Speculation: Maroon to STL + Gunnarson

[TGWL]

We are here for you Blues. Let us know what we can help you out with, and we'll let you know how sweet the honey pot needs to be. - Signed, NYR.

 

[MissouriMook]

Unless he wants to play on the 4th line or Fabbri is no longer an NHL'er. There isnt any room in St. Louis now. Our wings are Schwartz, Steen, Fabbri and Sosh on the left and Tarasenko, Perron, Bozak/Thomas and Thorburn on the right. We dont have space

You don't pass up signing a player like Maroon (or any player for that matter) to save a roster spot for Thorburn. C'mon man!

We are here for you Blues. Let us know what we can help you out with, and we'll let you know how sweet the honey pot needs to be. - Signed, NYR.

Gunnarsson <-> Conditional 4th? (if he plays < 41 games, 4th becomes a 6th)

 

[BleedBlue14]

What the hell are we chasing Maroon for? Better not be for more than 2 years.

 

[RandallRitchey]

I think Maroon could be a great add if for the right price. 2 yr, around 3M(ish) wouldn't be bad. Just gotta find the space.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Regardless of Maroon, I’d look at moving Gunnarsson to clear a little cap and also give him a chance to play.

He’s stuck behind

Edmundson-Pietrangelo
Dunn-Parayko
Bouwmeester-Bortuzzo

And that doesn’t account for a guy like Schmaltz winning a job.

If Maroon wants to come play here as a 4th liner and sign a 2 year deal, I’m all for it, but otherwise I’d pass on the nice story

 

[BlueDream]

Why would you move Gunnarsson? He is a very solid D, doesn’t make much, very good on the PK and we need proven depth. Especially to get Maroon, who adds a bit of size and what else? After the injuries to our D last season they shouldn’t be moving anyone until/unless the young players prove they can be solid in the NHL.

Because we already have 7 NHL defensemen without him. Why would we carry 8? Paying Gunnar almost 3 mil when we don’t need him makes no sense so he should be moved. He is at best a #6 defenseman on the roster.

 

[Dbrownss]

You don't pass up signing a player like Maroon (or any player for that matter) to save a roster spot for Thorburn. C'mon man!



Gunnarsson <-> Conditional 4th? (if he plays < 41 games, 4th becomes a 6th)

No, you dont sign maroon to play on the 4th line at 2m+

 

[steinerecliner]

Regardless of Maroon, I’d look at moving Gunnarsson to clear a little cap and also give him a chance to play.

He’s stuck behind

Edmundson-Pietrangelo
Dunn-Parayko
Bouwmeester-Bortuzzo

And that doesn’t account for a guy like Schmaltz winning a job.

If Maroon wants to come play here as a 4th liner and sign a 2 year deal, I’m all for it, but otherwise I’d pass on the nice story

You really sure Bouwmeester is still that good from major hip surgery and his age? Gunnarsson is younger so has better chance to be the more effective. If you sign Maroon who is about 20 goal scorer. He for sure a top 9 talent. If not a top six depending on how camp goes. I honestly see him on the 3rd line with Bozak. Which you will have 4 lines that going to be pretty strong.

 

[BleedBlue14]

You really sure Bouwmeester is still that good from major hip surgery and his age? Gunnarsson is younger so has better chance to be the more effective. If you sign Maroon who is about 20 goal scorer. He for sure a top 9 talent. If not a top six depending on how camp goes. I honestly see him on the 3rd line with Bozak. Which you will have 4 lines that going to be pretty strong.

You wanting to block the kids for 2+years to get a more physical Berglund? I don't see Maroon taking less money as well as taking less term.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

You really sure Bouwmeester is still that good from major hip surgery and his age? Gunnarsson is younger so has better chance to be the more effective. If you sign Maroon who is about 20 goal scorer. He for sure a top 9 talent. If not a top six depending on how camp goes. I honestly see him on the 3rd line with Bozak. Which you will have 4 lines that going to be pretty strong.

Then move Bouwmeester. Same deal. Move one of them.

In order to tell me Maroon is a top 9 forward on the Blues, you have to tell me who he is bumping.

Tarasenko/Schenn/Schwartz/O’Reilly/Perron/Thomas/Bozak/Fabbri/Steen

He for sure doesn’t bump the first 7. If Fabbri is healthy, he’s a lock too.

So now it comes down to Steen vs Maroon all while having Jordan Kyrou waiting in the wings. You sure he’s a top 9 here?

 

[crowi]

Maroon is the next Beleskey. I hope Blues sign him.

 

[BlueDream]

Maroon is the next Beleskey. I hope Blues sign him.

Highly unlikely he gets a Beleskey like contract if he’s still unsigned...

 

[67Blues]

The Blues will have trouble keeping all their forwards playing as is. Adding more, unless you are playing Maroon on the fourth line, makes no sense. I don't see moving anyone out just to fit Maroon in a top 9 spot as every player we have is better than him.

 

[trevorftw]

Injuries happen. You might want to bring Thomas along slowly until then. Maroon CAN play on the 4th line until something inevitably breaks loose.

It makes more sense to me to have maroon in the press box than Gunnarson/Bouwmeester.

Also, I think he'd consider a fairly significant discount to play in STL at this stage in his career. I think he'd quickly become a fan favorite (especially when you consider how popular that scrub cam janssen was). He could be close to family and potentially join the blues lifers after retiring.

 

[rumrokh]

Injuries happen. You might want to bring Thomas along slowly until then. Maroon CAN play on the 4th line until something inevitably breaks loose.

It makes more sense to me to have maroon in the press box than Gunnarson/Bouwmeester.

Also, I think he'd consider a fairly significant discount to play in STL at this stage in his career. I think he'd quickly become a fan favorite (especially when you consider how popular that scrub cam janssen was). He could be close to family and potentially join the blues lifers after retiring.

I'm not against signing Maroon in general, but the option isn't Maroon or a defenseman in the pressbox. The Blues are so stacked at forward it would be extra weird for them to ice seven defensemen.

 

[trevorftw]

I'm not against signing Maroon in general, but the option isn't Maroon or a defenseman in the pressbox. The Blues are so stacked at forward it would be extra weird for them to ice seven defensemen.

I get what you mean, you mean total contracts on the team.

I think we'd have to move out a forward contract too. Jaskin was my suggestion earlier... Bury sundqvist/thorburn in the minors? Doubt anyone would grab them on waivers.

 

[Majorityof1]

Blues fans are soooo weird.

<During2017-18 season> "We have too many slow over-paid bottom-6 players with Berglund and Sobotka"

<Blues trade Sobotka and Berglund> "Yay!!!! We cleared cap space and roster room for faster, more skilled players young guys"

<2 days later> "We are still in on Maroon, a slow 30-year old with size but no skill that will cost as much as Sobotka that we can slot on our 4th line........AWESOME!!!!!"

 

[Stealth JD]

I’d rather trade JBo’s $5.4M than Gunnar’s $2.9M. They’re essentially the same guy.

...but not for Maroon. For flexibility.

 

[rumrokh]

I get what you mean, you mean total contracts on the team.

I think we'd have to move out a forward contract too. Jaskin was my suggestion earlier... Bury sundqvist/thorburn in the minors? Doubt anyone would grab them on waivers.

Ah, I get what you're saying. You're assuming that a Maroon signing would come with moving out Bouwmeester or Gunnarsson.

But if that's the case, I don't see why it makes more sense to have Maroon under contract and scratched than it does to have Gunnarsson under contract and scratched. Unless you're also assuming that Maroon is signed for less money than Gunnarsson is currently making, which is definitely not a certainty.

 

[ohbabyblues]

Blues fans are soooo weird.

<During2017-18 season> "We have too many slow over-paid bottom-6 players with Berglund and Sobotka"

<Blues trade Sobotka and Berglund> "Yay!!!! We cleared cap space and roster room for faster, more skilled players young guys"

<2 days later> "We are still in on Maroon, a slow 30-year old with size but no skill that will cost as much as Sobotka that we can slot on our 4th line........AWESOME!!!!!"

You're equating Sobotka with Maroon?

Sobotka has never come close to scoring at Maroon's level

 

[BA Carroll]

You wanting to block the kids for 2+years to get a more physical Berglund? I don't see Maroon taking less money as well as taking less term.

Neither Thomas nor Kyrou are LW, neither project to be, and signing Maroon in no way effects their opportunities to make the roster. If anything, it creates competition for Fabbri to earn a roster spot. But we don't want Fabbri playing a 4th line role anyway.

If Maroon were signed, he would have to start the season on the 4th line, and we obviously don't want to pay him the salary he wants just to have him play a 4th line role. But, while 4th line is undoubtedly where he would be, he wouldn't have a typical 4th line role for us. He would get substantially more than 4th line minutes, and he would certainly get some time on special teams.

Lack of quality depth, and lack of testosterone in general, hurt the team badly last year. I think, if management and ownership are willing to spend the money to address that, Maroon makes perfect sense.

As for him not taking less money or term, I think he has several offers on the table, but nobody else is offering what he thinks he's worth, either.

 

[Ranksu]

Regardless of Maroon, I’d look at moving Gunnarsson to clear a little cap and also give him a chance to play.

He’s stuck behind

Edmundson-Pietrangelo
Dunn-Parayko
Bouwmeester-Bortuzzo

And that doesn’t account for a guy like Schmaltz winning a job.

If Maroon wants to come play here as a 4th liner and sign a 2 year deal, I’m all for it, but otherwise I’d pass on the nice story

How can you know what type of condition Jbo and Gunnar comes from injuries? What if Jbo is slow as Lehterä?

 

[Majorityof1]

You're equating Sobotka with Maroon?

Sobotka has never come close to scoring at Maroon's level

Sobotka is much better defensively, even the new "skill-based" Sobotka. He has worse offensive stats, but he also wasn't on a line with the likes of Getzlaf-Perry and McDavid-Draisaitl like maroon has. When Sobotka was between Tarasenko and Schwartz (young, less established versions), he put up 40+ point pace which is what Maroon does when paired with superstars. Maroon on our 4th line with Barbashev and Soshnikov/Jaskin will be worse than Sobotka.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

How can you know what type of condition Jbo and Gunnar comes from injuries? What if Jbo is slow as Lehterä?

Then move JBo and keep Gunnar. Just move one of them

 

[BA Carroll]

How can you know what type of condition Jbo and Gunnar comes from injuries? What if Jbo is slow as Lehterä?

That's irrelevant. Blues are ready to move on from both of those players. The difference is, J-Bo's contract is substantially harder to move. Gunnarsson could be dealt today, assuming he's healthy.

We are likely stuck with J-Bo until after Christmas, at least, regardless of whether he's slow as Lehtera or not. But that's not necessarily a given. Whatever else he may be, Bouwmeester is a world class athlete. If his injury is healed, I have no doubt he can still be an effective player. He's just no longer the best option for the Blues, and his salary could be spent more wisely elsewhere on this team.