To say the Blues’ season thus far has been a disappointment could be like saying Jeffrey Epstein would’ve made a nasty camp counselor. What began as a season of hope after the Blues had the largest turnaround in hockey after Jim Montgomery took over behind the bench final season, has been a nuclear catastrophe that sadly looks like the reality concerning the Blues is rearing it’s ugly head: the 2nd half of final season was certainly a fluke, and the Blues’ roster is a backside 5 roster in hockey.
Sure, we did take the President’s Trophy winner to double OT in Sport 7 of spherical 1 final yr (albeit I simply by no means take the Jets critically with Hellebuyck in web throughout playoffs). Sure, it was a ton of enjoyable to play significant hockey once more. However should you take a look at what the Blues have been for about 80% of the final 2 years, you gotta name a spade a spade. They stink, and it’s not the fucking coach.
You can’t trot out a roster who’s greatest participant is Robert Thomas or Jordan Kyrou and count on to compete for a deep playoff run, not to mention in a division who’s groups have MUCH higher high 1-3 gamers than you:
- Avalanche-Nathan Mackinnon, Cale Makar, Marty Necas
- Stars-Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen, and extra
- Jets-Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Adam Lowry
- Utah Mammoth- Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller
It’s simply not possible to count on the Blues to compete with these groups, and even Chicago has lastly gotten first rate after being the Epstein’s island of the NHL.
So, what can we do?
Now that sounds miserable, however typically you gotta look within the mirror and settle for that brief time period sacrifice may lead us again to the prominence we noticed from the early 2010s-2021. This perpetual both squeak within the playoffs and lose/barely miss then draft sixteenth general yr after yr technique goes to maintain us the place we’re for eternity if it doesn’t change ( you Steelers followers).
I personally don’t assume it’s only a expertise/talent subject, however the present veteran core has run it’s course. It isn’t working. It’s time for a brand new period, so right here’s how we get there and what objects the St. Louis Blues Superstore of hockey ought to be promoting this Black Friday.
- Brayden Schenn. Sure, our captain. I really like Brayden Schenn and can endlessly acknowledge him as a improbable Blue for nearly a decade now who carried out effectively above his wage (and what we traded for him LOL), however that point has handed. In 21 video games this season he has 2 objectives, 6 factors, and is -15 on the season which is third worst within the entirety of the NHL. I’m sorry my captain, however it’s time to go. And sadly you’ve costly, so we’ll probably must eat your wage to get something of worth. However it’s time to maneuver on, after which I shall be taking a $10m mortgage out to wager on Thomas being the captain for the foreseeable future (should you disagree go argue with a wall, the +/- differential for the Blues with and with out Thomas is like over 30 objectives)
- Pavel Buchnevich. Holy shit have I turned heel on Pavel. When he first got here to St. Louis it regarded like Doug Armstrong pulled off freeway theft getting him for Sammy Blais and a 2nd spherical draft choose, however ever since we gave him that undeserved $8m AAV 8 yr contract he has been a wheelchair with pedals. It has been over 220 days since he scored a good energy purpose for the Blues. He has been completely horrendous on protection with expensive turnovers, commits reckless penalties in key occasions of the sport, doesn’t produce offensively in any respect (he’s FIFTH worst within the NHL with a +/- of -13 this yr), and the beneath picture will merely by no means go away my mind from final yr’s recreation 7 vs the jets.
If you happen to can’t inform, that’s Robert Thomas on the far proper of the picture with a totally open path to an empty web to seal the sequence. As a substitute, our $8 million wheelchair with pedals launched it 30 toes over the online. Everyone knows how that recreation ended. What can we commerce him for together with his terrible contract? At this level see what different NHL enviornment has the most effective sizzling canines within the NHL and do a 1 for 1 commerce for the recipe.
3. Any ahead not named Thomas, Kyrou, Snuggerud, Holloway, or Dvorsky can go. All of us love Nathan Walker, Sundqvist, and so forth. However the actuality is there are groups that shall be prepared to supply quite a bit for high quality depth gamers for a deep cup run. Let the expert youngsters play, filter the vets holding us again.
4. Any Defenseman not named Brober or Fowler. This could go with out saying, however the Blues have had a backside 5 protection in hockey for the final 3-4 years actually. Faulk is drastically overpaid, Tucker is a superb boxer however not a productive NHL defenseman, and whereas I feel Parayko is 1 of essentially the most underrated gamers in hockey, that additionally sadly means one other workforce’s GM could be foaming on the mouth if he turned obtainable and certain provide a number of excessive draft picks or prospects for him. We now have too many elite defensive prospects in Jiricek, Theo Lindstein, and so forth to let these guys be performing the way in which they do and having one of many greater cap hits as a defensive group in all of hockey.
As of proper now, now we have the third greatest odds to get the #1 general choose this summer season at 11.5%, and a 100% likelihood to choose within the high 5.
The above shouldn’t be up for dialogue, I don’t take care of the Blues to get us all hyped as much as squeeze into the playoffs simply to get embarrassed by an actual workforce in spherical 1. We’re not a cup contending workforce, and we won’t be anytime quickly if we hold being the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NHL. Promote everybody who’s at an age to begin feeling decrease again ache, and go get me Gavin Mckenna.
