GDT: Free Agency Game 1: Blues vs Avs 11 AM CT

[Chojin]

Awesome deal for Chicago. I was afraid they'd get him; it just made too much sense. He'd come cheap, due to the buyout, and he'd accept a short deal, which means he'll have zero impact on the Kane/Toews negotiations.

I can only hope he's as bad for Chicago as he was for New York (in the playoffs). In any case, he's better than Handzus.

 

[BluesTraveller]

B. Richards doesn't scare me. He looks really slow.

 

[Lord Helix]

B. Richards doesn't scare me. He looks really slow.

I'm not looking forward to Kane setting up Richards with his big shot. Slow or not, he still has the hockey sense to get open.

 

[542365]

I wonder who they're trading. They're like 2.2 million over the cap right now. Sharp for picks/prospects? Leddy?

 

[Chojin]

I wonder who they're trading. They're like 2.2 million over the cap right now. Sharp for picks/prospects? Leddy?

I'm guessing Leddy or Bickell. Roszival wouldn't be enough.

EDIT: On second thought, they could trade Roszival, assign Terravainen to the AHL, and then bring up the cheapest forward possible.

 

[542365]

Holy **** the Caps signed Orpik and Niskanen to ridiculous deals. Niskanen was a throw in as negative value in the Neal-Goligoski trade. That's unreal. It's as if teams never watch these players before they sign them.

 

[Majorityof1]

Holy **** the Caps signed Orpik and Niskanen to ridiculous deals. Niskanen was a throw in as negative value in the Neal-Goligoski trade. That's unreal. It's as if teams never watch these players before they sign them.

Given the limited market for defensement, the Niskanen deal isn't that bad. He's overpaid, but he is a decent 2-way D. The Orpik deal

 

[BlueDream]

The Richards move is pretty good for Chicago. He'll put up points on that team...

This division is so stacked.

 

[Inglorious Backes]

If anyone is looking for a laugh, go read Dater's article from earlier today summarizing the Avs day 1 of free agency. The smear campaign is in full gear already. A whole lot of sour grapes coming out of Denver right now.

And here's to hoping Bickell is the cap casualty in Chicago, that dude is an animal in the playoffs. I'd gladly take that trade off from a Blues perspective.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

If anyone is looking for a laugh, go read Dater's article from earlier today summarizing the Avs day 1 of free agency. The smear campaign is in full gear already. A whole lot of sour grapes coming out of Denver right now.

If you assume even 2% inflation in the NHL from 5 years ago, 4/28 is cheaper than 5/33. And there has been a lot more inflation than 2%.

We needed him more than they did, for sure, though, so they may well have done the right thing.

 

[Note Worthy]

If anyone is looking for a laugh, go read Dater's article from earlier today summarizing the Avs day 1 of free agency. The smear campaign is in full gear already. A whole lot of sour grapes coming out of Denver right now.

And here's to hoping Bickell is the cap casualty in Chicago, that dude is an animal in the playoffs. I'd gladly take that trade off from a Blues perspective.

Yeah I saw his snide comment. What a baby.

 

[542365]

My favorite Dater tweet is "so who's going to stop the puck in St. Louis?" When someone called him out on the fact that Elliott has a better save percentage and goals against average than Varlamov the last three seasons, he replies with "I'm sure he's real confident after watching his team mortgage future for Miller last season", to which the same guy responded "he had a .948 save percentage after Miller was acquired. Clearly, his confidence was rocked". Dater then made some stupid comment about a first round choke, which is just hysterical because the Avs lost on home ice to the most mediocre of mediocre teams. At least we lost to the defending Cup champs two years in a row. Sour grapes is strong in Dater

 

[Oberyn]

Dater is an immature idiot, not sure why people follow him.

 

[Lord Helix]

My favorite Dater tweet is "so who's going to stop the puck in St. Louis?" When someone called him out on the fact that Elliott has a better save percentage and goals against average than Varlamov the last three seasons, he replies with "I'm sure he's real confident after watching his team mortgage future for Miller last season", to which the same guy responded "he had a .948 save percentage after Miller was acquired. Clearly, his confidence was rocked". Dater then made some stupid comment about a first round choke, which is just hysterical because the Avs lost on home ice to the most mediocre of mediocre teams. At least we lost to the defending Cup champs two years in a row. Sour grapes is strong in Dater

I'm considering creating a twitter account just to troll him now that he's being (always seemed like one anyway) a ******.

 

[Note Worthy]

My favorite Dater tweet is "so who's going to stop the puck in St. Louis?" When someone called him out on the fact that Elliott has a better save percentage and goals against average than Varlamov the last three seasons, he replies with "I'm sure he's real confident after watching his team mortgage future for Miller last season", to which the same guy responded "he had a .948 save percentage after Miller was acquired. Clearly, his confidence was rocked". Dater then made some stupid comment about a first round choke, which is just hysterical because the Avs lost on home ice to the most mediocre of mediocre teams. At least we lost to the defending Cup champs two years in a row. Sour grapes is strong in Dater

Yeah, he's acting like a real professional.

I just can't picture JR getting into a bicker on twitter.

 

[542365]

Yeah, he's acting like a real professional.

I just can't picture JR getting into a bicker on twitter.

He's completely different than JR. He also made a comment about how now that Hemsky got his pay day, he can go back to being the sluggish, lazy winger he was in Edmonton. That's not how I would want my paper represented, but the Denver Post has always been a bit of a laughing stock. Not all that surprised that they employ him. He's more of a fan than a reporter, which I guess isn't a bad thing, it's just different.

 

[bleedblue1223]

He's like Korac lol.

 

[PitchDoug]

Really off topic... but... you should have just finished the Mountain when you had him down and beat. Just hurts my eyes thinking about it.

Back on topic, this off season has just been perfect. Everything went our way.

Let Miller walk
Fabbri fell to us
Barbashev fell to us
Solidified our top 4 with Gunnerson trade
Signed Stastny
Signed Lehtera

and the only player heading out is Polak

I will miss you Polak you magnificent Czech beast you.

but dayum am I excited for this year.

I'm reading this glorious thread, trying to catch up. Nice recap. Smiles

 

[rumrokh]

You know, I think there's a place for sports writers who poetically chronicle and divisively opine instead of report. Dater plainly doesn't qualify there, he's basically an overblown fan. Even opinion guys need to hit the brakes when fans try to engage them in social media.

 

[gqmixmaster]

Are the blues going to trade berglund? What do you guys think MacT will have to offer to take him from your seksi team?

 

[simon IC]

Are the blues going to trade berglund? What do you guys think MacT will have to offer to take him from your seksi team?

We need a 1st in next years draft. I realize we won't get that from you for Bergie, but we'd start with a 2nd.

 

[542365]

Are the blues going to trade berglund? What do you guys think MacT will have to offer to take him from your seksi team?

Don't know if he's going to be traded, but our GM basically said that he wouldn't. Things change, though, so you never know. I imagine if a team is willing to give a decent return, the Blues would jump at the opportunity to move Berglund and his 3.7M contract. I don't know what a decent return would be though. Someoen heard a rumor that the Blues were asking for a first, but there's a big difference between what a team wants and what they are realistically going to get. We're not getting a first for Berglund, I think I can say that with some certainty. A 2nd doesn't seem unreasonable, but if he's moved, I expect a rather modest return like a 3rd and C prospect.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

One of my buddies just texted me and said that Lebrun reported we were seriously pursuing both Sastny and Spezza. I love Tom Stillman.

 

[Dbrownss]

One of my buddies just texted me and said that Lebrun reported we were seriously pursuing both Sastny and Spezza. I love Tom Stillman.

I don't see how. We're already trying to squeeze into the cap let alone that 7m cap hit on top of Stastny

 

[simon IC]

Don't know if he's going to be traded, but our GM basically said that he wouldn't. Things change, though, so you never know. I imagine if a team is willing to give a decent return, the Blues would jump at the opportunity to move Berglund and his 3.7M contract. I don't know what a decent return would be though. Someoen heard a rumor that the Blues were asking for a first, but there's a big difference between what a team wants and what they are realistically going to get. We're not getting a first for Berglund, I think I can say that with some certainty. A 2nd doesn't seem unreasonable, but if he's moved, I expect a rather modest return like a 3rd and C prospect.

I respectfully disagree. If Berglund can't get even a 2nd in 2015, then we keep him. He's still very useful and I'm sure we can divest cap hit in other ways.