Let's Go Blues

Posted: **Sun Jul 13, 2014 6:18 pm**

So it's only July 13, but most teams are pretty much done at this point. Including draft, trades, free agents, what grade would you assign the offseason thus far?

Feel free to discuss below. Also if you feel an + or - should be added, specify in the thread. (If you vote B, but feel it warrants a B+, then by all means, B+ the (Frank) away)

(If I've missed anything, let me know)

IN

SINGNINGS
Paul Stastny (4 yr, 28M)
Jori Lehtera (2 yr, 5.5M)
Joakim Lindstrom (1 yr, 700K)

TRADE
Carl Gunnarsson (2 yr, 5.9M left on current deal)
4th round pick from Toronto

RE-SIGNED
Steve Ott (2 yr, 5.2M)
Patrik Berglund (3 yr, 11.1M)
Brian Elliott (3 yr, 7.5 M)

DRAFT
9 total picks...top 3

21st- Robert Fabbri - C - Guelph
33rd- Ivan Barbashev - C/LW - Moncton
52nd- Maxim Letunov - C -Youngstown

OUT

UFA
Ryan Miller (Vancouver)
Adam Cracknell (LA)
Brendan Morrow (Tampa Bay)
Derek Roy (Unsigned)
Carlo Colaiacovo (Unsigned)

TRADE
Roman Polak (To Toronto)

TOOK THE MONEY AND RAN TO MOTHER RUSSIA
Vladimir Sobotka (3 yr, 12M)

Posted: **Sun Jul 13, 2014 6:40 pm**

I give it a B+. Stastny was a great signing. Over time, if Lehtera impresses, my vote changes to an A. The subtraction of Roy, Miller, and Morrow were okay in my book (the first two because of performance, the 3rd because of age). The draft, while we won't now how these players will turn out in awhile, helped infuse our sorry prospect ranks with 9 bodies. Sorely needed. The Polak trade takes away some toughness, but we acquired a 4th round pick, so I'll take that.

The minuses for me are the Ott and Berglund deals. I've made no bones about that elsewhere. Losing Cracknell sucks too. And of course, Boat abandoning us for the rickety planes of the KHL will burn for awhile. All in all, that's more positives than negatives, thus a B+.

Posted: **Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:03 pm**

I gave them a C.

Stastny's team couldn't even get by the Wild so he's not exactly a game changer. I fully agree it's a great signing that improves the team but I've been following this team for a long time and they have had many great signings or trades to improve the team but they still went nowhere in the playoffs. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Letting Boat walk and giving Berglund over $10 million and Ott $5 million is beyond stupid! I still don't see this team beating the Hawks, Kings, Ducks, Stars, or Avs in the playoffs! The Wild and Sharks maybe too!

Posted: **Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:41 pm**

I gave an A. I'm in between A- and B+, but Stastny is the biggest signing I remember the Blues making, so I nudged em up to an A.

Positives:

Stastny- again, biggest signing I can remember. We addressed one of our few weaknesses with one of the best options available without giving any assets away. Also did so without totally breaking the bank and only being locked in for 4 years. To me, this makes like 90% of my grade. Everything else is a minor detail.

Draft- Basing this entirely on what others are saying. I don't know anything about the picks.

Lehtera- Time will tell, but I'm excited to see him over here.

Negatives:

Sobotka and Ott- gonna deal with them together because I don't think we re-sign Ott if Sobotka leaves. This one sucks, but, when our biggest problem is a downgrade on the third or fourth line, we don't have it so bad. Sobotka was one of my favorites, but in terms of practical impact on the team, I think this is fairly small.

Berglund- Again, this is a small one to me. We might have overpaid. But, I care much more about a player's salary in regards to how it impacts our ability to fill our roster than I do in regards to their actual worth. I don't think it will have any impact this year. The next two years remain to be seen, but $3.7 million mistakes are fairly easy to cover up. And, really, it's not even a $3.7 million mistake. It's the difference between $3.7 million and what he should be getting.

--------------

All in all, fixed our only glaring hole, got a player over from Russia that (at least for me) was a surprise, slightly overpaid a 3rd liner without any impact to other roster moves and downgraded a roster slot on a 3rd/4th line. Not perfect, but a solid A from me.

Posted: **Sun Jul 13, 2014 9:41 pm**

Solid A for me.
Only negative I see is the Bergy deal.
Ott for Soby I think will be a wash. We got a little more size for the same roll. Face off percentage was just a few points difference, and Ott was playing with a sports hernia that has been repaired. I think with a full training camp, and start to the season, we are going to see a much better Ott than what we saw last year.

Posted: **Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:09 pm**

I'll say B because of a few things.

Letting Boat walk was a big blow to the team and forced us to re-sign Ott. Circumstances made us less of a team. Ott may do fine and I think he can't be worse right? We gave Bergie to much cash plain and simple. Maybe he'll be better too and I'll change my grade.

I think we did really well in the draft and give them a solid A for that. Fabbri and Barbashev will be fun to watch in a few years.

The trade for Gunnar was a pretty good one for us and it worked out well for Shanny and company too plus a pick that got us #1 euro prospect Goalie Ville Husso. Can't complain.

Paul Stastny awesome deal and if he plays like he did in the playoffs (10 pts in 7 games) well worth every penny.
Jori Lehtera should be exciting to watch. I hope he settles in well after being in Europe.
Joakim Lindstrom should be what we paid for really 3rd-4th line help. If he gives anything extra he's a steal. Hope he settles as well.

I guess if we had somehow got Boat it would have been a A. That one really stings and probably will for a long time.

Posted: **Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:13 pm**

JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I gave them a C.

Stasny's team couldn't even get by the Wild so he's not exactly a game changer. I fully agree it's a great signing that improves the team but I've been following this team for a long time and they have had many great signings or trades to improve the team but they still went nowhere in the playoffs. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Letting Boat walk and giving Berglund over $10 million and Ott $5 million is beyond stupid! I still don't see this team beating the Hawks, Kings, Ducks, Stars, or Avs in the playoffs! The Wild and Sharks maybe too!

Remember when someone (I can't remember who) said you post the most stupid crap sometimes well this post is proof. Do you even watch hockey?

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:48 am**

Misc. Blues wrote:
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I gave them a C.

Stasny's team couldn't even get by the Wild so he's not exactly a game changer. I fully agree it's a great signing that improves the team but I've been following this team for a long time and they have had many great signings or trades to improve the team but they still went nowhere in the playoffs. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Letting Boat walk and giving Berglund over $10 million and Ott $5 million is beyond stupid! I still don't see this team beating the Hawks, Kings, Ducks, Stars, or Avs in the playoffs! The Wild and Sharks maybe too!

Remember when someone (I can't remember who) said you post the most stupid crap sometimes well this post is proof. Do you even watch hockey?

I know a LOT more than you! I have been following the Blues and hockey since the 80s! Even when the Blues had one of the greatest scorers in the HISTORY of the game in Hull they couldn't even reach the semis! Not to mention the failure with Gretzky! Stastny is nothing compared to those 2!

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:55 am**

JesusNEVERexisted wrote:
Misc. Blues wrote:
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I gave them a C.

Stasny's team couldn't even get by the Wild so he's not exactly a game changer. I fully agree it's a great signing that improves the team but I've been following this team for a long time and they have had many great signings or trades to improve the team but they still went nowhere in the playoffs. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Letting Boat walk and giving Berglund over $10 million and Ott $5 million is beyond stupid! I still don't see this team beating the Hawks, Kings, Ducks, Stars, or Avs in the playoffs! The Wild and Sharks maybe too!

Remember when someone (I can't remember who) said you post the most stupid crap sometimes well this post is proof. Do you even watch hockey?
I know a LOT more than you! I have been following the Blues and hockey since the 80s! Even when the Blues had one of the greatest scorers in the HISTORY of the game in Hull they couldn't even reach the semis! Not to mention the failure with Gretzky! Stastny is nothing compared to those 2!

I don't even know why they should play next season. If we didn't win with Hull and Gretzky, might as well just give up.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:14 am**

I'd say A for the draft, B for DA's part for a B+ overall. Thing is, I'm not sure a B+ off season puts us past the giants at the top of our conference. Good to see the farm re-stocked a bit for sure.

Could see this grade improving if they actually move Berglund (I live in hope...surely he has greater value to some other club than to the Blues...) and Lehtera and/or Lindstrom pan out.

Regarding other comments here:

JesusNEVERexisted wrote:Not to mention the failure with Gretzky!

Please. Let us all forget that. He had no heart for this club-certainly not enough heart to succeed in the face of an absolutely murderous Doug Gilmour.

cardsfan04 wrote:Stastny is the biggest signing I remember

Biggest for a while but...Scott Stevens? Brendan Shanahan? Even Nedved ranks for all the ridiculousness despite the fact that he sucked. Those weren't even that long ago...one more thing making me feel old, I guess...

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:26 am**

JesusNEVERexisted wrote:
Misc. Blues wrote:
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I gave them a C.

Stasny's team couldn't even get by the Wild so he's not exactly a game changer. I fully agree it's a great signing that improves the team but I've been following this team for a long time and they have had many great signings or trades to improve the team but they still went nowhere in the playoffs. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Letting Boat walk and giving Berglund over $10 million and Ott $5 million is beyond stupid! I still don't see this team beating the Hawks, Kings, Ducks, Stars, or Avs in the playoffs! The Wild and Sharks maybe too!

Remember when someone (I can't remember who) said you post the most stupid crap sometimes well this post is proof. Do you even watch hockey?
I know a LOT more than you! I have been following the Blues and hockey since the 80s! Even when the Blues had one of the greatest scorers in the HISTORY of the game in Hull they couldn't even reach the semis! Not to mention the failure with Gretzky! Stastny is nothing compared to those 2!

Well I've watched since the 70's so you don't know more than me. I watched Federko in his prime, Claude Larose , Bob MacMillan, The Sutters, Red Berenson, Larry Patey and even Gary Unger. Just because I saw those players doesn't make me know more. But to say that Blues will be seeded 8th and that is what you are saying if you think 7 teams will be better than the Blues, then yes I definitely know more than you.

BTW Mike Keenan was the reason the Blues failed when we had Gretzky and 2 players can not win a cup it takes a team.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:26 am**

I like the stastny deal. More cash for less term. It's a win and he's signed through his peak years. One of the best FA decisions I have seen this team make. We didn't used to execute moves like this.

I think lehtera will be a big deal this year. It was a smart play and I hope it works well. Either way it's a shrewd move by the Blues.

Lindstrom is a good move for depth.

I am happy with the draft.

Trading Polak was a reasonable move, we will see how it works out. They got younger, got a draft pick, and a smaller contract. If play is a wash it's a total win for us. This is really a head scratcher for Toronto unless there's something we don't know yet.

I don't blame management for Boat. I commend them for NOT overpaying him. The player made a career decision, and there wasn't really anything reasonable that the team could have done to change it. Not their fault. These things happen.

I Like that they let Roy, Morrow, et al. walk. Good decisions about what they have and need.

I think re-signing Berglund was a good move - but the terms are all wrong, and that makes the move a negative.

The only huge (Frank) up is the Ott signing. And it's a really bad (Frank) up. The player is old and slow - not designed to beat the teams we have to beat in the playoffs. They paid him WAAAAAY too much money and gave him a two year term. This is bad for the present and bad for the future.

I give the overall offseason a B. It would have been a giant A+ before we signed Ott.

Even without Ott, I am unsure we did enough to get through the West. We will see!!!

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:08 pm**

JesusNEVERexisted wrote:
Misc. Blues wrote:
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I gave them a C.

Stasny's team couldn't even get by the Wild so he's not exactly a game changer. I fully agree it's a great signing that improves the team but I've been following this team for a long time and they have had many great signings or trades to improve the team but they still went nowhere in the playoffs. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Letting Boat walk and giving Berglund over $10 million and Ott $5 million is beyond stupid! I still don't see this team beating the Hawks, Kings, Ducks, Stars, or Avs in the playoffs! The Wild and Sharks maybe too!

Remember when someone (I can't remember who) said you post the most stupid crap sometimes well this post is proof. Do you even watch hockey?
I know a LOT more than you! I have been following the Blues and hockey since the 80s! Even when the Blues had one of the greatest scorers in the HISTORY of the game in Hull they couldn't even reach the semis! Not to mention the failure with Gretzky! Stastny is nothing compared to those 2!

I think you need to stop talking.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:44 pm**

I gave it a B. I don't know how anyone could rate it any lower than that. What we lost, we replaced, in most cases with better players. Sobotka leaving out of the blue is the only big bummer IMO. I think we can replace his numbers, but I'm not sure about replacing his versatility/intangibles. Some other guys are just going to have to step up. I've also had some time to think about the Berglund resigning and, while I still don't love it, I don't hate it either. Berglund isn't a bad player, it just seems like he could be so much more. Our goalies are a bit of a question mark, but we need to see what we have there, specifically with Allen, so I didn't really expect us to do much there and am glad we didn't. If we did, we probably wouldn't have been able to get Stastny.

I still think we're in a better position to win, and that's all that really matters.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:55 pm**

Have to say A-. Army pieced together a supplement to the offense that, if it clicks, will be absolutely devastating.

While I don't like a few of the signings dollar amount nor losing Boat, the players we did acquire will shore up the loss and, if it all syncs, will easily take us to the next level.

Overall, can't complain. Army did go all-in with the money situation with Bergy and Otts deal making me itch but the additions well outweigh them.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 2:15 pm**

Misc. Blues, I don't mean seeded 8th. I meant playoffs. I think the Blues will probably finish in the top 3 in the west but they have MANY playoff ghosts to slay!

You know they have had lots of great signings over DECADES that led to nothing. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 2:24 pm**

JesusNEVERexisted wrote:Misc. Blues, I don't mean seeded 8th. I meant playoffs. I think the Blues will probably finish in the top 3 in the west but they have MANY playoff ghosts to slay!

You know they have had lots of great signings over DECADES that led to nothing. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

LA had the same drought and the year they won it all, NO ONE believed they'd do it. There us no such thing as ghosts you just gave to want it more and gave more resolve than another team. We're in a time where there are dynasties in the making around us. Those are what we need to be better than. That's why only the best win the Cup. If you're not good enough you don't blame jinxes, ghosts or other superstitious nonsense - you just keep building the team up until you win.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:41 pm**

A minus not being an option, I went with B because rounding down is my bag.

Lehtera, I'm a huge fan of that signing the more I think about it, and Lindstrom, Stastny, all huge moves. Not blowing a 1st rounder by doing anything stupid with Miller, smooth moves for sure, and the draft was a thing of beauty.

But I can't go with a solid A because of Ott. Really, why couldn't they go with Paajarvi as the #3 center? I mean, Heyzeus, they traded David Perron for him for crissake. It's not like we couldn't use the Perron offensive flashes (in spite of his turnover tendencies) so make something out of that friggen trade, honestly. Stastny, Lehtera, Paajarvi, LaPierre, Lindstrom, Backes (if need be) can all center. Why the hell did we need Ott? You even want to go a step further? Alexandre Bolduc sitting there in Chicago, could certainly pot a few points no worse than Ott and a lot cheaper.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:54 pm**

cprice12 wrote:
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:
Misc. Blues wrote:
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I gave them a C.

Stasny's team couldn't even get by the Wild so he's not exactly a game changer. I fully agree it's a great signing that improves the team but I've been following this team for a long time and they have had many great signings or trades to improve the team but they still went nowhere in the playoffs. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Letting Boat walk and giving Berglund over $10 million and Ott $5 million is beyond stupid! I still don't see this team beating the Hawks, Kings, Ducks, Stars, or Avs in the playoffs! The Wild and Sharks maybe too!

Remember when someone (I can't remember who) said you post the most stupid crap sometimes well this post is proof. Do you even watch hockey?
I know a LOT more than you! I have been following the Blues and hockey since the 80s! Even when the Blues had one of the greatest scorers in the HISTORY of the game in Hull they couldn't even reach the semis! Not to mention the failure with Gretzky! Stastny is nothing compared to those 2!
I think you need to stop existing.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:28 pm**

sseagle wrote:
cprice12 wrote:
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:
Misc. Blues wrote:
JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I gave them a C.

Stasny's team couldn't even get by the Wild so he's not exactly a game changer. I fully agree it's a great signing that improves the team but I've been following this team for a long time and they have had many great signings or trades to improve the team but they still went nowhere in the playoffs. This is the show me state so SHOW ME!

Letting Boat walk and giving Berglund over $10 million and Ott $5 million is beyond stupid! I still don't see this team beating the Hawks, Kings, Ducks, Stars, or Avs in the playoffs! The Wild and Sharks maybe too!

Remember when someone (I can't remember who) said you post the most stupid crap sometimes well this post is proof. Do you even watch hockey?
I know a LOT more than you! I have been following the Blues and hockey since the 80s! Even when the Blues had one of the greatest scorers in the HISTORY of the game in Hull they couldn't even reach the semis! Not to mention the failure with Gretzky! Stastny is nothing compared to those 2!
I think you need to stop existing.

Let's just let what never did continue doing what it doesn't.

Let's Go Blues

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