Let's Go Blues

On account of the fact that 25 has the potential, it should be easy to trade his rights. A team like the Rangers could use a guy who can "potentially" score and they run a system very similar to the Blues, defense first, team effort. In that sense, I wouldn't mind them getting 25 because I know he'd fail in that system just like he failed in Hitchcock's system--though the Rags won't necessarily feel the same way, kind of like how the Blues didn't feel that way at the time. And the Rags have a fairly deep defensive core, it wouldn't hurt them too badly to give up McDonagh in the deal. We could use McDonagh, he's big on the blue line, can put up minutes, and can pot a few goals to boot. He had more hits, more blocked shots and a better +/- than Pietrangelo, and only 44 PIM so he's not a liability to sit in the box half the game. And at the moment he doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Pie, Shatty and McDonagh as our top three sounds pretty sweet to me.

Anyone wonder why Colorado seemed so willing to give up Stewart? Honestly, no one knows a player better than the team that drafted them. If they thought he was so great, you think they would have effectively traded him for McClement?

glen a richter wrote:Anyone wonder why Colorado seemed so willing to give up Stewart? Honestly, no one knows a player better than the team that drafted them. If they thought he was so great, you think they would have effectively traded him for McClement?

These are from articles right after the trade:

Chris Stewart has played poorly lately and may fight inconsistency throughout his career

Stewart's recent play (two goals in over a month since returning to action) did him no service

All of them are followed by the potential comment. IF #25 finally gets it, he will be a consistent 30-goal scorer. Unfortunately, he seems to think talent alone is all it takes to succeed in the NHL and he was rewarded for that talent when the Avs traded him to the Blues. Then, when a full season rolls along, he drops into doing the same crap that got him traded in the first place.

Put it this way - Alex Steen had 15 goals and 13 assists in 43 games. #25 - 15G 15A in 79 games. Only game #25 missed were due to suspension and he pissed all over himself with his crappy effort. Jason Arnott, whom several are talking about sucking, had a better stat line in 7 fewer games played and he is ancient. Hell, Jaden Schwartz projected scoring is 23 goals and that was off of 4 minutes less ice time per game. Give him #25s ice time and send #25 packing. Potential does not mean shit if the player has a crappy attitude about working. Someone demonstrate why #25 deserves shit from the Blues - and please don't use ONE playoff game when he sucked in the other ones and pretty much demonstrated the crappy play he showed us all season.

I WANT to give him the benefit of the doubt about this being the first year under a new system, etc.

Obviously, if a deal comes forward that makes the Blues a better team and requires trading Stewart; well yea, no $hit, you make that trade all the time. I still want to see how he handles the offseason and how he comes into next season. If next year looks no better than this year was, I say offload him THEN: December, Januaryish instead of this offseason. Could his value drop more if we hold on to him for that much longer? Yea, possibly. But it's (as pointed out) low to begin with and low right now.

I want to see another half of a season or at least a solid third.

WaukeeBlues wrote:I WANT to give him the benefit of the doubt about this being the first year under a new system, etc.

Obviously, if a deal comes forward that makes the Blues a better team and requires trading Stewart; well yea, no $hit, you make that trade all the time. I still want to see how he handles the offseason and how he comes into next season. If next year looks no better than this year was, I say offload him THEN: December, Januaryish instead of this offseason. Could his value drop more if we hold on to him for that much longer? Yea, possibly. But it's (as pointed out) low to begin with and low right now.

I want to see another half of a season or at least a solid third.

When all the system asks of you is to actually work at both ends of the ice, his "not getting it" after being benched does not equate to earning another opportunity. Wants are nice. When there are others ready to step in and will likely contribute more, let them step in. That is the X-factor to me. There are others more deserving of his ice time.

For as crappy a season as 25 had, he sure has a lot of people fooled. He's a smart man, but not a smart player.

Let me play my ass off for one game, everyone still knows of my "potential" and maybe I can score a nice contract based on a "what have you done for me lately" mindset.

A lot of people are crediting 25 with having a nice game where he scored two goals or where he had a generally very pointless fight (which if memory serves me, was two different games). Bottom line, if 25 was playing to his potential, we'd be in a dramatically different situation at the moment. His lazy ass should have been in front of Quick screening shit and jumping on rebounds (which could have fueled the rest of the team to perform better), but instead he was consistently lame in every aspect. It was a problem for the whole team v. LA, but a problem for 25 nearly the entire season. Do you want your doctor diagnosing you correctly 1 out of every 82 times you have to go for tests?

25 is a problem, a big problem. No team can be successful unless 100% of its players are willing to give 100% every game.

glen a richter wrote: 25 is a problem, a big problem. No team can be successful unless 100% of its players are willing to give 100% every game.

well said.

I agree with the idea that you need 100% out of guys all the time, not just every couple of games.

If you apply that standard, where does bergie stand?

I wouldn't object or get mad if they traded him - provided what came back was stand up blue liner or scoring top line (obviously it would take more than just bergie to get this, but you get the point).

not_a_wings_fan wrote:I agree with the idea that you need 100% out of guys all the time, not just every couple of games.

If you apply that standard, where does bergie stand?

I wouldn't object or get mad if they traded him - provided what came back was stand up blue liner or scoring top line (obviously it would take more than just bergie to get this, but you get the point).

You do realize Berglund was 2nd on the team in playoff scoring and actually looked like he was working from essentially January on and in the playoffs. Can you actually say you saw Stewart working in more than 1 or 2 games?? I can't.

I expect Oshie to get 3-3.5 Mill for 2 years.

STLADOGG wrote:I expect Oshie to get 3-3.5 Mill for 2 years.

He made $2.3 million last year...so I can totally see him getting 3-3.5, but he'll sign for more than 2 years. I can't see him settling for a 2 year contract when he JUST signed a one year contract last season. I think he signs for at least three years.

cprice12 wrote:

STLADOGG wrote:I expect Oshie to get 3-3.5 Mill for 2 years.

He made $2.3 million last year...so I can totally see him getting 3-3.5, but he'll sign for more than 2 years. I can't see him settling for a 2 year contract when he JUST signed a one year contract last season. I think he signs for at least three years.

I hope your right but like you said the team signed him for a 1 year contract, they may need to make sure he wasn't just influenced by cash and sign him to like a 5 year contract. With new owners it will be a very interesting off season.

cprice12 wrote:

STLADOGG wrote:I expect Oshie to get 3-3.5 Mill for 2 years.

He made $2.3 million last year...so I can totally see him getting 3-3.5, but he'll sign for more than 2 years. I can't see him settling for a 2 year contract when he JUST signed a one year contract last season. I think he signs for at least three years.

4 years, right around 3.3 - 3.4 per year....very similar to Steen's deal.

I'm cool with Oshie getting a 4 year deal. He matured a lot this season and may easily continue to mature more. Will he ever put up huge numbers? No. But he plays with a certain intensity that helps out everyone else on the ice with him.

I think Oshie may have a stretch of 2 to 5 years where he's in the 70-80 point range.