I suppose seeing what Tanguay would take might not be a bad idea. Salary’s a bit steep, but perhaps that enables us to give up less talent in return. I won’t go so far as to post some outlandish trade that worked on Xbox.

Cole from Carolina, maybe?

If we’re going to push for a deep run this year, we might have to risk some of the future. At this point, I’d be content on betting on Berglund, Oshie, Eller, etc in a couple years and living with the current mood swings of this team.

I’d try to land Prucha from the Rangers. He’s obviously talented offensively but stuck on a checking line.

Then I’d try to get rid of one of the chipy vets, Hinote. Whatever we can get for him. Time to give one of the young Peoria guys some ice time in the Note.

And then…. well, considering Manny’s poor play lately and the fact that Andy Murray has NO confidence in Hannu, I’d try to land some high talent goalie… Huet from Montreal, maybe.

Just some thoughts.

well, we never did give the Hyphenator a chance yet. he got called up here once during a rash of goalie injuries but only got to sit on the bench. call him up and let’s see if he can stay cool under fire unlike our other back-ups lately.

I’m going to sound like a broken record, but I think our main problem is having a legit powerplay quarterback defenseman. Wagner might be able to do that, but if not configure a trade to get one. see who wants McKee or Brewer (nothing against these guys exactly, just for trade-value purposes)

Dooks is right on the money here. We need a legit powerplay pointman NOW (two would be even better, so we don’t have to put a damn forward on the point).

It’s difficult what this team is trying to do: make the playoffs but not trade any picks or prospects and keep building for the future. Hard balancing act.

I’m all for seeing young guys get a chance. I just worry that they might not get the best opportunity unless a veteran or two are moved to make way for them. I don’t see the point in bringing a good young scorer like Linglet up to the show if he’s going to be put on a third or fourth line and only play a few minutes a game, not exactly the ideal situation for them to succeed. I just don’t see how the young guys would get serious time behind whatever line Tkachuk is on, the as-yet-unnamed Boyes line, and the kids. Maybe Coach Murray could work it in, but he seems to be pretty conservative with young players.

All in all, it’s too early to give up on the season (although the media types have – if I hear one more person who barely covered the Blues early on lamenting how they lost AGAIN, I may go all DJKing on them). It’s hard to have patience after the potential the team showed this season, but this is still a rebuilding year. I’m left just having to put my faith in JD. He has yet to lead me astray.

I’m sorry I have to say it, but the team is starting to look a lot like it did under Mike Kitchen; playing soft and waiting for something bad to happen. When you play like that something bad usually does. Let’s face it; the forward corps looks good on paper but has not scored much all year. Our win total shows what you can do with adequate defense and a goalie standing on his head. If Manny is off on any given night, we got nuthin. The team leaders (I’m looking at you, Tkachuk, Mayers, and Jackman) do not appear motivated. Backman looks completely outclassed most nights, and Brewer continues to do his Jekyl and Hyde impersonation, alternating between sound defensive play and hideous screw-ups. Time to ship at least 2 of those 5 out of town (and not bring them back in the offseason no matter how much they like it here). Number one need for this team is as Dooks says; a puck moving defenseman who can quarterback the power play. What would the Kings take for Rob Blake? A short term solution I know, but we need to make the playoffs this year if we want to keep the renewed fan support.

I don’t think that making the playoffs this year is “an absolute must”. The team does need to rediscover its work ethic, especially in its own end; but a desperation “win-now” move is the last thing this organization needs. The Blues have decades of experience in making “win-now” moves, and all of those moves have brought the same amount of success: zero.

The Blues’ offense at even-strength isn’t bad; it’s the power play that pushes the total GF into the basement of the league. If you can find a defenseman to quarterback your power-play, and can get him without sacrificing the future, fantastic. If you can’t — and let’s be honest, the odds are not in your favor — then you figure out what moves you can make to improve next year’s team.

I don’t think any of us really want to return to the days of making the playoffs just to make the playoffs. We endured a quarter-century of watching our team trade, trade, trade, spinning its wheels, going nowhere. Looking at the STL sporting landscape, I don’t think the fan support is going away in the next twelve months. The local baseball team managed to screw up a championship’s worth of goodwill in less than a year, and the football team has reverted to the same old sorry-ass football team of the 90s. Sometimes the best move is to make no move at all… and if that’s what JD & Company decide to do, that’s fine by me.

I don’t think the Hyphenator has an NHL contract so they wouldn’t be able to bring him up here unless they first give him an NHL contract.

I agree with the rest of you that other than the recent stretch of bad goaltending, the biggest problem facing this team is the embarrassingly bad power play. I think a puck moving offensive minded defenseman would go a long way to improving the power play. I’m not sure about the best way to go about that though. I wouldn’t mind them finding a way to get Wagner back up here. I’d be open to some trades too as long as we don’t sacrifice too much of the future we’ve been building. We’ve all seen how well that’s worked out for us in the not so recent past, and we’re not seriously going to contend for the Cup this year anyway. They’ve got to find a way to improve the power play though. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is for me to watch pretty much every other team setup their power play with ease while the Blues struggle mightily to setup their power play or even get a shot on goal.

I’m all for building towards next year, let’s just make sure we don’t find ourselves saying that midway each season. If we can get a half-decent power play by the end of this year, I’ll be happy, playoffs or no.

Oh, and regarding Stempniak. My brother used to watch him play in college all the time and says he never thought of him as a guy who would be more than a 20 goal-scorer. Just thought I’d toss that out there. It’s not necessarily correct to expect him to be putting out 30+ goal seasons, regardless of what the Blues are paying him.

Of course, with an improved power play, Lee could probably net around 25 goals a season again. And, geez, Boyes could be a 60 goal scorer.

If I were calling the shots at 14th and Clark, I’d ring up interim GM Cliff Fletcher in Toronto and see if the rumors of impending deals are true.

If so, I’d inquire about what it would take to pry young scoring forward (plays both LW and RW) Alexander Steen and young puck-moving offensive defenseman Ian White away from the Leafs.

I expect that Jackman would be a part of that deal; I’d also be looking for a way to get maximum possible return from Backman, Tkachuk, Rucinsky, and one of the grinders (Hinote or Mayers, whichever has the most trade vaue). I’d re-sign Salvador, and give Brad Boyes whatever he wants to sign long-term.

There are three defensemen at Peoria right now who should be on the NHl roster — Pola’k, Woywitka, and Wagner. If both Backman and Jackman are moved, that still leaves Brewer, McKee, EJ, Salvador (after re-signing), and Walker as the top five. If White can be acquired from TO, move him into the top five, see what you can get for Walker, and let the three Peoria kids compete for the sixth and seventh defense spots on the NHL roster.

I also am not all that worried about making the playoffs this year, but I would like to pull some kind of trade to acquire another first-round pick. If the Blues continue on their current pace, they’ll have a Top 10 pick, and I really, REALLY want to see them draft 6’3", 205-pound right-shooting center Kyle Beach out of Everett (WHL). Beach is a consenus Top 10 pick this year, so I’d call him a legitimate target at this point.

Failing the ability to draft Beach, I’d settle for Boston University and Team USA center Colin Wilson (also a rightie with good size), or Czech center prospect Tomas Kubalik (yet another right-hander with NHL size).

I have to do some more digging into what defensive prospects are out there, but I’d certainly be putting emphasis on finding the biggest, fastest, hardest-shooting power play QB type I could find. I would also be looking to draft a goaltender fairly high, third round at the latest, to restock the pipeline.

As for prospects currently in the organization, I’d make it a priority to get Jonas Junland over here and skating for Peoria next season, since he’s already signed. Berglund is already more or less committed to North America next year, so that’s good. I’d also camp out in TJ Oshie’s dorm room, and wouldn’t leave until I had his John Hancock on an entry-level NHL contract.

I’d be looking at what could be done to get Viktor Alexandrov and Nikita Nikitin out of Russia and into Peoria, get Reto Berra signed, leave Ben Bishop in college for one more season, and would go back and resume talks with Juhamatti Aaltonen.

B.

The playoffs this year would be nice… but not at the risk of the future. The big move they made coming into this year (Kariya) was a good move, but the Paul Kariya a lot of people were expecting last played for Anaheim. He can’t be a difference-maker all by himself. He needs a big body with a mean streak for protection and to work the corners, and Tkachuk… doesn’t seem that into it any more. I don’t see him working both ends of the rink the way he was earlier this season. Been really happy with Andy McDonald; he’s small, but he plays surprisingly tough and uses his speed well. Boyes-streaky. Lee—solid #2 20-goal scorer. Perron-still learning.

We have 7 #2-#4 defensemen; the biggest upside belongs to Jackman, as far as the tradeable guys go. While I’d hate to see him go, this year he’s played pretty stupid hockey fairly consistently; he gets caught up ice a lot trying to pinch. Salvador is having an awesome year, but I don’t think he is as tradeable. Beckman… who would want him? McKee and Brewer make too much money. Walker-wouldn’t trade him. Who’s gonna keep other teams from taking liberties when DJ isn’t in the lineup? Johnson? Try that trade on a computer GM in NHL 08, but not in the real world.

I’m not sure that Manny is 100%. He’s let in a few soft goals in the past two. Ears hasn’t been the same since the Colorado bombing, and Marek ain’t ready. The hyphenator couldn’t do much worse.

So where does this leave our Beloved Team™? Outside looking in for the second straight year. This is kinda where I expected them to be. Frankly, we’ve been more competitive than I thought. The only thing I hate is when the effort isn’t there. Right now, it isn’t and that’s not what I paid 20 bucks a game to watch for 44 games.

We got kids, more draft picks on the way, and lots of potential for the new NHL. Next year I expect the playoffs. This year, if we get in, it’s a bonus. Relax and enjoy the ride. I have a lot of confidence that this ownership group and team management is following a road map to Stanley Cup contention.

Marcus Pettersson wrote:

“I’d try to land Prucha from the Rangers. He’s obviously talented offensively but stuck on a checking line.”

Marcus, Prucha’s overrated, IMO. He had one good season in 2005-06, and his scoring and plus-minus have been in decline since. Plus, he’s not very big, and the last thing the Blues need in the lineup now is another streaky, inconsistent, non-phyhsical forward.

“Then I’d try to get rid of one of the chipy vets, Hinote. Whatever we can get for him. Time to give one of the young Peoria guys some ice time in the Note.”

I like Hinote (and the future Mrs. Hinote as well), but I agree with this. And, IMO, Chris Porter is the guy to replace Hinote at this point, with Yan Stastny as a player with an outside shot at that role. We’ll see what Stastny can do at this level, since he’s apparently been called up.

“And then…. well, considering Manny’s poor play lately and the fact that Andy Murray has NO confidence in Hannu, I’d try to land some high talent goalie… Huet from Montreal, maybe.”

I wouldn’t mind this, either. I’ve always liked Huet, ever since his days in LA. Murray probably knows him from there also, which would be another plus.

B.

GTPD: Do you really think that Hinote has that much worth on the block? As much as I hate to say this, trading Mayers would hurt the on-ice chemistry. Murray relies on him too much, but as far as penalty killing and face-offs go… he’s almost indispensable and he won’t be replaceable by a kid, because Murray does not expose them to critical situations in their first year. EJ has yet to kill a penalty.

I think that with the smurfs we have up front, we need physical presence on any line where Kariya, McDonald, or Perron is located. As I mentioned before, Tkachuk isn’t doing it any more, and the heir apparent (Backes) although less talented and inconsistent, has shown a surprising ability to get positive results when he hits and goes to the net.

Huet… nice dream. What would you give up for him? Perron? Berglund? Oshie? That’s part of what it’s going to take, because Montreal is not in salary cap Hell like Anaheim was over Scott Niedermayer. Frankly, I’m pissed at Burke for letting Bryzlagov (or some such combination of consonants) go on waivers. He instantly made Phoenix a MUCH better team, has playoff experience, and, well.. wah fuckin wah.

In general, I’m not a fan of the 20-25 year-old goaltender, no matter how hot they may seem. Goalies tend to mature later than other players. I don’t know why this is, but young, hot goaltenders seem to flame out more often than position players do (see Jose Theodore-the Avs thought they were pulling off another Roy trade.) As far as Berra, lots of money will help, but then we’ve got a goaltending logjam again. Schwarz isn’t ready, but we have goaltending coaching now, and he’s still way young to pronounce him a flop. He needs the work in the AHL game and he’s not going to get it splitting time with another prospect.

HURT? HOW HURT?? we miss the playoffs by 10 points instead of 3? trade him. this team should consider seriously becoming sellers since it has to ake its choice soon, and as sellers there are 5 or 6 players you dont trade. every single other player goes if anyone offers a pickk or prospect for them. EVERY other player. that include jammers, that includes kt, that include brewer (i wish!) backman, jackman, mckee, dutchie, hinote, rucinsky (ha!) backes, and possibly even hannu at this point