Join Blues beat writer Jim Thomas for his live chat at 1 p.m. Wednesday
Get your questions ready and join in at 1 p.m. Wednesday for our weekly Blues chat.
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Yes, I've talked to several of the Moms. the mothers of Toropchenko, Schenn, Binnington, Mikkola, Scandella, Barbashev, Thomas, O'Reilly. They're having a blast. I've written or tweeted a little bit about the Moms so far, but we have more of a story on tem for tonight and tomorrow's paper. Have some good anecdotes, I think.
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Jim, I’m sure I’m in the minority on this but, it’s probably time to start looking towards the future. Every team has to retool at some point. The Blues haven’t had a top 10 pick since 2008 when they drafted Pietrangelo #4. Before that it was 2006 with Eric Johnson #1 overall. I’m not a Parayko fan. He looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane. Ottawa needs defenseman. The Blues could easily get a first-round pick and a high-level prospect. Same goes for Barbashev, Tarasenko, O’Reilly and even Binnington. Gather as many 1st round picks and maybe parlay them into acquiring young high end talent. It’s not personal, it’s just business.
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I don't think you're in the minority on this at all. Fans love to play fantasy hockey (or baseball - whatever the sport is.)But Armstrong has a strong aversion to rebuilding or retooling. He will do that only as a last resort. If the Blues do what you suggest, are you willing to go a couple, three - or more - years with no team in the playoffs and no guarantee that these draft picks or prospects can return the team to Cup-contending status?But there will certainly be some modifications this offseason. Even if the cap goes up $4 million or more, the Blues don't have enough cap space to sign O'Reilly, Tarasenko, Barbashev and Mikkola. A couple of them, perhaps. All of them? No.
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Neither the Blues PP or PK inspires much confidence right now, but the PK did get a boost at the end of the CO game. JT, which unit do you think turns it around first because it's hard to see this team winning at last year's pace without top 10 special teams play?
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I agree with your assessment. Top 10 special teams play are a must.I think the PK will get better and be fine in the long run. If you recall, they had a great start and then like the rest of the team hit the skids during the losing streak. But they have a lot of players who are good at the PK.I'm not as optimistic about the PP. What the Blues are missing the most about Perron - at least so far - is that wicked one-timer from the circle on the power play. I don't know how you replace or compensate for that.
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I don't sense there's any groundswell for that to be the case. Hockey is such a fast game, and personally, I'd hate so see anything that further disrupts the flow.As for retracting calls, you see the officials confer at times on the ice. You saw it the other night on a delay of game call to make sure about a puck over the glass. And you see it at times to determine whether a penalty is flagrant or not. But it seems to me that's almost always done before a call is made.
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Jim with the somewhat unexpected steady play of Leivo and Pitlick who sits when Logan Brown comes off IL? Brown? He seems to be the Blues version of Tyler O’Neill. Lots of natural ability but rarely puts it altogether and frequently injured. Thanks and I look forward to your comment.
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Again, as long as the team is winning, Berube will be v-e-r-y hesitant to make lineup changes. But you know how this goes. Sooner or later the team will lose a game or two. Or someone will get hurt. And a Brown, Walker or Toropchenko will be back in the lineup.When it comes to lines and lineups, nothing is forever in the NHL.As for Brown ad his injuries - I don't think he's had a track record of them during his time with the Blues.
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I've been doing this for a long time - 48 years. When it comes to losing streaks, winning streaks, who should get fired, who should get traded, I don't make snap judgements, or knee-jerk reactions. That's for fans and radio sports talk hosts. Or as you suggest, media outlets looking for clicks.And I know, it's fun to do all that, but I never try to be a prisoner of the moment.When I wrote about the O'Reilly trade rumors the other day, I prefaced it by saying that during the Blues' Cup year - when the team was in last place - half the team was on the "trade bait" lists at one time or another of various media outlets. (And nobody got traded.)Obviously, I try to pay attention and keep my ear to the ground. But we'll see what happens over the course of the season.
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Happy Wednesday Jim.
What a difference a week makes in the life of a Blues fan, I was ready to blow up the team. It seems being more competitive was the key. I like to think losing becomes a disease, the psychology of losing is hard to break after eight loses. Do you think its as simple as one win breeds another, and another? -
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Isn't that the why we love sports? The unpredictability.When a losing streak lasts long enough, sooner or later a team starts to think that's their identity. That's who they are. In hockey, in particular, it can be like being in quicksand. And then suddenly, magically, it changes.There are several factors involved in the Blues' 3-game winning streak:- Yeah, they're competing harder.- Binnington has raised his game a notch or two.- And as I wrote today, Berube finally has found some line combinations that have clicked to a degree.- And let's face it, there's been a little bit of puck luck as well.
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I've referred to Saad in the past as a piece of comfortable furniture. He's so low-key, you don't even notice he's there part of the time. And then you look up at the end of the season and he has his usual 20-25 goals.Saad meshes well with O'Reilly because he's all about puck possession, he's not afraid to go to the net or work the walls. And he can skate a bit.
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His name is Matthew DeFranks. He's covered the Dallas Stars for several years and is joining us in January. In the short-term he's replacing Tom Timmermann, who'll be going over to the MLS beat pretty much full-time during the New Year. In the longer-term, DeFranks will be replacing me. No official announcement yet, but I'm pushing 70 - nearing the end of the sports writing road.
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Well, there's a lot of minuses going on with the Blues. But I don't think Krug's played all that well defensively lately - even for someone with the label of an offensive defenseman. But I will tell you, he's been bothered by what looks like a shoulder issue much of the season. He's never been the fastest skater - as you may have noticed during that Chandler Stephenson breakaway the other night.But personally I like his grit and competitiveness - for what that's worth.
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First off, thanks for reading. I can see where you're coming from. I've seen the Blackhawks under Richardson enough that they play hard and they try to be sound defensively. And the Blues have been known to struggle at times against rookie goalies.But with the karma provided by the Blues moms and Binnington in goal, I think the Blues pull it off tonight.
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I really like him as a player. He needs to cut down on the silly penalties. And he needs to do better on zone exits. But I remember one NHL front office guys telling me in the press box last season, when Mikkola was in and out of the lineup: "If they don't want him, we'll take him."I do think he has top 4 potential.I'd say Kyrou has the best potential with the one-timer. Schenn, to a degree. For all the good things Tarasenko still does offensively, if he doesn't have the one-timer down by now, it's never going to happen.
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Barry, there just isn't much time on the road. Especially on game days. (And that's why I didn't answer your earlier invitation, which I appreciate wholeheartedly.) If we got together it would be totally a last-minute thing.And I'm flying into Tampa on Thanksgiving. You're not inviting me to your house for Thanksgiving dinner, or you?
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Does it seems like ROR is a hockey version of a half court player, or one zone at a time. He’s very good in a zone but he isn’t fast, doesn’t necessarily transition great to the next zone, but when he’s there he’s very good. As a result when he’s matched with a fast/rush player like Kyrou they just don’t link up, there just not similar enough to offer great support. None of this is bad, it’s just not a good fit for 5 v 5 play. Saad can play both styles but he’s a good complimentary player at this point not a driver of a line.
If this is all true then who is a good fit on ROR’s line? Presumably Leivo a career AHL player is not suddenly going to sustain top line play. Is a Barbeshev or Scheen a better fit? -
You may have a point in terms of why Kyrou wasn't a good fit. Other media members expressed similar doubts earlier - but I wasn't sharp enough to see that!In theory, yeah, I think players like Barbashev and Schenn would be good fits. (Although as you can see, they're quick enough to keep up with Kyrou.)
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Last year Rosen ultimately outperformed Mikko and supplanted him in the playoffs. Currently they both appear to be working well together but has either shown they are more than 3rd line guys? Rosen seems a bit old to suddenly play reliably in the top 4, and Mikko keeps letting the chance pass by. If Krug or someone in the top 4 gets hurt who’s well positioned to step up?
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As I mentioned in an earlier answer, I do think Mikkola has top 4 potential. The issue with Rosen, according to Berube, has been physicality. Being stout enough in front of the net and in the corners. Berube's mentioned it in so many words several times both this year and in the past. But Rosen has always shown an ability to skate and move the puck with the Blues.
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An observation that leads to a question, I noticed after a win the russian players seem to take more time to congratulate the goalies (hugs, longer comments) not just the quick head butt others do. Is there a closer relationship between them and the goalies? Is it a cultural thing (more respect/appreciation) for goalies?
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Fascinating point. I think Tarasenko is just an emotional, passionate person. He hugs EVERYBODY on the ice. He usually gets Krug every game night during pregame. If you're at a game in person, you'll see it. We ran a delightful picture of him hugging Bortuzzo the other day when we had a story on Bortuzzo's 500th game.Toropchenko always has a smile on his face. Buchnevich is a little goofy. Which makes Barbashev about the most "normal." I'm kidding here - just a little.
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Even though he was a second round pick Alexandrov almost seems like found money given how little we heard about him prior to training camp. With Neighbors learning to be a pro in the AHL for a while longer and the other young prospect, I have blanked on his name, tearing it up in Quebec are the Blues maybe a bit deeper than expected in terms of prospects? It would also be nice to see another D step up.
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Zachary Bolduc is on an even better points pace than last year in the Quebec League. This year's first-round pick, Jimmy Snuggerud is off to a fast start as a freshman at college powerhouse Minnesota. Defenseman Leo Loof should be in the U.S. next year after playing professionally in Europe, perhaps playing in the AHL. The Blues are high on him. When you throw in those guys with Neighbours, Toropchenko, Thomas, Kyrou, Joel Hofer - that's the Cup's half full argument. And that even if the Blues lose a veteran or two last season, maybe they can stay competitive.
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