Eklund says Blues to have Heatley done by Wed.???

by BluesFan45 on Jun 21, 2009 9:13 PM CDT Comment 34 comments

Eklund advises the hockey world that the Blues want to have a deal done to get Heatley to St. Louis by Wednesday, two days before the draft.

I think we need a few grains of salt, a lemon wedge, and some good tequila to analyze that one.

AS we talked about here and many other sites have discussed, Heatley to St. Louis is very hard to imagine. While the Blues have the desire for a top flight player, can they truly afford him with out giving up Brad Boyes (which defeats teh purpose of getting Heatley) and if they can, which young stars do we lose?

Perron? Berglund? Oshie? Pietrangelo? Eller? Backes?

Who is traded now and/or later? Who cannot be re-signed?

It’s a this point I really hope that the front office politely says “no”. No to thinning out our NHL level depth. No to moving out a young core member. No to tying up roughly 12-15% of the Blues cap hits in one player.

I know teams want to get that name power. You want that guy to drum up media support, to sell tickets, to sell jerseys. At the same time, this isn’t your dad’s NHL anymore. This is not so much a veterans game. This league is dominated by 3 players who have all gained the right to buy alcohol in the last 12 months. It is a young-man’s game now.

This is where the Blues can differ from other teams. Push away the old status quo and really stck with their kids. Will it be hard to keep your home grown talent when you could haeve offer sheets and high priced offers. However, at the same time the Blues have to believe that they can develop their rebuilt core and keep them around. With the cap going down (for at least the next two years it looks like), you need to be able to control your contracts. The Blues will get great control over their group.

The young core of this team is as follows (argueably):
TJ Oshie
Patrik Berglund
Erik Johnson
David Perron
David Backes
Brad Boyes
Alex Pietrangelo
Jay McClement
Roman Polak

All of these players are under contract for at least 2 more years or will be RFA’s in that time period.

The current roster situation gives you a large amount of control over how much your core makes, allowing you to spend elsewhere. However, that control doesn’t mean you add a $7.5mil cap hit.

THe Blues have a chance to say “we have our core, we arent moving them and in the long term interest of this organization, we are going to retain these players”. How many teams will be able to do this? Not many. Edmonton might. Phoenix has no money to begin with. Chicago has spent a ton (Campbell) and are going to have MAJOR cap issues retaining Kane, Toews, and Versteeg down the road.

By saying no, the Blues have the chance to do what few teams can do, kep their most important long term peices while they are still contributing now. Heatley all but kills that chance. The time is not now. The Blues got in to the Playoffs minus a top 3 forward and a top pairing Dman, lets see what Kariya and EJ give us first. Save the money now to dabble at the deadline if you want to add a body.

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Esta todos bullshit…

Nicht nein aber ficht nein to Heatley… unless the Blues can get him without trading their first-rounder, or a significant piece of the future.

Heatley for Kariya and McKee? Git ’r done.

Heatley for the 17th pick, Berglund, and more? Nope.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Jun 21, 2009 9:40 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

From the article:

The following was a text message: “The Blues will be looking to try and cement Heatley in by Wednesday evening…”

I confess … It was from me. Eklund thought it was authentic because I used my work phone, which has a 314 area code.

Let's go Blues!!!

by Milo. on Jun 22, 2009 1:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I liked the study

where they found that Eklund was right about 4 percent of the time.

You never know…but I don’t see this happening.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Jun 21, 2009 9:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

that makes me feel better..

I don’t want to give up on the youngsters yet.

Long Live The King!

by nks on Jun 21, 2009 10:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

E4 - The sky is falling...

Let's go Blues!!!

by Milo. on Jun 21, 2009 11:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah don't see this happening.....

Sunday @ 11:58 PM ET
Andy Strickland:
There’s no heatley deal in the works. Blues exec calls rumor “Total BS”.

"Brad Winchester playing on a line with Perron and Berglund is like the fat kid who you invite to play one day because you didn't have enough skaters, yet you don't have the heart to tell them to leave the next few times you play. Damn you Andy Murray." -Author Unknown

by -DJ- on Jun 22, 2009 4:03 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

What a crock

So Dwayne Kessel (Eklund’s real name) puts out stuff because the people who actually paid him money for his “information” will get antsy that nothing new is put out right before the draft. He puts his fantasy reporting on his site. Then a day later one of the guys on his site totally debunks it and calls the rumor bullshit.

Shows why I never go to that hunk of crap Web site.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Jun 22, 2009 9:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nope

Not happening. We’ve seen over the past couple years how JD and crew are rebuilding the Blues. They are really sticking to their guns. It makes NO sense to come this far and suddenly bail on the plan by dumping guys like Oshie, Perron, or others. As said above unless you get some sort of McKee Woywitka deal, forget about it. Maybe they could sweeten the pot by throwing in Whitfield.

Barret Jackman is my hero.

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

by BluesTiger on Jun 22, 2009 10:11 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely retarded.

Eklund’s predictions are, of course, always wrong. He doesn’t even mention the other teams interested in Heatley, such as LA, Edmonton… why are we tops of the pops with him?

I already heard one stupid trade rumor for today (Cards turned down DeRosa because they didn’t want to dump any middle relievers – if that’s true I have a different GM to slap with a fish)… I can’t take much more St. Louis Sports stupidity. If the Rams sign Vick, I’ll crack.

Reporter: There`s a "stamp out the Beatles movement" underway in Detroit. What are you going to do about it?

Paul McCartney: We`re going to start a campaign to stamp out Detroit.

by hildymac on Jun 22, 2009 1:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

To be fair . . .

if the Cardinals give up McClellan, I will totally go apeshit on John Mozeliak. Otherwise, agreed there.

And certainly agreed on Heatley as well.

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields

by Donut King on Jun 22, 2009 2:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ID BE

pissed if any of the youngsters go, outside of hockey i dont want McClellan to go, out of perez and motte doesnt matter to me really

Pujols takes out "I" in BIG and "A" in MAC, previously considered to be an unyielding, consonant threat

by DESTROYER on Jun 22, 2009 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather Perez

by stlfan on Jun 25, 2009 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

KM was my only exception to that.

But what do we have to do to get Albert another bat in the line-up? Our li’l flukey hot streak won’t last forever.

Can we go back in time, clone that Ludwick, and replace the current with the previous?

Reporter: There`s a "stamp out the Beatles movement" underway in Detroit. What are you going to do about it?

Paul McCartney: We`re going to start a campaign to stamp out Detroit.

by hildymac on Jun 22, 2009 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

why the fuck...

….are the Cardinals being discussed here? Hmm? Yeah thats what I thought………………

by -DJ- on Jun 22, 2009 6:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The subject was broached.

Some of us are Cardinals fans.

And it’s the offseason. Oh, and I’m clinically idiotic enough to bring up/keep alive the subject here, I guess.

Oh well, it doesn’t happen often, and I can’t swear about the Cardinals at VEB or discuss anything that doesn’t have to do with someone’s Goddamned WAR rating. I’m not a numbers guy.

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields

by Donut King on Jun 22, 2009 9:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i was just giving people shit....lol

i myself am a cards fan aswell.

by -DJ- on Jun 23, 2009 12:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I figured as much

but I figured I might as well play along. That, plus I really get hoarked off at VEB a lot, for obvious reasons.

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields

by Donut King on Jun 23, 2009 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If they do this . . .

I will not only be totally shocked, but I will be totally fucking pissed off.

Hope Eklund goes and screws himself with a rusty butter knife. Ugghhh.

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields

by Donut King on Jun 22, 2009 1:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Perspective

Look, I’m not a huge fan of Heatley, and I think we’d be best served to find a scorer that is a better fit for our system. That being said, however, I think we Blues fans are beginning to value our prospects a little bit too highly. I mean, it’s partially the organIzation’s fault for hyping the hell out of them for the past few years, and the prospects were a lone light at the end of a dark, dark tunnel for the past few years. But let’s be realistic. They aren’t all going to pan out, and we won’t be able to keep all of them. I guess what I’m saying (while in no way endorsing a trade for Heatley) is: even if a player like Berglund develops to 100% of his potential, will he ever be as offensively dominant as Heatley is now? I’d hate to see any of the kids get dealt, but it’s going to happen to some of them, and a deal like this one might not be a bad gamble.

by hullnoates on Jun 22, 2009 4:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

First and foremost

Ecklund is, and always has been full of crap. Not just a little, but dump truck fulls. Second though, I’d like to say that from what I’ve seen of Berglund in his rookie season, the first year he’d ever played this many games, I like what I saw. Yes, he kind of tuckered out towards the end, but at the same time, he’s still very young. I don’t know about you, but I for one didn’t really see my best physical development until I was 22-25. I agree that we can’t keep them all, but I’d really hate to see us give up any of our youth for a guy who keeps requesting trades.

by SouthernBlue on Jun 22, 2009 7:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

FYI – Andy Strickland later commented on his Antropov/Weaver blog that a FO exec called this BS.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/boards/thread.php?thread_id=65430&page=4

Its about 2/3 to 3/4 the way down page 4.

The Bleeding Blue blog @ The Blue Note Zone

Add Me on Twitter

Rodimus Prime at StlToday and BluesFan 45 elsewhere...

by BluesFan45 on Jun 22, 2009 8:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

then again, Strickland isn’t always the definition of truth either

"I'm sorry we hurt their feelings"
-Barret Jackman

by Dooks on Jun 22, 2009 9:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

WOW this has to be fake...

McKenzie from TSN on Twitter says Blues are offering Boyes, Perron and Brewer? WTF? I call BS.

http://thebluenotezone.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/is-this-real/

The Bleeding Blue blog @ The Blue Note Zone

Add Me on Twitter

Rodimus Prime at StlToday and BluesFan 45 elsewhere...

by BluesFan45 on Jun 22, 2009 8:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh, if THAT'S the rumo(u)r . . .

then this is toooooooooootal bullshit.

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields

by Donut King on Jun 22, 2009 9:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that's crazy.

Of course, big Bob knows the same thing that Eklund Dwayne has figured out; hockey rumors = internet traffic. Just throw up any old thing you hear and it’s guaranteed to translate into clicks. We’re all outsiders, so any supposed ‘inside’ information always drives traffic.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jun 22, 2009 9:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

thats a fake twitter feed

i doubt these tweets are from bob …

Nice to see that Phil Mickelson didn’t allow his wife’s cancer to affect his game and he was able to choke like usual.

Patrick Kane: EA Sports NHL 10 cover boy. I use to love those games, but now my abnormally large sausage thumbs make it difficult to play.

The wife bought be Reba: Seasons 1-6 on DVD for Father’s Day. We’re about to dive into it now. I love that show!!!

tsn pimps out darren dreger on twitter, but not big bob. so yeah … dont buy the shit.

by averagejoe on Jun 22, 2009 11:26 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

I like "Reba," too...

Seriously.

I’ve got a thing for redheads.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Jun 23, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's go Blues!!!

by Milo. on Jun 23, 2009 6:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ive gone back and forth on this since hearing the rumor a while back, and i think it kind of makes some sense for us.

we’ve got two years of boyes who has a realistic ceiling of 80 points which is just enough to earn him a hefty pay check when his contract is up. heatley is signed through 2013 and you could argue he has a ceiling of around 100 points, at least he’s reached 100 twice before.

perron has been in the dog house so much we’ll probably spend the year wondering if he’s going to be traded anyway, im not so sure about including brewer as the third, it would open up cap space for us, but it would also leave us with a super young blue line may waste the potential a scorer like heatley brings.

in short I’d be ok if this happened, maybe a little more happy if it didn’t. if the sens could throw in something else maybe brian elliott?

by bzgea2 on Jun 22, 2009 9:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

the other consideration is Brewer

is he healthy yet? I’m sure that’s a big concern for anyone who would look at acquiring him.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jun 22, 2009 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If the Blues trade Perron...

…they’d damn well better get back something a lot more stable, long-term, than Heatley.

I don’t care how many points the guy scores, or how high his “ceiling” is. I do not want a guy in the Blues’ dressing room who has asked to be traded from two separate organizations already.

If Andy Murray gave Heatley the same kind of “tough love” he’s given Perron, Heatley’d be asking for his third trade before age thirty. Perron responds to adversity by just going out and playing better; Heatley seems to respond by wanting to bail.

Give me Perron every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. I, for one, am more than willing to wait for the 21-year-old Perron’s "ceiling’ to reach the same heights as the 28-year-old Heatley’s… and I have no doubt that it will.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Jun 23, 2009 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

instead of boyes

id rather toss Kariya into the fold, the last year of his contract which has a huge cap hit, with Brewer/Jackman/McKee, and one of the prospects not up yet

Pujols takes out "I" in BIG and "A" in MAC, previously considered to be an unyielding, consonant threat

by DESTROYER on Jun 24, 2009 5:33 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs