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Re: GDT #26: 12/2/13 > Blues @ Kings > 9:30 PM > FSMW/NHLN

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 10:31 pm
by Oaklandblue
cardsfan04 wrote:Aucoin ha 1G/5A in 17GP and is a -8 in the AHL this year. I doubt he's the answer.

Also, and I don't know if this applies here or not as I haven't gotten to see the Blues play anywhere near as much as I would have liked thus far, I think it's easy to get frustrated at players who have a wide gap between their production and potential. But, even with that wide gap, they are frequently better than an AHL replacement. Both Stewart and Berglund have better NHL numbers this year than Aucoin has AHL numbers. I'm sure the Blues FO is better in touch with how their players are doing than we are. I can see why fans might want to give Aucoin or somebody a chance as we haven't seen him play. But, there is probably a reason that we haven't seen him play yet and it probably is related to him being a -8.
Aucoin helped get the Islanders into the playoffs last year and is generally used on a very physical line. Look a -8 is a -8, but Aucoin has a number of factors that can help us. Unlike Stewart:

1. He's not being paid millions and has room to slouch; he HAS to play at the top of his game to stay in the Majors.
2. He's 35. The door on NHL success is closing on him, so he HAS to play at the top of his game if he gets the chance to play even a few minutes in the Majors.
3. He's been used primarily as a physical, checking forward, so his goals/assists is very deceiving.

I'm stopping right there because those things alone WITH A -8 make him more valuable to me than a Chris Stewart

What do we lose to give him a shot, especially against the Islanders? Does everything have to be 40 goal scorer a year for a hundred years? Isn't that the same train of thought tha I just got done being blasted on this very same thread?

Seriously, give him a shot. Put him in blue, Bergy and Boat at wing and see what happens. Whats there to lose, if I go with the majority of yall's thinking?

OR are we going to argue that Stewart is better than some AHL player. I'm sorry, right now, EVERY AHL PLAYER is BETTER than Chris. And Bergy ain't that far behind that.