The 2015-2016 Blues Discussion Thread - Part IV

[Linkens Mastery]

I think it's finally time we call up Max Gardiner from beer league

The funny thing is, I work with a guy who went to school with him.

Conversation went like this...

Him "I had a friend in high school who played hockey, His name was Max"

Me "Did he ever get drafted, what was his last name"

Him "Idk, he last name was Gardiner"

Me: "WHAT! He was drafted by the Blues!"

Gotta love how small the world is when you are in the Military.

 

[Freyj]

Well that's the luxury of being good and winning cups, then players want to play for you.

It is, but Panarins aren't just out there for the taking year in and out.

 

[bleedblue1223]

The Blues: rotten run of injuries, manage to hold onto second place in the conference

This Board: Blow it up!

Don't blow it up, but this version of the Blues needs to be 100% healthy in the playoffs to win, but we all know that won't happen. We need more skill in this lineup.

 

[Blanick]

Before we move a single player I want to get rid of Hitch in favor of a faster paced more offensive minded coach. I want to see what the players are capable of doing in a more up tempo gameplan since that is where the NHL is trending IMO.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

Do we honestly think we can get rid of Hitch during the year AND find a better offensive coach? I think it would be more likely to hire an assistant coach that can be the "offensive coordinator". Who would the candidates be?

Also, I get the general "doom and gloom" because our offense won't be enough to win playoffs, but I don't think it's time to start "tanking for Tkachuk". If we were going to do something like that, we would have started a retool at the draft.

 

[MissouriMook]

This team is still way too slow moving through the neutral zone, and I still can't figure out if that is the structure or the personnel. Even our occasional odd-man rushes tend to slow the pace down and wait for help to arrive.

 

[Robb_K]

Before we move a single player I want to get rid of Hitch in favor of a faster paced more offensive minded coach. I want to see what the players are capable of doing in a more up tempo gameplan since that is where the NHL is trending IMO.

Exactly. Had Hitch NOT been offerred the extra year, AND Tortorella had been available just at that time, things might me quite different now. The Blue would play a different style, and, I think, they'd be getting better results.

 

[Robb_K]

Disclaimer: This is not anyone on the Blues' managements fault, but

Steen Stastny Schwartz
Panarin Lehtera Tarasenko
Jaskin/Brouwer/Berglund Backes Fabbri
Ott Bordziak Upshall

This would have nearly guaranteed a perfect season. I live with Hawks fans, and I cry, laugh, die, and shout every time Panarin-Anisimov-Kane does something amazing, and boy are they having a great game tonight.

As great as that second line is for the Hawks, it kills me that Panarin-Lehtera-Tarasenko would be even BETTER.

Yes, getting Panarin "free" (for no draft choice nor player asset) would have been ice. It would also have been nice to get Danny DeKeyser that way. Unfortunately, those players didn't want to come to St. Louis for what The Blues could afford to offer. Stastny came to The Blues because he grew up in St. Louis. It would have taken A LOT more money to get him to go elsewhere.

The same happened with DeKeyser.

Panarin went with a team with a better recent winning record, and a city with much bigger potential for media exposure for him, and higher endorsement income, as well as a more cosmopolitan atmosphere. The Hawks probably also gave him a greater likelihood of having higher-skilled linemates, and a more offensively-oriented system (so his scoring totals could be higher, and that would likely help him in salary negotiations). So, Panarin picked the team he thought would be best for his future income. In absence of local ties, WHO would pick St. Louis over Chicago, if both had salary cap room and roster space for him? Answer: - Only a player who would expect an easier route to a higher-level roster position on The Blues than he'd get on The Hawks. That wouldn't have been the case with Panarin, who'd have been in The Top 6 on either team.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Exactly. Had Hitch NOT been offerred the extra year, AND Tortorella had been available just at that time, things might me quite different now. The Blue would play a different style, and, I think, they'd be getting better results.

I'm shocked to see you suggesting Tortorella was the answer, Robb.

Even in Columbus, I think he's a transitional coach to get the players more accountable before their "real" coaching choice that should take their rebuild into contender status.

 

[Robb_K]

I'm shocked to see you suggesting Tortorella was the answer, Robb.

Even in Columbus, I think he's a transitional coach to get the players more accountable before their "real" coaching choice that should take their rebuild into contender status.

Unfortunately, Babcock was probably the best coach for this team, but he probably would never have considered coming to St. Louis. McClellan wouldn't have been any better than Hitch. I don't know which coach who has been available recently was a good candidate. And I'm not very confident that Muller could do any better.

But, I believe that The Blues need a new coach, and I'd feel better with a new GM, as well. But I don't know if Stillman has any advisers who could help him with his choices for hiring those positions.

 

[Dbrownss]

From listening to Red Wings fans, I'm not overly positive Babcock would have been better. They complained about the same things we do

 

[Vladdy the Impaler]

Who is the top asssistant coach in the NHL?

 

[Celtic Note]

From listening to Red Wings fans, I'm not overly positive Babcock would have been better. They complained about the same things we do

Their vantage is quite a bit different than that of Blues fans. They got pretty spoiled with playoff success. Their expectations are even higher than ours.

 

[Ranksu]

Lindbohm - Pietro
Jbo - Parayko
Gunnar - Shattery

 

[illinidave]

Per Blues App: Ott out for hamstring surgery; eval after three months

 

[Dbrownss]

Per Blues App: Ott out for hamstring surgery; eval after three months

That was brutal to watch....

 

[Daley Tarasenkshow]

Does Welsh come back up? Or does Reaves become the full time player again?

 

[2 Minute Minor]

With Ott's injury, I think Paajarvi's chances of sticking around for the duration of the season have just shot up. Can he play that 4th line role effectively? He has the speed for it.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

With Ott's injury, I think Paajarvi's chances of sticking around for the duration of the season have just shot up. Can he play that 4th line role effectively? He has the speed for it.

It would work well for him imo.

 

[Ranksu]

I think Pääjärvi is great forechecker and Hitch should use him on PK also. Only minus is Ott - Brodziak PK duo is broken.

 

[Freyj]

From a purely PPG perspective, our production from the forwards in comparison to their positional competition around the league this season looks napkin-mathy like this:

Steen is a below average 1LW but a cut above most 2LW.
Stastny is a below average 1C but has an edge on most 2C around the league.
Tarasenko has an above average 1RW exception being Kane.

Schwartz is average for a 2LW, but obviously the data there is minimal this season. Could easily pull up his PPG to 1LW levels.
Lehtera/Backes are below average 2C and Lehtera is somewhat below average for 3C whereas Backes is just below average 3C numbers.
Brouwer is a below average 2RW and I can see that gap growing.

Fabbs is doing fine (but a rook) and Jaskin has had a hard run of things this year.

Our RW situation is a bit of mess below Tarasenko, but we don't have a single average positional PPG C in our lineup unless you're okay with Lehtera tanking the 1C or 2C grades. That said, this is all enough skill/scoring to win regular season games. Maybe even go on a run assuming 100% health and certain non-factors become factors. My faith obviously isn't very high.

I'd rank our issues as: Systems/Coaching > 1/2C > 2/3RW

 

[Dbrownss]

I only see thst 2RW hole being fixed, reasonably

 

[Freyj]

I only see thst 2RW hole being fixed, reasonably

Unless we can steal RyJo, I don't disagree.

 

[BlueDream]

From listening to Red Wings fans, I'm not overly positive Babcock would have been better. They complained about the same things we do

Every coach will get complained about.

 

[Dbrownss]

Every coach will get complained about.

Well aware of that. Guess I'm just saying the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I just don't want to see change for the sake of change