Is it time to rebuild?

Celtic Note

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I believe Spezza only nixed Nashville. He was open to us or Dallas.

Garrison and Hamhuis, well we lucked out there. Especially since I think Berglund would have been included in that deal for Garrison and he was then obviously used in a much better trade.

Regardless, 90% of teams will have certain players that don’t want to go there. But we’re not Buffalo or Columbus, plenty of players are open to STL.
Plenty of players have been open to the Blues in the past. We were a winning team. Last off-season we had plenty willing to sign with us and we did just that.

I just wonder how this off-season and the next hole will look. We are starting decline. Player many take notice.
 

Ranksu

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By that definition I would agree that we had multiple elite players.
How many NHL top10 players we have in Blues?

ROR and maybe Binnington? Hmm, is Binnington really top10 goaltender?

WHO else is top10 player?
 

CraftyVeteran

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How many NHL top10 players we have in Blues?

ROR and maybe Binnington? Hmm, is Binnington really top10 goaltender?

WHO else is top10 player?
he wasn't this year. I don't blame him as the defense and backchecking was marginal at best. ROR is the best we have and this scoring by committee plan isn't it. They need a big time goal scorer and solid defense. Look at TB. Big boys that move bodies, solid defense, multiple goal scoring threats and the Vezina kid. It can be done. The excuses year in and year out as to why we can't do those very same things are nonsensical. It's Army gambling on bad contracts. He done well for a couple of years but Tb has built a machine, not a one hit wonder.
 

Mike Liut

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The Leafs are an example why I don’t care if we have top 10 players. I’d rather roll 4 tough, gritty lines who play both ends. That’s why I hope we trade Tarasenko and don’t sign Hoffman.
 

Mike Liut

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In a 7 game series, which team would win? 4 lines of Tarasenko or 4 lines of Sunqvist? Considering the D and G are the same.
 

Majorityof1

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The Leafs are an example why I don’t care if we have top 10 players. I’d rather roll 4 tough, gritty lines who play both ends. That’s why I hope we trade Tarasenko and don’t sign Hoffman.

Yep, we should follow repeat Cup champion Lightning's model of rolling 4 gritty lines with no Top 10 pla..,,oh yea, never mind.
 
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Majorityof1

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The cap cheaters?

Unfortunately, we won’t have the luxury of top 5 picks like them.

When did the NHL come down on them for cap circumvention? Oh yea, they didn't because they didn't cheat. They used LTIR just like we did. They were just more successful doing so.

As for the top 5 picks. We had two. Made a poor pick on one and traded him for pieces that are gone. We wouldn't give the other an NMC, so now we don't have any. Tampa had to pay their top 5 picks. None of their top 5 picks are on ELCs, or on RFA deals. They drafted 2 of their current players top 5, and both would have been Unrestricted free agents if they didn't re-sign. Complaining that Tampa had 2 top 5 picks that they are paying top dollar for while we pilfered away our 2 top 5 picks seems disingenuous.
 

Mike Liut

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When did the NHL come down on them for cap circumvention? Oh yea, they didn't because they didn't cheat. They used LTIR just like we did. They were just more successful doing so.

As for the top 5 picks. We had two. Made a poor pick on one and traded him for pieces that are gone. We wouldn't give the other an NMC, so now we don't have any. Tampa had to pay their top 5 picks. None of their top 5 picks are on ELCs, or on RFA deals. They drafted 2 of their current players top 5, and both would have been Unrestricted free agents if they didn't re-sign. Complaining that Tampa had 2 top 5 picks that they are paying top dollar for while we pilfered away our 2 top 5 picks seems disingenuous.



I meant top 5 picks going forward to build this current roster.
 

Blueston

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Yep, we should follow repeat Cup champion Lightning's model of rolling 4 gritty lines with no Top 10 pla..,,oh yea, never mind.
Lightning went from first round loss to back-to-back Cups when they added grit to their lineup and started playing less run and gun hockey. Sure they have some great players too, but there are lessons to be learned from them (other than obviously draft superstars in mid rounds).
 
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Majorityof1

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Lightning went from first round loss to back-to-back Cups when they added grit to their lineup and started playing less run and gun hockey. Sure they have some great players too, but there are lessons to be learned from them (other than obviously draft superstars in mid rounds).

I never said otherwise. MikeLiut said he'd rather role 4 gritty lines than have top players. You need balance. Having some grit is fine. But you can't have all grit and no top end talent.
 

Mike Liut

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I never said otherwise. MikeLiut said he'd rather role 4 gritty lines than have top players. You need balance. Having some grit is fine. But you can't have all grit and no top end talent.


I didn’t mean 4 lines of Bob Bassen, i meant i want my 4 lines to play 2 way hockey. ROR, Schenn and Schwartz qualify for this.
 
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Ranksu

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We have forward group whom are really good both ends.m, but d-core is mediocre at best.

***

Observing our div for next season. It's going to be grind to pass playoffs. Only Chicago and Arizona are worse than us.
 

Brockon

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We have forward group whom are really good both ends.m, but d-core is mediocre at best.

***

Observing our div for next season. It's going to be grind to pass playoffs. Only Chicago and Arizona are worse than us.

Nashville minus Arvidsson and whoever they lose in the expansion draft isn't going to be a world beater... Saros stood on his head to get them to the playoffs this past season.

I'm not convinced he plays that well again over 50+ starts to put Nashville in the playoff hunt.
 

Renard

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I had hopes that Parayko, Binnington and Thomas would become elite players. That didn't happen last year, but could still happen.

If it does, and Kostin and Kyrou come through, we don't need a rebuild.
 

Ranksu

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Nashville minus Arvidsson and whoever they lose in the expansion draft isn't going to be a world beater... Saros stood on his head to get them to the playoffs this past season.

I'm not convinced he plays that well again over 50+ starts to put Nashville in the playoff hunt.
Ofc Tarasenko hasnt played, but now his shoulder should be ok. Losing him low value hurts. What about Schwartz? Losing him too. ED we will either Barbashev or Dunn.

Oh, I forgot Hoffman could be out too and Bozak too.

Idk, I'm not confident to our roster and how bad our defence is. Noting how many roster moves we might see.
 

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