WaukeeBlues wrote:If you don't get first round picks, the percentages are still against you to get regular NHL players on your roster in the later rounds. And in the Penguins and Rangers cases they've also traded away second round picks.
I'm not crazy about the fact the Blues have made the bad habit of trading first round picks lately.
Oh, I agree. I don't want them trading away first round picks for rentals or anything like that.
My point was really just that tanking to get as high of a pick as possible (a top 5 pick) is no recipe for success like a number of people stupidly seem to think.
1st round picks are valuable, but only if you do you research on the mid to late 1st round picks. That is where you can get better quick.
On the other hand, Edmonton's horrendous draft record, while evidently trying to just revive the entire 1980's, has left them a prime candidate to (still) need defense and be willing to trade one of their glut of offensive players for Gunnarsson. Perhaps Yakupov.
Injuries hitting so many skill players at the same time.
Hate saying this, but this is where Hitchcock's defense first, deny shots on goal, maintain possession system will keep the Blues competing for the division until players get healthy.
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Where would the Blues be without him? He is playing far beyond what I expected based on his play the past 3 years.
The few games I've seen I've been very impressed. Especially when he was (I don't know if he still is) on that line with Brouwer and Fabbri. He knows Fabbri's got a shot and will feed him all night.
Composed, cool hockey and making clean plays 90% of the time. He's been solid.
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Where would the Blues be without him? He is playing far beyond what I expected based on his play the past 3 years.
Not for nothing: in a limited role on a team that lacked depth, which meant lots of PP minutes Gomez actually did rather well last season. He was tied for 3rd in scoring on the Devils in only 58 games. His points per game was .59 last season, which isn't that different from the .70 he's posted so far. The worry is durability. Last season was the first time since '10-11 he played in more than 50 games. But his ATOI is way down so the coaches seem aware of this.
Where would the Blues be without him? He is playing far beyond what I expected based on his play the past 3 years.
Not for nothing: in a limited role on a team that lacked depth, which meant lots of PP minutes Gomez actually did rather well last season. He was tied for 3rd in scoring on the Devils in only 58 games. His points per game was .59 last season, which isn't that different from the .70 he's posted so far. The worry is durability. Last season was the first time since '10-11 he played in more than 50 games. But his ATOI is way down so the coaches seem aware of this.
Yup. ATOI is way down, which is good.
Also, when Schwartz and Stastny return, his minutes may drop a bit more...but it all depends on how everyone else is playing at the time.
