BlueDream
Registered User
- Aug 30, 2011
- 25,680
- 14,072
Doesn’t make sense to not move him.I don’t think so, but we’ll see.
Doesn’t make sense to not move him.I don’t think so, but we’ll see.
DA loves depth, and Gunnarsson is cheap depth. I wouldn’t want to go into next year with Walman or any of our other AHL guys as our fourth LHD, and I don’t think DA will either. With that said, if shaving off a million helps re-sign Petro, then DA will trade him.Doesn’t make sense to not move him.
Well you have to move someone or it’s going to block guys from Mikkola from being able to play at all.DA loves depth, and Gunnarsson is cheap depth. I wouldn’t want to go into next year with Walman or any of our other AHL guys as our fourth LHD, and I don’t think DA will either. With that said, if shaving off a million helps re-sign Petro, then DA will trade him.
But anyway, I was impressed by Mikkola’s reads tonight in the offensive zone - he made smart choices and played like a veteran out there.
I think the OT winner is more important to the fans. Maroon scored a 7nth game OT goal, and we let him walk. I don't think management waxes sentimental about that stuff.I think you bring back your best 6 D options regardless of what situation that might cause with your 7-8 D men. I doubt they walk away from JBo if he wants to come back and is still healthy and effective - under those conditions, he is inarguably one of our 6 best defensemen.
I also think there should be concern about counting on Gunnarsson, even as a 7th defenseman, given his recent injury history. I think there is a non-zero chance he hangs them up after this season and moves on with his life after hockey. He's still pretty good when healthy, we're just not getting that "Boom Boom" very often anymore. He will always have a spot in Blues History and in our hearts for his OT winner for our first ever Final win on our way to our first ever Cup, but he has to think about life after hockey.
As they shouldn't. Getting sentimental about players creates cap issues.I think the OT winner is more important to the fans. Maroon scored a 7nth game OT goal, and we let him walk. I don't think management waxes sentimental about that stuff.
Heck with that, I’m hoping he turns into the left handed ParaykoAgreed. Nothing wrong with having a solid bottom pairing D for a long time. I'm pretty sure he will be able to move up temporarily in case of injuries, too.
Also, steady defensemen aren't as likely to receive accolades as offensive minded players.4 games isn’t enough to draw conclusions yet, but there are players who just function better when surrounded by better players. Some guys look better in the NHL against the best players in the world than they do in the AHL. I’m not sure if Mikkola is in this group, but I think it tends to be guys with high hockey IQ who haven’t always had teammates who thought the game the same way.
More likely he’s just playing his best on adrenaline right now. But it shows he’s capable of it, and it’s something to build on. I think he has the inside track to make the team next year, and will be on the postseason roster. But he’s probably going to be sent down shortly even though he is arguably better than Gunnarsson already.
He was good defensively, but not like this. He didn’t really use his skating as well, either. What he was doing down in the A was mostly different from what he’s doing now based on intensity and impactfulness. He was a quiet defender that did the small things, but in the NHL he’s making great reads and crucial plays that he just didn’t exhibit in the A.What strikes me most is why we didn't get any green flag about Mikkola and how good he's at San Antonio. Was there really big cap how Mikkola has played in NHL level compare to AHL?
I’m having PWS (Parayko). I hope when he comes back they continue to use Mikkola. This team needs a LH dman. I think they have to keep Parayko with Bouwmeester, but I’d like to see what Mikkola could do with Petro.I think I may be experiencing MWS (Mikkola Withdrawal Syndrome). It's an imaginary term I just made up to reflect a very real problem which kinda makes it real, yeah.
Loling at the narrative that ope, it was the injuries that done did Gunnarsson in, and that’s why he’s bad now. The dude has been a plug for years now, and has consistently ranked as one of the worst players in the league on most metrics. When he plays with Petro, he looks better not because he plays well in that role, but because Petro’s virtuosity pulls him up: Petro doesn’t make Gunnar better, Gunnar makes Petro worse.
I’d love to trade him at the deadline, but you’re probably getting at most a 3rd round draft pick for him. Army would probably like to get more bc he has another year on his contract, but I’m not convinced he could get it, especially since he would be a consolation prize for a team who was probably hoping for someone better.
There’s also the reality that if someone goes down with injury, as bad as Gunnar is, he’s probably preferable to any of the depth we have marinating in San Antonio right now (Dotchin, Pouliot, Walman, Borgman). Of all of those guys, Borgman is probably the one most likely to stick in a call-up: he plays Berube’s style. But I don’t see Army freely giving up on depth, and if there’s a way to keep Gunnar around, he’s going to do that. Which is a shame, because it’s time to hand the reigns to Mikkola.
If Chief wants to roll 3 pairings with near equal ice time down the stretch, I wouldn’t mind seeing these
Dunn-Pietrangelo
Bouwmeester-Parayko
Mikkola-Faulk
Nothings been said but most likelyIs he getting called up now that Bouwmeester might be out?
Is he getting called up now that Bouwmeester might be out?