6 as well as ability to play for shory stints in the top 6 are far more valuable than most people realize in a cap league.

Edit
Any of MacMac, Blais or DLR, I'm fine with trading out as they do portions of what Barbie does, but not all of it - or at least not at the same level across the board (there may be a single element they out perform him in).

 

[TK 421]

I don't understand being willing to part with Blais. He was really blossoming just prior to his injury and brings a nice blend of dedicated physicality and hockey sense. I guess the thought process with being willing to move him is a numbers game kind of reasoning? Help me out here guys because I'm not understanding the logic on that one. DLR I understand, even MacMac I understand though I've really liked him. But not Blais, I really value his ability to move into a top 6 role when needed and deliver big hits doing the dirty work for skilled players.

 

[BlueDream]

I don't understand being willing to part with Blais. He was really blossoming just prior to his injury and brings a nice blend of dedicated physicality and hockey sense. I guess the thought process with being willing to move him is a numbers game kind of reasoning? Help me out here guys because I'm not understanding the logic on that one. DLR I understand, even MacMac I understand though I've really liked him. But not Blais, I really value his ability to move into a top 6 role when needed and deliver big hits doing the dirty work for skilled players.

It has made me realize there’s always a “flavor of the month” when it comes to trading a young forward with some fans here. It was Sanford for a long time. Now that he’s been hot, Kyrou was talked about. Now that he’s stringing some good games together, Blais is the guy lol.

We already went through this with Fabbri and trading him for DLR was stupid.

Just keep the young guys. They are doing fine.

 

[Dbrownss]

Not really tho, Sunny is the glue guy.

You can have more then 1 tube of glue.

It's just a term used for a guy who has an impact on the team that goes beyond the stats. Does Sunny have a bigger impact then Barbie, yes. Does that mean Barbie is expendable for a new add that may not gel with the team and shore up the 3rd line, nope. We get Vladi and Bozak back, we dont need to add anyone. We can seriously make the case were Tarasenko is on the 3rd line......

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

It has made me realize there’s always a “flavor of the month” when it comes to trading a young forward with some fans here. It was Sanford for a long time. Now that he’s been hot, Kyrou was talked about. Now that he’s stringing some good games together, Blais is the guy lol.

We already went through this with Fabbri and trading him for DLR was stupid.

Just keep the young guys. They are doing fine.

Just to be clear, I’m not saying “trade Blais” because I’m upset at his play or anything. Far from it. He’s a good player with a bright future. But we have a lot of good 2-way guys trading spots on the 3rd and 4th line, that are all sort of in the same tier of performance, and that is an organizational strength we *could* choose to deal from. Hell, throw Sanford in there too. We have a lot of young wingers that have learned to play the game “The Right Way (tm),” and that’s valuable currency in the trade market.

We don’t really have a Kapanen though, maybe Kyrou fits that bill. But we are a team that struggles to score, and Kapanen has shown the ability to score some clutch goals in his career, and he is buried in a deep forward group in Toronto. Like Kyrou, he has first-line upside, and has been a PPG player in the AHL.

If Toronto decides (like I think they should) that their all-offense all-the-time style of play isn’t going to cut it, and want to beef up their team defense by swapping out a scoring winger for more of a checking style, I think there could be a match to be made in STL. And, if in that process, they want to pick up a veteran goalie with a .922 sv%, we can probably help them out there too. Maybe they throw in a draft pick to even out the scales, or we swap rounds or something.

 

[TK 421]

It has made me realize there’s always a “flavor of the month” when it comes to trading a young forward with some fans here. It was Sanford for a long time. Now that he’s been hot, Kyrou was talked about. Now that he’s stringing some good games together, Blais is the guy lol.

We already went through this with Fabbri and trading him for DLR was stupid.

Just keep the young guys. They are doing fine.

Yeah you're probably right. I agree we should just let it ride at this point. I've been one of those clamoring for a forward but have cooled a lot recently due to getting Blais back, Sanford''s resurgence and reports of 91 coming back earlier than expected. I think we're past the worst of it now and can just keep the good team chemistry that already exists going. 2 days ago I heard Jamie Rivers say in an interview that 91 had skated 4 days straight so it sounds like he's on the ice daily now and that's a great sign.

 

[Dbrownss]

Just to be clear, I’m not saying “trade Blais” because I’m upset at his play or anything. Far from it. He’s a good player with a bright future. But we have a lot of good 2-way guys trading spots on the 3rd and 4th line, that are all sort of in the same tier of performance, and that is an organizational strength we *could* choose to deal from. Hell, throw Sanford in there too. We have a lot of young wingers that have learned to play the game “The Right Way (tm),” and that’s valuable currency in the trade market.

We don’t really have a Kapanen though, maybe Kyrou fits that bill. But we are a team that struggles to score, and Kapanen has shown the ability to score some clutch goals in his career, and he is buried in a deep forward group in Toronto. Like Kyrou, he has first-line upside, and has been a PPG player in the AHL.

If Toronto decides (like I think they should) that their all-offense all-the-time style of play isn’t going to cut it, and want to beef up their team defense by swapping out a scoring winger for more of a checking style, I think there could be a match to be made in STL. And, if in that process, they want to pick up a veteran goalie with a .922 sv%, we can probably help them out there too. Maybe they throw in a draft pick to even out the scales, or we swap rounds or something.

You should see what Toronto fans think of Kapanen. He's got skill but he doesnt use his linemates at all and is selfish. I dont think he'd fit.

 

[kimzey59]

How does Kyrou’s hot streak have anything to do with Bouwmeester? That’s an odd comment. I’m assuming your opinion is that he is not as connected to Bouwmeester as other guys who have played with him for a lot longer. But I think that’s a complete stretch.

I’m not sure what your obsession is with trading Blais. The kid is 23 and just came back from a long term injury. He has been shaky lately but there’s really no reason to give up on him. We’ve seen his impact in the playoffs, as his hard hitting style is suited greatly for that. With Tarasenko back, all we would need is for Blais/Kyrou to fill one spot. I would think one of them would be able to do it. We basically had Sanford and Fabbri rotating last year and won the Cup so the situation isn’t much different.

Also, those 4 guys you listed are absolutely not competing for one spot next year. Blais and Kyrou likely each have a spot with Bozak traded in the summer. MacMac is a spare forward and has nothing to do with those 2. Kostin is a guy who will be competing for a spot but he will have to earn it.

Schwartz-Schenn-Kyrou
Sanford-ROR-Perron
Blais-Thomas-Tarasenko
Barbashev-Sundqvist-Steen
Mac

is probably along the lines of what we are looking at next year. That’s the lineup unless Kostin literally forces his way onto the team. Maybe he will beat out Blais in camp, who knows. But you could still keep Blais on the team since he’s cheap, there’s really no need to move him - especially for most of the names that are on the market right now.

1- The whole team started picking things up after the Bouwmeester incident. Kyrou's improvements just happened to coincide with that. I'm not saying it's a direct correlation, but the time frame seems to match up.

2- (not just directed at you)
I'm not sure what PO's some of you watched last year but it clearly wasn't the same one I watched. Blais, Sanford and Fabbri ALL split time filling one spot. That spot was the LW with ROR and Perron(who were legitimately good enough to carry some dead weight around). The 3rd and 4th lines were pretty much static the entire PO's(with the exception of the suspensions to Barby and Sunny). Blais was not a staple in the lineup, and he certainly wasn't playing with Sunny and Barb's. Yes, he provided a spark when he did get inserted. But he couldn't maintain his spot and was eventually shifted out in favor of Sanford. And now we're expecting 2 of those platoon players to be a staple in the lineup?
Sorry, but I am just not comfortable with that depth chart.
Sanford could easily ghost again.
Kyrou could easily go back to his "rookie struggles".
Blais could easily continue to be in "recovery mode".
And Bozak is not good enough to carry that dead weight.

You might "think one of them would be able to do it", but I'm not even remotely sold on that. I think we need somebody to legitimately help Bozak if any of the 3 kids relapse.

And no, that does not mean somebody like Palmieri.
A guy like Namestnikov or Jesper Fast give you a measure of stability and cuts down on the risk factor. We don't need some world beater 3rd line, but they can't be a liability. And with Blais, Sanford and Kyrou filling the 2 wing spots on that line I am very worried about that line being a liability.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

I think Kapanen would be a good addition, just would be difficult choosing who to send the other way, and then even more, who to start on a nightly basis. This team is already chalk full of 2nd/3rd liners that can play up and down the lineup.

 

[ezcreepin]

I am not convinced that I agree on Kyrou and I certainly don't agree on Blais.

- Kyrou has had 5 good games in a row now. Before that he was scoreless in 9 straight and was a -3 during that stretch.

Has he really turned the corner into becoming a solid NHL'er or is he just on a hot streak following the Bouw situation?
And how willing are you to risk the 3rd line falling into the toilet during the PO's based on your answer?

Personally, I would like to think that he's turned the corner but I just can't bring myself to bank on it. As we saw last year; you need your 3rd line to be able to win games for you and I'm not convinced that Kyrou is at that level just yet.

-If I'm being specific; Blais is the forward that I think needs to be replaced.
He has been a train wreck since he returned from injury. He is chasing the play instead of driving it, his offensive production is non-existent and his defensive game has fallen off a cliff(likely due to frustration).
And Army has noticed it(he commented on it during the Scandella presser).

Furthermore; Blais does not play a net front game. Even when Maroon wasn't scoring, his butt was in front of the goalie creating havoc and that opened space for Bozak/Thomas.
Blais doesn't play that style. Blais is at his best when he is patrolling the perimeter like a herding dog and driving the puck into the area's he wants it to go(usually right into our defensive coverage). Except that right now he is reacting instead of driving and that is causing defensive breakdowns.

Under normal circumstances, I would say he needs an off-season to reset. But if Army really wants to repeat we don't have that luxury. We need a reliable 3rd line and we won't have that if Blais or Kyrou are expected to play a key role there. As such; Blais is the forward that needs to go in favor of a more reliable option. He is the weakest link up front currently, and he will be in an absolute dogfight for the final lineup spot next year(Blais, MacMac, Kyrou and Kostin will all be going after a single spot).

Again; I'm not entirely sure who the right fit is in such a deal. But if I'm Army I'd be shopping Blais around for a more reliable option.

Do you even remember the plays in question which led him to being a -3? His first minus was against the Oilers on a bad play from Petro which led to a turnover because he passed it to no one. Kyrou just happened to be on the ice which resulted in a minus. For that night: Kyrou -1, Petro -2. His next game against the Canes, he set up Blais' goal by keeping it in the zone, putting it on net, it goes to the point for a shot, and Blais puts it in. Kyrou went to the bench just before that goal and didn't get the +1 on that play. The goal against while he was on the ice was in large part due to Faulk not covering his man, but I can't tell how the play started so lets call it a wash. Faulk that night had a point but was a -1, which means he was on the ice for at least 2 goals against and 1 goal for (his point was not a pp point). Kyrou's minus against Winnipeg was actually a bad play by him, completely missed a pass because he opened up his legs and then he just stood there. Binnington also bad on that play, but the shot had eyes. Kyrou -1. In reality, Id say Kyrou was actually a -1 instead of a -3 in those 3 games, but he actually created a few scoring opportunities specifically in that Canes game. The point is, are Petro and Faulk bad because they also had a bad 3 game stretch? We'd both say no, which is why that +/- stat is really bad without context. Now I'm NOT going to say that Kyrou was playing as well as he has been now, but I think it's important to give him some credit for being good for these past games. I remember when we were all in arms about Thomas looking so-so for quite a bit of the year last year, but then found chemistry and really took off. I think Kyrou is starting to get that swagger, and you can tell in the way he is backchecking, passing, and scoring goals. He has looked good and I give him credit, but we'll have to see how he keeps it up, much like we said about Thomas.

I said put Blais on their line because he seems to have really good possession numbers, and I figure a good possession guy on that line keeping the puck would allow Bozak and Kyrou more opportunities. I looked at Blais' game logs and woo boy they are not good. You're right, he seems to be chasing the play and not letting his physical play and speed dictate the game. I can't say how efficient Maroon's butt was last year because it seemed like he wasn't screening goalies a lot of the time, but I get your point. Blais is more of a perimeter kind of guy who will crash the net, but doesn't park himself there. I'm not sure who could work well with the 3rd line, but you've got to give those guys time to build chemistry, otherwise you'll have instances where guys like Maroon look like 4th liners at best when they have potential to be good 3rd liners.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

IF and this is a big IF, If a good value offer was presented in the next 24hrs for Allen, would people prefer to take the value and figure out the backup situation moving forward. Or does everyone think/prefer to keep Allen the remainder of this season and try to move in the offseason?

 

[Dbrownss]

IF and this is a big IF, If a good value offer was presented in the next 24hrs for Allen, would people prefer to take the value and figure out the backup situation moving forward. Or does everyone think/prefer to keep Allen the remainder of this season and try to move in the offseason?

It would have to be a high pick to intice me

 

[Blueston]

IF and this is a big IF, If a good value offer was presented in the next 24hrs for Allen, would people prefer to take the value and figure out the backup situation moving forward. Or does everyone think/prefer to keep Allen the remainder of this season and try to move in the offseason?

Offseason.

 

[BlueDream]

IF and this is a big IF, If a good value offer was presented in the next 24hrs for Allen, would people prefer to take the value and figure out the backup situation moving forward. Or does everyone think/prefer to keep Allen the remainder of this season and try to move in the offseason?

Take the value and trade him now. We could be kicking ourselves in the offseason when we don’t get as much for him.

I know people would freak out about it since we’re approaching the playoffs. But we will make the playoffs, there’s no doubt. And only one goalie is going to play in the postseason anyways.

Allen is a good backup but if it came down to it, he’s not winning us a Cup. So if Binnington got injured or something we would be screwed regardless.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

The thing about Allen is, without an AHL team next year, we may have no choice but to trade him if we want to hang onto Husso. If, for whatever reason, we have to share an AHL squad next year like we did with San Antonio and Chicago a few years ago, we probably shouldn’t do to Husso what we did to Binner and ship him off to another squad.

So, if there’s an opportunity between now and tomorrow to move Allen, we should take it imo. There are guys we can pick up in the summer off the UFA list that we could compete for the backup job or - if we get a team figured out for an AHL affiliate - stash in the minors.

Allen is just a luxury at this point, and an expensive one at that. Our team is so good defensively, we don’t need a $4.5 mil backup goalie to get the job done.

 

[Celtic Note]

I am not convinced that I agree on Kyrou and I certainly don't agree on Blais.

- Kyrou has had 5 good games in a row now. Before that he was scoreless in 9 straight and was a -3 during that stretch.

Has he really turned the corner into becoming a solid NHL'er or is he just on a hot streak following the Bouw situation?
And how willing are you to risk the 3rd line falling into the toilet during the PO's based on your answer?

Personally, I would like to think that he's turned the corner but I just can't bring myself to bank on it. As we saw last year; you need your 3rd line to be able to win games for you and I'm not convinced that Kyrou is at that level just yet.

-If I'm being specific; Blais is the forward that I think needs to be replaced.
He has been a train wreck since he returned from injury. He is chasing the play instead of driving it, his offensive production is non-existent and his defensive game has fallen off a cliff(likely due to frustration).
And Army has noticed it(he commented on it during the Scandella presser).

Furthermore; Blais does not play a net front game. Even when Maroon wasn't scoring, his butt was in front of the goalie creating havoc and that opened space for Bozak/Thomas.
Blais doesn't play that style. Blais is at his best when he is patrolling the perimeter like a herding dog and driving the puck into the area's he wants it to go(usually right into our defensive coverage). Except that right now he is reacting instead of driving and that is causing defensive breakdowns.

Under normal circumstances, I would say he needs an off-season to reset. But if Army really wants to repeat we don't have that luxury. We need a reliable 3rd line and we won't have that if Blais or Kyrou are expected to play a key role there. As such; Blais is the forward that needs to go in favor of a more reliable option. He is the weakest link up front currently, and he will be in an absolute dogfight for the final lineup spot next year(Blais, MacMac, Kyrou and Kostin will all be going after a single spot).

Again; I'm not entirely sure who the right fit is in such a deal. But if I'm Army I'd be shopping Blais around for a more reliable option.

I haven’t liked Blais’ game either. He is trying. He just hasn’t been productive. I like his game generally for the 4th line, but not higher at this point. He seems to do some lug-headed things. He certainly has some learning to do.

 

[Blueston]

The thing about Allen is, without an AHL team next year, we may have no choice but to trade him if we want to hang onto Husso. If, for whatever reason, we have to share an AHL squad next year like we did with San Antonio and Chicago a few years ago, we probably shouldn’t do to Husso what we did to Binner and ship him off to another squad.

So, if there’s an opportunity between now and tomorrow to move Allen, we should take it imo. There are guys we can pick up in the summer off the UFA list that we could compete for the backup job or - if we get a team figured out for an AHL affiliate - stash in the minors.

Allen is just a luxury at this point, and an expensive one at that. Our team is so good defensively, we don’t need a $4.5 mil backup goalie to get the job done.

There are 31 NHL teams and 31 AHL teams. We won't have to share an affiliate.