Confirmed with Link: Sanford resigns with Blues 2 year 3 mill (1.5 mill AAV)

Xerloris

reckless optimism
Jun 9, 2015
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I want to know what Berube said to him before putting him back in the lineup in the final. That was a completely different Sanford.

Berube gives me the vibe of a guy that would take a young kid like Sanford aside and give him a heart to heart about his dad.
 

Alklha

Registered User
Sep 7, 2011
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I mean Barbs and Sunny we always going to get a bit more then 1.5 right? I cannot be the only one who think that, both play center that always costs more and both are can move up in the lineup for short periods of time. I would think if you could get either of them at 2m then its a steal but I would think they should come around 2.5
Call me crazy but I expect higher deals and more term for Barbashev and Sundqvist. They were the “4th” line but really played the traditional roles of both the 3rd and 4th line. They were matched up against top competition while playing a very heavy checking game. Both can move up the lineup, play center or wing, and kill penalties.

I’m expecting low 2 million averages for 4 years.

The Sanford deal is a good one. I hope he plays aggressively consistently and learns not to puck watch in the defensive zone.
Barbashev and Sundqvist are in very different situations.

Barbashev is 23 with no arbitration rights, it means that there is no real incentive to do anything other than a two year deal. He was 10th in ice time per game among our forwards in the playoffs, 12th in the regular season. He's still a 4th line role player at this point, but with upside. There is no major incentive to walk him to UFA with a four year deal. $1.5m AAV on a two year deal might have been a bit optimistic, but I can't see him getting $2m.

At 25, Sundqvist is either a one year deal or giving him term now. With how cautious Armstrong has typically been with RFA's, Allen aside, then one year is probably the most likely outcome from this.

The thing about Sundqvist is that he was our sixth forward in TOI per game in the playoffs, a whole two minutes ahead of Bozak in seventh. Even in the regular season he was 9th in TOI. In terms of production and role, Sundqvist established himself as a top-9 player. With arbitration rights, his significant role in the playoffs is going to be a point of emphasis from his agent.

If we can sign Sundqvist for four/five years at $2.5m then we should be all over that, but I'd be surprised if he went for that. I think the number will need to start with a three to get term from Sundqvist, his agent is likely going to see UFA years in the Berglund/Sobotka price range. A one year deal and I can see it in the low-mid $2m range.
 

m1a2lt

Registered User
Jul 13, 2009
1,376
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Hate the contract. I really do not think Sanford is any good whatsoever. So take it for what its worth. Its only 2 years and 1.5M , so we can bury most of it. I honestly think that is what we will be doing before it is over though. As other players step up, he will be the one to fall off the roster. He can't do anything but be a inconsistent scorer when playing with better linemates. He disappears for too long to be stapled to our best forward. If Thomas gets moved up a line, or Kyrou is NHL ready, there is no top 6 spot for him. Anyone else on the entire team is better suited for the possession style of our bottom 6, so he will be pushed out.

I disagree on hating the contract but the point about burying the contract is absolutely true. Blues currently have 20 on the roster. We have Barby, Fabbri, Sundqvist, Edmundson, and Binny to sign. Without anyone coming up (Kyrou), that means AT LEAST two contracts need to go down to the AHL. Every contract in the AHL has $1.075M (min contract $700k + $375k) removed from the cap, so any contract under that has no cap hit and any contract buried gets that removed; so if Sanford goes down, he only counts $425k against the cap. Like I said, someone else needs to go down (at least) so we are not even close to cap hell (yet).
 

Reality Czech

Registered User
Apr 17, 2017
4,894
7,801
Hate the contract. I really do not think Sanford is any good whatsoever. So take it for what its worth. Its only 2 years and 1.5M , so we can bury most of it. I honestly think that is what we will be doing before it is over though. As other players step up, he will be the one to fall off the roster. He can't do anything but be a inconsistent scorer when playing with better linemates. He disappears for too long to be stapled to our best forward. If Thomas gets moved up a line, or Kyrou is NHL ready, there is no top 6 spot for him. Anyone else on the entire team is better suited for the possession style of our bottom 6, so he will be pushed out.

Can't wait to see you proven wrong. I think Sanford has more of a pro game than any of Fabbri, Blais, certainly Kyrou at this point. Yeah he is fragile but he is much better than you give him credit for. You actually seem bitter towards Sanford, what gives? Dude was clutch in the playoffs. Not easy to step in at that point in the season and do well.
 

STL BLUES

Youth Movement
Oct 22, 2013
3,168
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I’m a huge SunnyD fan and really appreciate his effort, versatility, and drive. The guy never lets up. He strikes me as the kind of player that with a long-term deal would not change his consistency and passion for the game. Sunny is a must sign and I’d like to see it be long-term. I place him as a needed player above Barbs.
 

Ranksu

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I think the number will need to start with a three to get term from Sundqvist, his agent is likely going to see UFA years in the Berglund/Sobotka price range. A one year deal and I can see it in the low-mid $2m range.

Almost forget Sobotka's case.

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LetsGoBooze

Buium or bust
Jan 16, 2012
2,294
1,376
Some of us humorous fans had fun with Bradford... glad the name saga continues.
And i hope this tradition dies. Zach is now a champion, Sam never got us close.
Also, with how Kroenke went out anything Rams lost all value in my mind.
 
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BlueOil

"well-informed"
Apr 28, 2010
7,028
4,023
not complaining about the contract, just hope he's the 13th forward most of the year
 

Brian39

Registered User
Apr 24, 2014
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At 25, Sundqvist is either a one year deal or giving him term now. With how cautious Armstrong has typically been with RFA's, Allen aside, then one year is probably the most likely outcome from this.

The thing about Sundqvist is that he was our sixth forward in TOI per game in the playoffs, a whole two minutes ahead of Bozak in seventh. Even in the regular season he was 9th in TOI. In terms of production and role, Sundqvist established himself as a top-9 player. With arbitration rights, his significant role in the playoffs is going to be a point of emphasis from his agent.

If we can sign Sundqvist for four/five years at $2.5m then we should be all over that, but I'd be surprised if he went for that. I think the number will need to start with a three to get term from Sundqvist, his agent is likely going to see UFA years in the Berglund/Sobotka price range. A one year deal and I can see it in the low-mid $2m range.

If I were Army, I'd be working my ass off to get Sunny on a 3 year deal at about $2.5 mil AAV. I'm not sold enough on his ability to consistently score at a 15 goal pace to commit the type of money it would likely take for 4+ years, because you're right that he really shouldn't accept a 4+ year deal unless it starts with a 3. I'd like to keep him under $3 mil for the next few years because there is going to be a cap squeeze in years 2 and 3 of a multi-year deal for him and that contract gets a bit bitter if he can't be a 15 goal pace guy on a yearly basis. I'm comfortable giving him a healthy raise or letting him walk after 3 years if he does demonstrate a consistent scoring touch and would rather have to do that than gamble on a bottom 6 guy and lose.

I think the biggest lesson of Lehtera, Allen, (and to some extent) Sobotka and Bergy is that you shouldn't be committing yourself to more than 3 years with guys that you have any doubt about. Unless you are getting an insane AAV discount for going long term (which is getting increasingly rare), I think you're better off being willing to give raises in 3 years than trying to sign guys to contracts "that could be real bargains in years 3 and 4."

For me, Sunny should either be a 1 year deal at as little money as possible or a 3 year deal south of $3 mil unless he is for some reason willing to give us more term for the same price. I'd be working hard for that 3 year deal but would try to sign a 1 year prove it deal on the eve of arbitration if we can't get it done.
 

WATTAGE4451

Registered User
Jan 4, 2018
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Because he's an objectively better offensive and defensive player.
Not sure so much defensively but he definitely has mire offensive potential than blais.

Blais is just more a high energy heavy checking physical force but doesnt fill up the score sheet that much
 

rumrokh

THORBS
Mar 10, 2006
10,107
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Not sure so much defensively but he definitely has mire offensive potential than blais.

Blais is just more a high energy heavy checking physical force but doesnt fill up the score sheet that much

Blais was lost defensively until later in the season. And I don't think it's a matter of Yeo's scheme. Maybe that's part of it. He's a smart enough player that I think, with his hitting ability and quick stick, he could actually become a great defensive presence; but Sanford has shown considerably more. The same goes for offense - not just talking about potential, but actual performance and production so far. Blais has untapped ability, but how much of an impact could he have upon tapping it? Is the best you can hope for basically what Sanford has already done? I'm not sure; we'll see. But Sanford's higher salary makes perfect sense.
 

Ranksu

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Why this guy get so much love from Chief? IF he would have lush hair like Fabbri he would have been long gone already.
 

Ranksu

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Perron is having his best career by point wise, ROR having almost as good last season point wise.
Why Sanford is still producing so far behind them. Ofc Sanford hasnt played same amount of games and occasionally played different lines, powerplay. but not that often.

He should produce much higher level playing with ROR and Perron.

I bet we would get more out of Perrin and ROR IF there would play with them REAL top6 winger and not like Chief's spoiled kid.
 

BlueDream

Registered User
Aug 30, 2011
25,685
14,074
Perron is having his best career by point wise, ROR having almost as good last season point wise.
Why Sanford is still producing so far behind them. Ofc Sanford hasnt played same amount of games and occasionally played different lines, powerplay. but not that often.

He should produce much higher level playing with ROR and Perron.

I bet we would get more out of Perrin and ROR IF there would play with them REAL top6 winger and not like Chief's spoiled kid.
He gets nowhere near the ice time that those 2 get and isn’t on the powerplay.

His ice time is really not a big deal at all. Chief plays him like a 3rd liner, which is what he is.
 

bleedblue1223

Registered User
Jan 21, 2011
51,762
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If Sanford can consistently be physical and do the little things right, then he's fine. The problem he had and we'll see if it continues is that when he's cold, he suddenly isn't as engaged, and he isn't doing the little things as well. It's sort of the difference between him and Blais.
 

BleedBlue14

UrGeNcY
Feb 9, 2017
6,078
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If Sanford can consistently be physical and do the little things right, then he's fine. The problem he had and we'll see if it continues is that when he's cold, he suddenly isn't as engaged, and he isn't doing the little things as well. It's sort of the difference between him and Blais.

Completely agree. If he had some sort of consistency to his game I would be more than happy to have a 30-40 point player on that contract. I think it's evident that Sanford has an NHL skill level. His motor just doesn't always seem to be there. When he's bad he's realllly bad.
 

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