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Join Blues beat writer Tom Timmermann 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.

3rd & 7 37yd

When you see Vladi beam like he did the other night on the jumbotron - I can't imagine he could go to another market and get the reception he gets here in St. Louis. I know $$$ may influence all but with all the Russian players here, I can't see him leaving.

by Liz 3/30/2022 8:45:49 PM
That's for sure. The fan reaction to his good games has been something.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 8:46:20 PM
Of course fans get frustrated with bad contracts but that's on the GM 100%. We want to win period. And if that means paying a team a first round pick to take Binner then do it. If that means sending him down and bringing up a goalie who is actually playing better over the season then do it. "Best option is for Binner to play well!" And if he DOESN'T ?? Then what? Not make the playoffs because he's lost numerous games already for us?

by Roy Hobbs 3/30/2022 8:46:41 PM
I don't think a first-round pick alone is enough to get a team to take Binnington. You're talking about someone who's getting paid $6 million over the next five seasons. That's a big commitment some team is going to make. Yes, Binnington playing well is the best option, and in some ways, because of his contract situation, it's the only option. The Blues can't bury his contract, and they can't give him away if there's not a team that thinks he's going to be their No. 1 going forward. Right now, the Blues are playing their goalie who is doing well, and I think they feel he's a better option than Lindgren.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 8:52:04 PM
Have you or the analytical community looked into the best salary cap mix for a contender and how do the Blue compare? For example, is spending 30% of your cap on D high or low vs top teams?

by Sctdog 3/30/2022 8:54:29 PM
I'm sure it's been explored, but I don't think there's a hard and fast answer. Tampa Bay's current roster has $25 million going to defensemen. Florida's has $16 million. Colorado has $30 million. Much would depend on if you had low-priced entry level players at the position, like Makar before he signed his extension.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 8:57:57 PM
What's going on with Jeff Gordon? Truthfully please.

by Roy Hobbs 3/30/2022 8:58:59 PM
I didn't know anything was going on.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 9:00:23 PM
I echo Brian's comments about Colt 55's lack of effort. Seems to be a virus that has effected the team.

by Barry - Blues Fan in Orlando 3/30/2022 9:00:45 PM
Looking at some numbers, and the two best defensemen on the team, in terms of unblocked shot rates and expected goals, are Bortuzzo and Mikkola, who get the most sheltered minutes. (Walman was up there too.) Among the others, Parayko, Faulk, Krug and Scandella, Parayko has the best numbers, and by a pretty good margin. So while his play may be perceived to be lacking at times, he's still the best the Blues have got. So it's no surprise that Berube and Van Ryn put him out there in the tough situations.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 9:05:00 PM
Tom -- I was pleased with the win on Monday but what really bugged me about the previous two games is that I thought the Blues might have played the best they have all season in the final two periods in Washington. The Capitals are still very good and have maybe the best sniper in the history of the game. The Blues just totally shut them down. I was starting to feel really good but to see them come back and lay an egg against Philadelphia --- which is beyond awful and had not won an away game in forever -- left me thinking this is a very immature team. I can't say that about the Blues often throughout the years, even when they struggle. They sometimes may not have a ton of talent but the effort usually is there. Was I wrong to feel that? And, is that a concern going forward? I still think this team can make some noise in the playoffs, if it makes it. By the way, I still like Kyrou but he gets run off the puck much too easily, especially in the defensive end.

by longlivesudsy 3/30/2022 9:06:08 PM
At their best, the Blues look fairly good, and at their worst, they don't look that good, and you just don't know which team you're going to get any night. I don't know that I'd say they're immature, but as a group, they don't bring their full game every night. That will have to change. Can the Blues go back to channeling the way they played in January and February? No reason they can't. It's pretty much the same team. Things can change quickly in hockey.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 9:13:09 PM
OK, most of the other questions I haven't answered deal with topics already addressed, like Parayko and O'Reilly. So unless there's a late-breaking questions, it's about time to wrap it up.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 9:14:23 PM
Jim is, I suspect, putting together his report from the morning skate in Vancouver, so look for that on the website any minute now. Looks like the same lineup though with Bortuzzo in for Mikkola. Husso in goal.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 9:15:31 PM
Winnipeg vs Buffalo is the only game with any significant impact on the Blues postseason today, but it's not a very big one, one percentage point according to hockeyviz.com.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 9:16:50 PM
Thanks for the chat Tom, and also for your coverage of St. Louis City SC so far. Good job!! Do you agree with my assessment that the Blues look slow, and possibly fatigued during most, if not all of the games they are losing? If so, how the heck can that be fixed at this point with the goal of having a significant playoff run?

by D Matt 3/30/2022 9:17:28 PM
I don't know that they're fatigued, but hesitant teams tend to look slow, I guess because they're being hesitant. Rest doesn't seem to be a problem for these guys. Berube has been very focused on that during this stretch of a condensed schedule, and when there's one day between games, as is the cast most of the rest of the way, they have either a practice or a morning skate, but not both. Berube is keeping them off their skates as much as he can so they don't get worn out. And when they do practice, they're generally pretty quick, no more than a half hour. The downside of all that is there isn't a whole lot of time to work on-ice on things. So there's a lot of video work going on.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 9:20:15 PM
OK, no new questions, so I'll say good bye until next week, when we'll do this all over again. Thanks for your participation. Take care.

by ttimmermann 3/30/2022 9:21:03 PM