Game Time Making Progress; Blues Are Not

By gallagher

Howdy. A quick note to say that I've cracked the code on an easy way to do the salaries. You have been heard. The salaries will be back on the rosters and stats page starting Thursday.

On the reverse slope of my progress, the Blues today passed on plucking Ron Hainsey off waivers from Montreal. Instead, they took Simon Gamache from Nashville. With the worst record in the NHL, the Blues have the top priority spot on all waiver claims. The Jackets have the second spot. The jackets grabbed Hainsey, much to the dismay of the Canadiens.

The Blues passed on Hainsey, a former 1st round pick who has this scouting report: Has great mobility, good size and excellent on-ice vision. Displays plenty of offensive upside and can log a ton of minutes. Top four defenseman. [From tsn.ca]

And took Gamache: Has tremendous creativity and offensive prowess. Has the hands of a natural goal-scorer. Can play any forward position. Fourth line forward. [From tsn.ca]

Now, I don't understand Gamache's scouting report, especially considering that they also rate his career upside a fourth liner, but the point remains clear. This guy is an energy guy who can score some goals if he gets in the clear. But, he's in essence a 5-10 minute guy. How many players do we have on the current roster that are considered fourth line forwards? Six? Nine? Depends on how you count, but I get eight. Out of 12 forwards.

Meanwhile Mikael Yakubov and Kristian Huselius are also on waivers. Yakubov is a skill player who has never gotten a chance in North America to play on a scoring line with quality linemates. He's in Russia now. Huselius has wilted under the pressure of playing for Iron Mike Keenan in Florida, but he's got skill, too. Now that we can all admit that this team is rebuilding, wouldn't it make sense to grab skilled young players who need top line minutes? It doesn't cost ANYTHING to grab these guys. If they don't work out, how could it possibly hurt? The Blues have won FOUR games through the first quarter of the season. Could skilled youngsters on lines with Weight and Tkachuk possibly result in fewer wins in the next 20 games? Would it matter if they did? The team seems destined for the bottom of the pile anyway, why not try as many skilled youngsters as you can fit in? Just going with quantity, someone has to work out. Then you've gotten a skilled player for next year, and you didn't trade any assets to get him.

But no, let's just grab another waterbug fourth liner who was good enough to get drafted in the 9th round and has two career NHL points in 22 games. Zero in his 11 games this year. Great.

I've never been much of a Larry Pleau basher, but I'm starting to slip into that mode. Show me something, anything that proves that you want this team to get better. Picking up former first round picks (Hainsey, Yakubov, Huselius) for nothing shows me some effort. Some desire that you want to get better. Grabbing fourth liners shows me that you are evil.

Hey, maybe Pascal Rheaume will hit the waiver wire next and we can bring him back again.