What would you do if you were GM?
- Thread starter Hrkac Circus
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bleedblue1223
Registered User
- Jan 21, 2011
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I'd do a combo of options 1 and 2. I would move Buchnevich, and I would try to move someone on defense, and I'd even see if a team offers something big for Binnington. Even after all that, I would be looking to make adds to replace/upgrade areas that were either already needs or needs that opened up from those moves.
My expectations wouldn't be playoffs, and I think a successful season would be Neighbours taking the next step into a solid top 6 player with 25+ goals and 50+ points, Bolduc having a solid full rookie season, don't want to put exact numbers on Bolduc, but maybe Kyrou in 20/21 is reasonable, and Kessel taking on more responsibility.
My expectations wouldn't be playoffs, and I think a successful season would be Neighbours taking the next step into a solid top 6 player with 25+ goals and 50+ points, Bolduc having a solid full rookie season, don't want to put exact numbers on Bolduc, but maybe Kyrou in 20/21 is reasonable, and Kessel taking on more responsibility.
BrokenFace
Registered User
I would definitely trade Buch and try to sign a decently skilled 2C like Monahan so we have someone other than Thomas for the young wingers to play with. The focus next year is to develop Neighbors, Bolduc, Dean, and eventually Snuggy. I'd listen to Kyrou offers, but only for a young #1 D or a bounty of future assets. Once Buch is traded we'll have plenty of cap space, so I'd try to take a bad contract if we can get a 1st for it.
Get out of Krug and/or Faulk's contract if you can without paying a 1st or a top prospect. If that opportunity doesn't materialize, hold them. Listen to offers on Binner but only move him if someone is giving up the equivalent of 2 1sts, which I also doubt will happen. I'd try to make Peru a throw in on a bigger trade if possible. Otherwise see what he can do next year. Maybe he can raise his trade value, but I'm not optimistic about him being a valuable long term asset on the Blues.
I don't think this team realistically contends the next 2 seasons regardless of the moves we make this summer, so I'm willing to move vets for picks to "tank" next year for another top 10 pick, but I'm not willing to tear everything down. I wouldn't trade Leddy for anything less than a first with how well he's played. I'm perfectly happy having guys like him around with Kessel learning the game at this level.
Not sure on Bannister. I don't think he's the answer to competing, but the kids have been playing well under him. I'd keep him unless there's a great coach out there we can replace him with.
Get out of Krug and/or Faulk's contract if you can without paying a 1st or a top prospect. If that opportunity doesn't materialize, hold them. Listen to offers on Binner but only move him if someone is giving up the equivalent of 2 1sts, which I also doubt will happen. I'd try to make Peru a throw in on a bigger trade if possible. Otherwise see what he can do next year. Maybe he can raise his trade value, but I'm not optimistic about him being a valuable long term asset on the Blues.
I don't think this team realistically contends the next 2 seasons regardless of the moves we make this summer, so I'm willing to move vets for picks to "tank" next year for another top 10 pick, but I'm not willing to tear everything down. I wouldn't trade Leddy for anything less than a first with how well he's played. I'm perfectly happy having guys like him around with Kessel learning the game at this level.
Not sure on Bannister. I don't think he's the answer to competing, but the kids have been playing well under him. I'd keep him unless there's a great coach out there we can replace him with.
Beauterham
Registered User
- Aug 19, 2018
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Like @bleedblue1223 I'd opt for combo of options 1 and 2. I agree with moving Buch and, if possible Krug and or Faulk, but probably keep the rest of the vets as we need warm bodies anyway unless a team really wants to overpay for Saad/Leddy/Hayes.
I'd try to sign some UFA vets on short term deals to fill the roster so we don't have to rush any prospects (someone mentioned Ekman-Larsson a while ago... maybe Perron wants a last 'hurrah'?). We will probably end the season in the mushy middle again with a small chance to sneak into the playoffs. I wouldn't spend a lot of assets to improve the team yet untill we're in a better position (25/26? year later?).
I'd try to sign some UFA vets on short term deals to fill the roster so we don't have to rush any prospects (someone mentioned Ekman-Larsson a while ago... maybe Perron wants a last 'hurrah'?). We will probably end the season in the mushy middle again with a small chance to sneak into the playoffs. I wouldn't spend a lot of assets to improve the team yet untill we're in a better position (25/26? year later?).
Ted Hoffman
The other Rick Zombo
- Dec 15, 2002
- 29,251
- 8,682
In theory: sell and rebuild.
In practice: that's a hell of a lot easier said than done.
IMO, if you try to limp this group into a playoff spot ... you might do it. Or, you might not. But you end up with this 5-7 year stretch of OK, let's just try to get this to the playoffs and we'll fix problems over the summer and it becomes a repeat of the 80s mediocrity, except there's no we almost moved to Saskatoon and no our owner is a cheapskate and won't spend to help the team excuses.
Rip the bandaid off. Do what you can to get this right for the long-term.
In practice: that's a hell of a lot easier said than done.
IMO, if you try to limp this group into a playoff spot ... you might do it. Or, you might not. But you end up with this 5-7 year stretch of OK, let's just try to get this to the playoffs and we'll fix problems over the summer and it becomes a repeat of the 80s mediocrity, except there's no we almost moved to Saskatoon and no our owner is a cheapskate and won't spend to help the team excuses.
Rip the bandaid off. Do what you can to get this right for the long-term.
Majorityof1
Registered User
I agree. Sell Buchnevich, Binnington if you can get an absolute haul, and a D or 2 (Faulk and/or Krug). Sign mid-tier free agents that get squeezed out of day 1 deals to short term but higher AAV deals promising them to flip them to a contender. Accumulate draft capital while staying in the 10 OA area pick for the next couple years or so. Try to trade for an impact 1D with the draft capital we accumulate.
Its a tough path to navigate, but we have too many ready/near-ready pieces to totally tank and the pieces we need are too hard to find to go all in. So we have to kinda thread the needle and hope we can find that #1 or at least top pair D.
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Memento
Future Authoress.
Sell and rebuild, but also find pieces that fit.
Buchnevich absolutely has to get dealt for a first at the draft. Whether that's 2024 or 2025 doesn't matter. If he's not getting a first or a blue-chip prospect, it's a wasted trade.
One - or both - of Krug and/or Faulk have to be traded. I'd even add Perunovich or a lesser prospect to a deal as a potential sweetener for Krug. Faulk is still talented enough that you may not have to package anything with him. Get the right team, and maybe you could get something else.
I've seen enough of Hayes. More than enough. He wasn't even worth the sixth we gave the Flyers for him. I don't know what you can get for him, but he can't be on this team if you hope to build the right way. I don't know if you buy him out or what, but I've seen more than enough.
Binnington should be a tradeable option, but I wouldn't do it unless I was absolutely blown away (I'm talking majorly blown away) with an offer I couldn't refuse.
Don't trade Saad or Schenn. You need some veteran players who know how to win on this team aside from Thomas and Kyrou, especially if you're trading Buchnevich for a first. You can't field a team of younger players and expect to succeed at building a culture; look no further than Ottawa or Buffalo.
Definitely sign at least a middle-six center and a veteran defenseman in free agency. The center is non-negotiable; Hayes failed miserably, Schenn's not good enough anymore, and you can't put Dean in a horrible situation by throwing him deep into the fire one year after his AHL debut.
My dark-horse choice for center would be Jesperi Kotkaniemi (if he's bought out by Carolina - which is a possibility if they like Kuznetsov and want to re-sign him and Guentzel). Could be a solid middle-six center who won't look nearly as embarrassing as Hayes, has been around a team with a solid culture in Carolina, etc.
Defense is a little trickier. I'd go with an older, more established defenseman, like Skjei and maybe even Dumba on a one-year deal.
Re-sign Gaudette, Ellis, Dickinson, and Alexandrov. Those are the main ones. I really want to see what the first three can do (with Dickinson another year removed from his injury and especially Ellis, who put himself back on the prospect map), while in the case of Alexandrov, he should be cheap depth.
Nail the draft. We have five picks in the first three rounds. It could hopefully be six with Buchnevich, or maybe even more if you trade out of the first round with that pick. (Thinking the newly-minted Salt Lake team might try to take a chance on Dean Letourneau - considering BArmstrong's affinity for bigger players in Geekie, But, etc., it's a possibility - and trade up for their high second and an early third. All depends on whom we get the pick for Buchnevich from, but let's assume Carolina.)
Michael Hage is my first-round pick. I don't think we move from #16, but I don't like the options for defense there, and I think Hage is the best player on my board. Maybe a guy like John Mustard or Aatos Koivu could be an option with one of the seconds. Other than that? Defense, defense, yet more defense, still more defense.
Buchnevich absolutely has to get dealt for a first at the draft. Whether that's 2024 or 2025 doesn't matter. If he's not getting a first or a blue-chip prospect, it's a wasted trade.
One - or both - of Krug and/or Faulk have to be traded. I'd even add Perunovich or a lesser prospect to a deal as a potential sweetener for Krug. Faulk is still talented enough that you may not have to package anything with him. Get the right team, and maybe you could get something else.
I've seen enough of Hayes. More than enough. He wasn't even worth the sixth we gave the Flyers for him. I don't know what you can get for him, but he can't be on this team if you hope to build the right way. I don't know if you buy him out or what, but I've seen more than enough.
Binnington should be a tradeable option, but I wouldn't do it unless I was absolutely blown away (I'm talking majorly blown away) with an offer I couldn't refuse.
Don't trade Saad or Schenn. You need some veteran players who know how to win on this team aside from Thomas and Kyrou, especially if you're trading Buchnevich for a first. You can't field a team of younger players and expect to succeed at building a culture; look no further than Ottawa or Buffalo.
Definitely sign at least a middle-six center and a veteran defenseman in free agency. The center is non-negotiable; Hayes failed miserably, Schenn's not good enough anymore, and you can't put Dean in a horrible situation by throwing him deep into the fire one year after his AHL debut.
My dark-horse choice for center would be Jesperi Kotkaniemi (if he's bought out by Carolina - which is a possibility if they like Kuznetsov and want to re-sign him and Guentzel). Could be a solid middle-six center who won't look nearly as embarrassing as Hayes, has been around a team with a solid culture in Carolina, etc.
Defense is a little trickier. I'd go with an older, more established defenseman, like Skjei and maybe even Dumba on a one-year deal.
Re-sign Gaudette, Ellis, Dickinson, and Alexandrov. Those are the main ones. I really want to see what the first three can do (with Dickinson another year removed from his injury and especially Ellis, who put himself back on the prospect map), while in the case of Alexandrov, he should be cheap depth.
Nail the draft. We have five picks in the first three rounds. It could hopefully be six with Buchnevich, or maybe even more if you trade out of the first round with that pick. (Thinking the newly-minted Salt Lake team might try to take a chance on Dean Letourneau - considering BArmstrong's affinity for bigger players in Geekie, But, etc., it's a possibility - and trade up for their high second and an early third. All depends on whom we get the pick for Buchnevich from, but let's assume Carolina.)
Michael Hage is my first-round pick. I don't think we move from #16, but I don't like the options for defense there, and I think Hage is the best player on my board. Maybe a guy like John Mustard or Aatos Koivu could be an option with one of the seconds. Other than that? Defense, defense, yet more defense, still more defense.
I would ditch Buch ASAP. His apathetic play after the deadline really pissed me off and I think that's a large part of why we're actually missing the playoffs. Players like him poison the rest of the team when they get the big sads.
Search for a #1 LD. See if a deal can be done for one but I am not giving up Bolduc/Snuggs for someone that's not already established and elite. Or Dvo.
After finding that #1LD I slide Leddy to 2nd pair with Faulk.
I tell Krug either waive or we're legit sending you to springfield.
Trade Krug for anything.
Sign Monohan 3x6 or even 3x7 if I have to as a stop gap until Dvorsky is ready to take 2C and I think 3 years would more than likely be a good target.
Any expiring contract aside from SunnY and Blais can be let go. I keep BLais at league minimum until we're a winning team again or need the cap space.
Fill out the rest of the roster with our kids that are borderline close and let them sink or swim with no negativity towards sinking. Just let them play through the growing pains.
Find a real coach, who? No idea really but I would prolly look for someone that is a really good x's and O's guy, flat out hire brad richards to be the PP coach, ask Larry Robinson to arm chair coach our D from his living room, literally f***ing negotiate with adam oates to work with the entire team in the off season at least for one year.
Tell Kyrou that what the f*** ever Thomas is doing in the offseason he better damn well start doing too.
Also I really think Kyrou needs to be on the 2nd line and I think Bolduc needs to be on the top line. Thomas needs a f***ing shooter attached to his hip for f***s sake.
Search for a #1 LD. See if a deal can be done for one but I am not giving up Bolduc/Snuggs for someone that's not already established and elite. Or Dvo.
After finding that #1LD I slide Leddy to 2nd pair with Faulk.
I tell Krug either waive or we're legit sending you to springfield.
Trade Krug for anything.
Sign Monohan 3x6 or even 3x7 if I have to as a stop gap until Dvorsky is ready to take 2C and I think 3 years would more than likely be a good target.
Any expiring contract aside from SunnY and Blais can be let go. I keep BLais at league minimum until we're a winning team again or need the cap space.
Fill out the rest of the roster with our kids that are borderline close and let them sink or swim with no negativity towards sinking. Just let them play through the growing pains.
Find a real coach, who? No idea really but I would prolly look for someone that is a really good x's and O's guy, flat out hire brad richards to be the PP coach, ask Larry Robinson to arm chair coach our D from his living room, literally f***ing negotiate with adam oates to work with the entire team in the off season at least for one year.
Tell Kyrou that what the f*** ever Thomas is doing in the offseason he better damn well start doing too.
Also I really think Kyrou needs to be on the 2nd line and I think Bolduc needs to be on the top line. Thomas needs a f***ing shooter attached to his hip for f***s sake.
buch needs to go .. saad needs to go .. ott needs to go .. if you dont fire ott then hire kirk maltby and put him on the bench next to ott so we can have to scumbags on the staff
TheDizee
Trade Jordan Kyrou ASAP | ALWAYS RIGHT
- Apr 5, 2014
- 19,996
- 12,750
Off the top of my head:
Hire Coach Q. If that cannot work out, offer job to Steen.
Trade Krug. If he cannot be traded, buy him out.
Package Kyrou into a deal for Brady Tkachuk.
Trade Hayes
Trade Buchnevich if he will not resign at a respectable price.
Hire Coach Q. If that cannot work out, offer job to Steen.
Trade Krug. If he cannot be traded, buy him out.
Package Kyrou into a deal for Brady Tkachuk.
Trade Hayes
Trade Buchnevich if he will not resign at a respectable price.
#firearmstrong
should of already been two years into the rebuild with a possible lotto shot at bedard or celebrini but instead we got capernone, hayes and vrana for a gate rev push sold as a playoff bound team when the blues should of been trying to get top picks ..
you cant sell off players then add scrubs, cast offs and other teams junk .. briere bent over the clown ..no reason to take on hayes
what is the clown tryiing to do, are we trying to rebuild or we trying to make the playoffs .. and they cant rebuild properly .. all blues fans will most likely get is middle of the pack mediocrity and early bounces to well built teams with top players
should of already been two years into the rebuild with a possible lotto shot at bedard or celebrini but instead we got capernone, hayes and vrana for a gate rev push sold as a playoff bound team when the blues should of been trying to get top picks ..
you cant sell off players then add scrubs, cast offs and other teams junk .. briere bent over the clown ..no reason to take on hayes
what is the clown tryiing to do, are we trying to rebuild or we trying to make the playoffs .. and they cant rebuild properly .. all blues fans will most likely get is middle of the pack mediocrity and early bounces to well built teams with top players
We picked up players for cheap to fill roster spots because the kids aren't ready. we DID have a lottery shot at Bedard btw and apparently we were 1 number off from winning. Hayes is not bad for what he is and what we're paying him. It's not like we got him hoping for a superstar and if you expected that I can only tell you that you're the problem and not Armstrong. If you tear the team down and start all over and build a losing culture it's really difficult to get rid of that culture. Just look at Buffalo, Edmonton, Anaheim, San Jose. Getting a high draft pick is fun but you take a huge risk in doing so. Most level headed fans would rather have a team that tries to win every game no matter how bad we actually are.
2 years into a rebuild, so Army should have torn everything down after the 2022 playoffs?
Memento
Future Authoress.
From your five posts, @lsgpedals , I can only surmise that you're a long-time poster at the Post Dispatch's Blues' forum. Can you contribute to the conversation other than hatred for Armstrong? Anything? Anything at all? C'mon, give me something to work with aside from childish insults.
AjaxManifesto
Pro sports is becoming predictable and boring
Fire Armstrong
I would go in with a chainsaw and right all the wrongs the last few years. I would sell off every roster player not named Thomas or Neighbours . We do have some decent prospects. Tank and rebuild baby!!!!
I would go in with a chainsaw and right all the wrongs the last few years. I would sell off every roster player not named Thomas or Neighbours . We do have some decent prospects. Tank and rebuild baby!!!!
Ted Hoffman
The other Rick Zombo
- Dec 15, 2002
- 29,251
- 8,682
Oh f*** no, I never want Kirk the f***ing Gutless Puke anywhere in the Blues organization even if his job is "digs shit out of urinals and toilets."
You might as well propose to bring in Kris Draper, and we can all line up to pelt them both with rotten eggs and vegetables any time they show their faces.
This makes more sense than
But I did lol when I saw it.
mk80
Registered User
- Jul 30, 2012
- 8,046
- 8,593
I am a combo of option 1 and 2. I would try to accumulate some more picks and prospects, at the same time though if there's a way to bring in a more NHL ready piece, we'd be foolish not to do so, especially if they fit within our re-tool timeline.
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Ted Hoffman
The other Rick Zombo
- Dec 15, 2002
- 29,251
- 8,682
1. Quenneville has to be allowed to come back into the league. There's [still] no sign that's happening any time soon, so assume that's not going to work out.
2. What the hell is with this love affair people have for Steen taking some high-profile job in the organization? I've seen him get mentioned now as a head coach candidate and a future GM candidate, and I look at what he's doing and it's ... European Player Development Consultant. He ... talks to kids, works with them on getting ready to make the jump to the NHL. Not coaches teams, not helps with Xs and Os for teams, not negotiates contracts, not deals with player agents, not interacts with other teams, he ... talks to a few of our kids over in Europe. Before that, he was "sports manager" for a club in Sweden ... in the 3rd tier. Where the season is 18 games long. And the team is ... still in the 3rd tier.
It's like looking at the guy at the fry machine and thinking "he was a semi-star athlete in high school once upon a time, one time way back he managed to run a lemonade stand for 30 minutes, and today he's really good at putting all the fries in the fry boxes without spilling any ... so, let's make him store manager." Can we see a little more proof he's qualified for that before handing him the keys to anything?
The Blues future 1D is most likely a young player who is angling for his developmental ceiling, and the rest of the league isn’t aware of this yet. That’s the guy you need to identify and target in trade. You don’t pay full freight on a guy who is already there.
Trade Buchnevich for a quality asset 1st plus, or a prospect (even better) further along.
I think Binnington’s competitive fire is a commodity you can’t easily duplicate. Normally I’d say to trade him when you think your young backup is ready for a bigger role, but Binnington may be too valuable to the team’s future trajectory to do that lightly.
Bottom line, I think Armstrong can only improve the defense through trade, with at least one big trade that we will never see coming. I sure hope he has something like this in the works. There are some nice assets available to play with, so he could do it. It’s the type of thing he is good at and has done multiple times, but it does require a trade partner.
Trade Buchnevich for a quality asset 1st plus, or a prospect (even better) further along.
I think Binnington’s competitive fire is a commodity you can’t easily duplicate. Normally I’d say to trade him when you think your young backup is ready for a bigger role, but Binnington may be too valuable to the team’s future trajectory to do that lightly.
Bottom line, I think Armstrong can only improve the defense through trade, with at least one big trade that we will never see coming. I sure hope he has something like this in the works. There are some nice assets available to play with, so he could do it. It’s the type of thing he is good at and has done multiple times, but it does require a trade partner.
One thing about Buch is I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t been fully healthy this season. JR in one of his articles hinted that the injury he got in like the 3rd game of the season or whatever has lingered and bothered him a little. Doesn’t sound too serious, but I believe that he’s probably dealing with something.
I understand dealing him if we get a good offer and it helps our re-tool. I’m fine with that. I guess the point I’m making is I wouldn’t trade him just because we’re disappointed with his post-TDL performance, as it seems like some posts are frustrated with him. I’m sure he’d immediately tear it up again for his new team.
I understand dealing him if we get a good offer and it helps our re-tool. I’m fine with that. I guess the point I’m making is I wouldn’t trade him just because we’re disappointed with his post-TDL performance, as it seems like some posts are frustrated with him. I’m sure he’d immediately tear it up again for his new team.
kimzey59
Registered User
- Aug 16, 2003
- 5,694
- 1,975
Disagree.
Our future #1 D most likely isn't even in the discussion as a potential draft pick just yet. It will probably be somebody in the '26 or '27 Draft. I expect that to be around the time of our "hiccup" year as the young forwards start taking the reigns(meaning; team wide regression as the young kids adjust to increased roles dropping us to a top 5-10 Draft pick).
Majorityof1
Registered User
Binnington's competitive fire is a negative. Berube had to tell him to knock that shit off. His calm confidence can be an asset but when the the fire turns to childish antics it tends to burn him down more than fuel him. People here overrate Binnington by a ton. It's not like he is a vezina trophy winner. Even the metrics that take into count playing in front of a poor defense have him as as barely a top 10 goalie. Hofer playing behind the same D had better stats. There is a difference bewteen a starter's load and a backup, but Hofer is a also a rookie. Let's not act like Binnington is some once in a lifteime goalie.
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