Next year's roster

[542365]

Steen - Malkin - Fabbri
Schwartz - Lehtera - Tarasenko
Barbashev - Stastny - Sobotka
Cracknell - Porter - Reaves

Oduya - Pietrangelo
Lindbohm - Shattenkirk
Gunnarsson - Parayko

Goalie: Allen

Coach: Someone not named Hitchcock.

The team we are currently icing is much better than this team you've proposed. Why would we want to go backwards?

 

[anlongo13]

Would love to keep him until we develop a backup option from in-house. It's a great situation to have two goalies battling for a starting job. Although, I think that battle is pretty much over.

But if the Blues can get a good return for him, I think it's a no-brainer to make the move.

 

[BlueDream]

I want to see how these playoffs play out before talking about this.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

I'd rather spend a year polishing the Cup and coasting through the regular season with whatever roster we happen to have.

 

[HighNote]

Steen - Malkin - Fabbri
Schwartz - Lehtera - Tarasenko
Barbashev - Stastny - Sobotka
Cracknell - Porter - Reaves

Oduya - Pietrangelo
Lindbohm - Shattenkirk
Gunnarsson - Parayko

Goalie: Allen

Coach: Someone not named Hitchcock.

I'm curious. Who/what do we send to Pittsburgh? I'd like to know the full trade details.

 

[anlongo13]

I'm curious. Who/what do we send to Pittsburgh? I'd like to know the full trade details.

Berglund and the rights to Sobotka

Edit: Saw Sobotka was in the lineup. Definitely Rattie then. Yeah, that should be enough, right??

 

[WiscoBlues]

depends on how the rest of this series pans out, but if it was up to me it would be

Steen-Backes-Oshie
Schwartz-Lehtera-Tarasenko
Jaskin-Stastny-Fabbri
Porter-Sobotka-Reaves

JBo-Petro
Gunnar-Shatty
Lindbohm-Bort/UFA

Allen
Ells

or something similar to that

the only players I don't want back are Jackman and Ott, but Ott coming back hinges on whether or not Sobotka decides to return

 

[Robb_K]

Count me as one of the people who wants to keep Elliott. It is really hard to be a starting goalie in the NHL. Allen is playing lights out right now and appears to have taken the next step in development. My worries about his mental toughness have greatly diminished in the past few weeks and I really do think he is going to be a stud.

With that said, no one knows how a goalie will react to 60 starts per season until that goalie actually plays 60 games in a season. There are countless goalies that simply can't handle the workload. Being a top tier starter is more about 'finding a way' during slumps than it is looking great while hot. Allen has proven that he is top notch when hot. He has not proven that he can gut out some wins when he is off his game. I'm not concerned about his ability to do so, but simply acknowledging that he hasn't done it yet.

This appears to be Allen's team now. I think he will be given the chance next year to prove that he can bring it for 60 games. However, I would rather hold onto Elliott until he proves that he can. If Allen can do it, great. We will have a very, very good backup for those other 20 games and at the end of the year we can look to move Elliott (who will still have value with 1 year left on his deal). If Allen falters, then Elliott should be able to pick up some slack and give us 30-35 quality starts.

All in all, I think that decision comes down to a cost benefit analysis and the risk of moving Elliott greatly outweighs the reward. The only reward is that we would free up $1 mil or so in cap space. The risk is that we would significantly downgrade the backup goalie and could potentially be in trouble if Allen struggles with his first season as a starter. An injury to Allen could end up costing the Blues a season.

Personally, I would much rather spend $1 mil in cap space and have the best goaltending insurance policy in the NHL.

These 3 points are all that need to be said, and just what I would say. I also agree that Elliott will NOT demand to have the #1 job or be traded - but will want to remain with The Blues to go after The Cup, and for him to try to win back the #1 job.

 

[HighNote]

Schwartz - Lehtera - Tarasenko(~7M?)
Steen - Stastny - Jaskin
Fabbri - Backes - Oshie
Berglund - Sobotka - Reaves

Bouwmeester - Pietrangelo
Gunnarsson - Shattenkirk
Lindbohm - Bortuzzo/whoever

Allen(?)
Elliott

Don't know if we could fit under the cap with this, but I think this would be an amazing lineup.

 

[Robb_K]

Schwartz - Lehtera - Tarasenko(~7M?)
Steen - Stastny - Jaskin
Fabbri - Backes - Oshie
Berglund - Sobotka - Reaves

Bouwmeester - Pietrangelo
Gunnarsson - Shattenkirk
Lindbohm - Bortuzzo/whoever

Allen(?)
Elliott

Don't know if we could fit under the cap with this, but I think this would be an amazing lineup.

How will The Blues pay for Tarasenko's and the other RFAs they want to keep, if all of Bouwmeester, Berglund, Oshie, Gunnarsson and Elliott are kept? Sobotka replacing Goc is a wash salarywise. Only Jackman and Ott off the roster won't be enough reduction, unless the cap is raised. Jokinen and Michalek's leaving don't help all that much, as The Blues were very near the cap before they were added for just a few weeks of cost.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to keep Oshie and Elliott, and even have the luxury of playing Berglund on The 4th Line. But, could that be possible?

 

[RR10*]

The team we are currently icing is much better than this team you've proposed. Why would we want to go backwards?

Sure.

 

[RR10*]

Berglund and the rights to Sobotka

Edit: Saw Sobotka was in the lineup. Definitely Rattie then. Yeah, that should be enough, right??

Are you trying to be funny? Backes, Oshie and Rattie.

 

[542365]

Sure.

Three rookies, another with less than half a season, and an AHL quality player on the fourth line with a brand new system. Yeah, that team would be competitive. I mean, if you have Malkin, you have to be a cup favorite. Just ask the Pens.

 

[anlongo13]

Are you trying to be funny? Backes, Oshie and Rattie.

So Pittsburgh is going to trade one of the best centers in the NHL from an older center with significantly less offensive abilities, a colossal playoff underachieving winger, and a prospect who hasn't been able to stay in the Blues line-up?

The real question is, are you trying to be funny?

 

[medkit]

Malkin has stated that he will only play in Pittsburgh or Russia. If they try to move him, he's going KHL.

Put it to bed. He's never wearing a Blues sweater.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Malkin has stated that he will only play in Pittsburgh or Russia. If they try to move him, he's going KHL.

Put it to bed. He's never wearing a Blues sweater.

Maybe the Blues could move to Russia.

 

[trevorftw]

Maybe the Blues could move to Russia.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Adding Panarin would definitely make Oshie expendable. I really don't think it would be a stretch to make the playoffs having quite a few rookies in the lineup. We may not be considered cup contenders but let's not forget we made the playoffs with guys like Dagostini and Stewart in our top 6.

 

[BlueDream]

Adding Panarin would definitely make Oshie expendable. I really don't think it would be a stretch to make the playoffs having quite a few rookies in the lineup. We may not be considered cup contenders but let's not forget we made the playoffs with guys like Dagostini and Stewart in our top 6.

Yeah but we've made the playoffs the past 4 years. That's not the goal.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Yeah but we've made the playoffs the past 4 years. That's not the goal.

And teams that go through retool's aren't going to be as good as they once were. Look how Chicago has adapted over the years. I'm not really sure I get some of you. You say this team needs a change from it's current core, but we need to stay as competitive as we are now and not give up any size either. Who are we realistically expecting to replace our 6'3 220 60 point shutdown center with? Moving Backes is only going to make us a worse team but it's something that will need to be done if they flame out again.

The NHL is trending away from having big physical guys and turning into a finesse and puck possession game which compliments the smaller players' playstyle. I don't think people understand the idea of a retool. You are sending out the old core and building around your new one which will consist of Schwartz, Tarasenko, Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, and Allen for certain.

 

[Vladdy the Impaler]

Schwartz - Lehtera - Tarasenko(~7M?)
Steen - Stastny - Jaskin
Fabbri - Backes - Oshie
Berglund - Sobotka - Reaves

Bouwmeester - Pietrangelo
Gunnarsson - Shattenkirk
Lindbohm - Bortuzzo/whoever

Allen(?)
Elliott

Don't know if we could fit under the cap with this, but I think this would be an amazing lineup.

I'm sorry, but we can just not afford to keep no-show oshie on this roster. Also, if we are going to change the leadership on this team in the offseason, then I don't think keeping backes and oshie around would be very good for the locker room situation...

 

[DatDude44]

I think it's pretty well agreed upon by the majority that jackman, Berglund and maybe Ott will be for sure gone....... That our top 6 D will most likely look like Jaybo-Petro, Gunnar-Shatty, Lindbohm-Bortuzzo or a variation of those 6......Michalek has been less than impressive in my eyes.. don't think he's nearly worth 4 mill a year or even any better than bortuzzo.... ... I don't think getting rid of backes is the right move, but i do think him playing a lesser role in the lineup could be beneficial.....If we lose tomorrow.....Even tho I don't see it from the business side as Oshie is Oshie and the face of the Blues tho praise Tarasenko finally turning into it lol, I personally wouldn't mind seeing us move Oshie because I believe we could get a good return for him, hopefully a more consistent forward that shows up in the playoffs. Tho you can't ignore the shootout value he provides...i mean..L.A. was 2-8 in shootouts this year and missed the playoffs by 2 points.....As long as we can make the playoffs without Oshie, I'm all for moving him, shootout skills are useless in the playoffs obvi.



So In my not so expert opinion....... My ideal lineup going into next year is.....

Schwartz-Lehtera(a much more physically fit/ready LEHTERA)- TARASNIPESHOW
Steen-Stastny-Jaskin
Fabbri-Backes-XXX (oshie trade/free agent/barbashev/Rattie/Sobotka(if we could bring him back, hell i'd even put backes on wing if sobotka could play center again)
Porter- Ott/Goc-Reaves

Jaybo-Petro
Lindbohm-Shatty (Yeah, i decided to switch lindbohm and gunnar unlike what i posted above in the paragraph lol)
Gunnar-Bortuzzo

Allen
Elliott(as long as we have cap, if we need relief, i don't mind dealing him as long as a theisable backup could be grabbed, like a Khudobin/Chad Johnson or Budaj from 5 years ago type).


My only concern with the lineup i have above is the depth...... If injuries occur, who would we have on offense, who would we call up? and if oshe is moved, who would we trade him for or sign?

I don't see army moving all the guys i listed above since it leaves so many question marks and that's not how army rolls.....changes will for sure be made and I think a few will be....but i'm not so sure a huge core shakeup will actually happen, unless a big trade ends up being orchestrated....but i think this offseason, the only thing guaranteed is we will be making cap moves I.E. Berglund/Ott/Jackman/Elliot(kind of) in order to pay tarasenko and Allen and to prepare for the next offseason for paying schwartz,Jaskin and Backes.