EJ for Four First Round Picks?

[Winning Unlimited]

Would ya?

Lets see what happens if we let his contract expire, and see his offers. What scares me is a short 1-year deal for money thats less than 4 first round picks. I would let EJ go for those picks.

[fargoblues]

Pass. This would set the Blues further back.

[dmiles2186]

Yeah, we would be at the same spot we are now with Petro, Cole, Eller, etc. except it's 4 years down the road and we don't have a cornerstone d-man.

I'll keep EJ. The guy is going to be a stud. It's his second full year in the league and he's looking at 10 goals, 40 points. Those are bad numbers for a 22 year old d-man on a 10th place team.

[WaukeeBlues]

Pass. This would set the Blues further back.

This. EJ is quality over quantity. I see no reason to take three steps back in order to take one forward.

[Winning Unlimited]

Lets say some basement team like Edmonton makes the offer. It'd be a done deal for me!

However, if Detroit signs EJ to be Lidstroms replacement, I'd match it.

[Krigloch the Furious]

pfft. EJ is the man of the future.
make sure he stays.

[philco_3]

Depends whose first round draft picks were talking about here. Myself I wouldnt trade him, cause with out him this team is only Polak and Weaver. Brewer shows up on occasion here lately and Jackman, well he's 'hurt'...all the time.

[STLADOGG]

Are any of these kids on the same level as Malkin, Ovi, or Crosby was when he first came up??

[TSUCookieMonster]

Would ya?

Lets see what happens if we let his contract expire, and see his offers. What scares me is a short 1-year deal for money thats less than 4 first round picks. I would let EJ go for those picks.

No... just no.

Try to sign him before his RFA kicks in and Vancouver tries to buy him away from us...

He's a great player.

[DaDitka]

I can't believe we're even discussing this.

Considering we've been absolutely the worst organization at drafting for the last 27 years, we should dump an actual good draft choice for more picks for the organization to blow. That makes a lot of sense.

[cprice12]

To let EJ go for 4 first round picks would be one of the worst moves in franchise history. And so help me God if EJ is swiped away by another team and we still have Jackman and Brewer next season, I may lose it.

EJ is developing into one of the most dynamic defensemen in the NHL...you can see it happening already. You don't let that kind of player walk away.

We traded Pronger and look at how well that worked out. When you have a player like EJ and with him being as young as he is, you keep him no matter what.

Trading a known for a bunch of unknowns is extremely risky and not the kind of gamble I want this team to take right now...especially if those unknowns are lower first round picks...hell no.

This team needs to add via free agency and tweaking at the deadline, not by removing top players from the lineup.

EJ is not Hershel Walker.

And to be honest, you want to get EJ under contract before people start throwing offer sheets at him...but I don't know if that will happen. I'm afraid someone is going to throw some serious money his way.

[WaukeeBlues]

I can't believe we're even discussing this.

[Winning Unlimited]

You all make valid points. Keeping EJ would be great for the franchise, no doubt! But consider that the Blues are loaded on quality defensive prospects: Pietrangelo, Cole, Rundblad, Ponich, Junland, ... There just isn't room for ALL of them! If these next few drafts are going to be filled with talent, then this has to at least get some consideration.

If EJ commands a large salary, why not use that money instead on a veteran d-man and get 4 first rounders? There is no doubt that EJ will one day be an elite defenseman in the league. If you get a good player (or two!) now, and develop those picks, we could have a dynasty team in 5-7 years.

The bottom line is that if EJ gives an irreplaceable level of talent and fan appeal that Pietrangelo, Cole, etc cannot replace, then keep him. Otherwise, consider the 4 picks and a roster spot.

[DaDitka]

You all make valid points. Keeping EJ would be great for the franchise, no doubt! But consider that the Blues are loaded on quality defensive prospects: Pietrangelo, Cole, Rundblad, Ponich, Junland, ... There just isn't room for ALL of them! If these next few drafts are going to be filled with talent, then this has to at least get some consideration..

First, none of them project even close to EJs level.

Junland is questionable to even be an NHL player, let alone 'prospect'.

Rundblad and Ponich are three seasons away.

Considering this team's history of 'developing' talent, I'd be shocked if you get more then one solid contributor out of those 5 names. I'm not picking on them, that simply based on this franchises history. My guess is you get an alright #3 and a fair #4 or #5 out of the group and the rest never become more then 'prospects'

EJ is already a stud and well on his way to being a star.

After 27 years of ineptitude in developing talent, you'd think fans would stop buying into the organizations propaganda machine. "Pay us today for all this great talent tomorrow"

[not_a_wings_fan]

You all make valid points. Keeping EJ would be great for the franchise, no doubt! But consider that the Blues are loaded on quality defensive prospects: Pietrangelo, Cole, Rundblad, Ponich, Junland, ... There just isn't room for ALL of them! If these next few drafts are going to be filled with talent, then this has to at least get some consideration.

If EJ commands a large salary, why not use that money instead on a veteran d-man and get 4 first rounders? There is no doubt that EJ will one day be an elite defenseman in the league. If you get a good player (or two!) now, and develop those picks, we could have a dynasty team in 5-7 years.

The bottom line is that if EJ gives an irreplaceable level of talent and fan appeal that Pietrangelo, Cole, etc cannot replace, then keep him. Otherwise, consider the 4 picks and a roster spot.

I hear where you are coming from, but I don't see the Blues as being 5-7 years away from dominant play. This goes back to the discussion about what the Blues got with their #1 overall draft pick - rather what they didn't get. The didn't get an ovie, crosby, malkin, or anything of the sort. If you were getting one of those guys in those 4 picks, then ya, dump him. But if you dump EJ, then you need to dump several more young guys too cause they will be too expensive when you are ready to use them to compete - and that puts the team where it was three years ago.

In my mind the better idea is to package oshie/bergie/perron and some other considerations for a top line guy - the team is better today, there is room for another young player, and you still have blueline depth.

[JPonder94]

I would trade Petro for two first round picks from the right team. But no sale on EJ.

[DaDitka]

In my mind the better idea is to package oshie/bergie/perron and some other considerations for a top line guy - the team is better today, there is room for another young player, and you still have blueline depth.

I love all three of the kids named, but this is a far better plan then unloading EJ for picks.

Face it, if you were any good with picks, we would be talking playoffs right now, not trading our best player and looking towards the draft.

[Winning Unlimited]

I hear where you are coming from, but I don't see the Blues as being 5-7 years away from dominant play.
...
In my mind the better idea is to package oshie/bergie/perron and some other considerations for a top line guy - the team is better today, there is room for another young player, and you still have blueline depth.

The Blues could definitely build up a team that dominates! Stockpiling all those picks is just an overwhelming temptation to me. Say EJ goes for 4 picks. Then Pietrangelo goes for more picks, etc. The time to stop is when we have a core that is good enough to win a cup over a long period of time. Do we have it now? If not, how do we get it? Trading Oshie/Berglund/Perron for anything that is comparable to their potential value is not worthwhile. Make the other team overpay. In my opinion, 4 firsts for EJ, knowing AP is his replacement, is overpaying.

[Winning Unlimited]

In my mind the better idea is to package oshie/bergie/perron and some other considerations for a top line guy - the team is better today, there is room for another young player, and you still have blueline depth.

I love all three of the kids named, but this is a far better plan then unloading EJ for picks.

I just don't understand trading any of those three for a top line guy. You can just sign one in July.

[DaDitka]

In my mind the better idea is to package oshie/bergie/perron and some other considerations for a top line guy - the team is better today, there is room for another young player, and you still have blueline depth.

I love all three of the kids named, but this is a far better plan then unloading EJ for picks.

I just don't understand trading any of those three for a top line guy. You can just sign one in July.

Who?