offseason so far

[flyingnote38]

to quote myself from another thread <<<The Blues have $58.2 M committed to next year's cap. They have all their D (actually 8 dmen) and both goalies signed for next season. Their only RFA worth mentioning is Schwartz and an injury marred season this year should keep his raise reasonable.

Steen, Berglund and Shattenkirk are in final contract years before UFA. Steen, Stastny, Berglund, and Bouw have no trade clauses.

UFAs:
Ott - for the love of God, please, gone!
Brouwer - would welcome him back but likely won't have the cap space
Upshall - worth keeping at the price
Brodziak - ditto or someone similar
Backes- here is the (first) big decision of the off season. >>>

moves so far
Elliott dealt
Upshall resigned 1 yr $900 K
Brodziak resigned 2 yr $950 K per year
Jaskin resigned 2 yr $1 M per year

puts us at 10 forwards, 8 D, 1 goalie

left to do:
RFAs Schwartz, Nilsson, Paajarvi

UFAs Backes, Brouwer, when to hold the going away party for Ott

cap space about $15 M

This might be just enough to get you Schwartz, Backes, and a back-up goalie (Nilsson or bargain UFA) without moving Shatt. And fill out the roster with Rattie and Paajarvi or MacEarchen.

[flyingnote38]

forgot about Sobotka (who isn't listed on general fanager)
so that makes 11 forwards and about $12.5 M in cap space, so pretty tight to afford Schwartz and Backes without moving some cap.

[glen a richter]

Said it in another thread, I'll repeat here.

Let a team offer sheet Schwartz and take the picks as conpenaation. Sign Okposo, trade Shattenkirk for a young forward (Domi, Duclair?) and have Schmaltz and Vannelli battle in camp for a spot on the blueline.

[WaukeeBlues]

Said it in another thread, I'll repeat here.

Let a team offer sheet Schwartz and take the picks as conpenaation. Sign Okposo, trade Shattenkirk for a young forward (Domi, Duclair?) and have Schmaltz and Vannelli battle in camp for a spot on the blueline.

I have absolutely no desire to have Kyle Okposo on this team. I think he's one of the most overrated scorers in the game today and someone is going to throw stupid money and term at him and he won't be close to worth it.

[glen a richter]

Wow it's hard to type on a phone. Compensation is obviously what I meant.

[theohall]

Said it in another thread, I'll repeat here.

Let a team offer sheet Schwartz and take the picks as conpenaation. Sign Okposo, trade Shattenkirk for a young forward (Domi, Duclair?) and have Schmaltz and Vannelli battle in camp for a spot on the blueline.

I have absolutely no desire to have Kyle Okposo on this team. I think he's one of the most overrated scorers in the game today and someone is going to throw stupid money and term at him and he won't be close to worth it.

Okposo would be a perfect Blues player. He demonstrated this season how to disappear in the playoffs.

Please, for the love of all that is holy, don't re-sign Paajarvi. Let him walk so younger, more talented forwards actually get a chance to play. But with a coaching staff of Hitch, Yeo, and Wilson - Paajarvi will probably be a Blues starting forward on opening day.

[flyingnote38]

Given the general lack of cap space across the league, I'd be surprised if any rfas get signed to offer sheets.

So what approach do the Blues take with their contract situation? Do they make signing Schwartz the priority and then use what's left on Backes or Brouwer or someone else? Do they sign Backes and go to Schwartz with "all we can offer is $5 m"
Do they sit back and do the "stealth fantasy auction strategy" letting everybody else cap out and try to get short term bargain deals on the guys leftover?

[WaukeeBlues]

Given the general lack of cap space across the league, I'd be surprised if any rfas get signed to offer sheets.

So what approach do the Blues take with their contract situation? Do they make signing Schwartz the priority and then use what's left on Backes or Brouwer or someone else? Do they sign Backes and go to Schwartz with "all we can offer is $5 m"
Do they sit back and do the "stealth fantasy auction strategy" letting everybody else cap out and try to get short term bargain deals on the guys leftover?

Yes, I think Schwartz is the priority and you see where you're at afterwards.

I think Backes is gone. He's going to get overpaid and for a longer term than anything this team should be offering him. It's disappointing but as far as I'm concerned, he's gone.

Largely the same in regards to Brouwer. Last year he had a $4.5 cap hit for 18 goals and 39 points. Yes, he came up big in the playoffs for us but that production can be had elsewhere for that price. He fit like a glove when he was brought over and all in all I think it was ultimately a good trade to move Oshie, but his absolute ceiling is 20-25 goals and that's an expensive price tag. And, once again, someone will overpay and for a longer term than the Blues should. So I think he's gone too.

With the extra cap space I would love to see the Blues take a run at a winger not named Okposo on the free agent market. Loui Eriksson is worth pursuing big time in my mind. Wouldn't mind seeing Stempniak back in the bluenote either as a depth scoring option if Brouwer is too expensive. Though with how Stempniak finished the season with the Bruins I don't know how much cheaper he'd be.

On D the only thing we should be looking at is exploring dance partners for Shatty. If there's nothing good enough out there to jump at then I have no problem waiting until next trade deadline to move him. Parayko, phenomenal rookie season aside, could use some more grooming (sophomore's always do), and an added buffer guy like Shattenkirk is never a bad thing. There's nothing compelling this team to deal Shattenkirk this offseason and unless a great offer comes about, Armstrong shouldn't.

[theohall]

Wondering if Armstrong demanding the moon is him setting the bar for a future trade when a team really wants defensive help and they will know they will have to give up actual talent in return - not just draft picks.

[glen a richter]

The islanders are better with Okposo than without. They're a generally poorly coached team and he still plays a huge role. I'd be ecstatic if he joined the Blues and, given about 2 or 3 games, so would everyone else.

[Oaklandblue]

Said it in another thread, I'll repeat here.

Let a team offer sheet Schwartz and take the picks as conpenaation. Sign Okposo, trade Shattenkirk for a young forward (Domi, Duclair?) and have Schmaltz and Vannelli battle in camp for a spot on the blueline.

Makes too much sense. Why this won't happen.

[theohall]

I'm going to repeat this - Domi and Duclair are not available. Arizona is not going to give up young, talented forwards on entry level contracts. One won't be an RFA until 2018 and the other is an RFA next season. Were he an RFA already, I'd believe he was tradeable. So forget even mentioning names which aren't possibly going to be traded this season.

Trading Domi or Duclair would be the equivalent of the Blues trading Parayko if one were to make a reasonable comparison.

[fargoblues]

Local media has started hyping a possible Backes to Minnesota signing. It's been a dull roar until the last couple days. No likey.

[glen a richter]

I think it's a foregone conclusion Backes won't be back.

[theohall]

How did we all miss this one?

Jordan Caron re-signs with Blues



With Backes being from Minnesota...

[theohall]

Steve Thomas hired as Assistant Coach.

His role in Tampa the past 4 seasons was essentially helping develop the young talent, particularly at forward. This is the type of role which the Blues need given where the roster is likely going by as early as 2018.

Say the Blues don't re-sign Steen, Stastny, Berglund, Brodziak, Perron, or Upshall. Heck, throw in Reaves and Paajarvi. That's 8 of the Blues 12/13 experienced forwards gone by the start of the 2018 season (2 seasons from now). Heck, half would be gone for the 2017 season. No wonder they were drafting all of those centers. All of that is not replaceable via FA in the cap era, unless one just brings in crap and doesn't let the youth develop.

Which means the Blues needed a good developmental coach at the NHL level, which Steve Thomas clearly was for the Lightning.

[glen a richter]

Steve Thomas! There's a great signing for assistant coach, and he'd be light years better as a HC than fukkin' Mike Yeo.

[Toasted Oates]

Looking at this group of forwards, I'm stocking up on booze for the long winter ahead.

DP57 FTW

[theohall]

Seeing comments on twitter and reading some folks here, there is this concern about the size of the St Louis Blues.

1) How many Cups have the Blues won with this "size" and "heavy game" mentality? Last I checked the answer was zero and after reaching the Conference Finals got beat by speed, AGAIN!

2) What kind of team just won the Stanley Cup? Was it a heavy team or a team with a mix of guys, both 6'+ and under 6, who skate really fast, and use their friggin' talent - vice just hitting guys to force things? If I'm not mistaken, the Penguins got outhit alot in the playoffs. Outhit by the Rangers, outhit by the Capitals (by a large margin), outhit by the Lightning (but it was closer), and way outhit by San Jose. Result - Penguins Stanley Cup.

This team is in transition from the "heavy" game to what should be more effective in the playoffs - ala what Chicago and Pittsburgh currently have no their front ends - as in skill first. So we, as Blues fans, can finally stop hearing about the "heavy" game and how important it supposedly is to winning. Clearly, many Blues fans and those who cover the Blues have been brainwashed reading all this stuff on the internet and the panic about "What are the Blues doing" because they lost Backes and Brouwer while signing an actually needed LW depth in Perron. And the comments are almost always "the Blues will be too small." Were the Penguins too small?

At C, the Blues in a couple of years will have the size there based on the drafts the past two season, but just being a big, heavy team doesn't win anymore. Those not seeing this transition and still focused on this "big team" aspect that has been shoved down Blues fans throats for the past 5 years need to start looking around the league and see what just won the Stanley Cup and what's been winning it for Chicago. The answer isn't "heavy" game - it's balance in size and skill.

Yes, you want your defense to be big and the Blues aren't changing that. Moving Shattenkirk will actually allow Parayko to play the minutes he should while letting a bigger, more physical, 3rd right side D-man develop.

So the Blues lost Backes. He wasn't worth a 5 year deal paying him 5M+ per year at ages 36 and 37 - and that would be for a 3rd line Backes. All the complaints of over-paying Ott and Berglund seem to not apply due to Backes popularity. And Brouwer - if the Blues can't replace Brouwer's production on the right side with someone already in the system (which means Hitchcock actually letting a younger kid play more than just 4th line ice time), the Blues system depth has problems. Given how the Blues used Brouwer on the power play having everyone else with more skill set him up for easy goals from in front, the PP inflated his goal numbers. Ty Rattie could easily reproduce those goals if given the same PP role.

Well - it's time to move on and transition to a Cup champion type team - not a Ken Hitchcock heavy only heavy first team.

[theohall]

The Carter Hutton signing is for the expansion draft. The Blues have to leave one goalie unprotected and that goalie has to be under contract or an RFA. So, Carter Hutton's 2-year contract allows the Blues to protect Allen while not risking any of their prospects.

When looking at signings right now, consider the implications of the expansion draft which happens next year.

Parayko and Edmundson shouldn't have to be protected as they will still be "2nd year" professionals at the time of the draft (I think).

St Louis shouldn't have any problem protecting their core players while leaving higher contract guys (Stastny, Bouwmeester, Berglund - maybe Lehtera) and fill-in signings (Perron) unprotected.

Arizona only gets to take one player per team anyway, so it's not like the team will be losing a significant player should Arizona take one of the Blues.