Blues Add Ty Conklin; Two Years at $1.3 Million/Season

by gallagher on Jul 1, 2009 1:32 PM CDT Comment 23 comments

More photos » by Jerry S. Mendoza - AP

Ty Conklin will go from stopping Andy McDonald to hoping he scores quite a bit more.

The Blues have acquired a solid backup goaltender. Ty Conklin becomes yet another former Red Wing backup goalie to join St. Louis. Following in the footsteps (though hopefully not too closely) of Manny Legace and Chris Osgood of the recent past, Conklin with be with the Blues for two seasons at a cost of $1.3 million per year.

Conklin, 33, played with Detroit last season after playing with Pittsburgh the season before, meaning he has played for back-to-back Cup finalists as well as being a participant in three Winter Classic games (with Detroit, Pittsburgh and Edmonton back in 2003).

On top of thiose resume items, Conklin has played in 149 NHL games over six seasons with a career 2.58 goals-against average and a 90.9% save percentage. His career record is a surprisingly good 73-43-10 with 10 shutouts. He has appeared in only ywo playoff games.

Conklin is the backup, which is exactly what the Blues wanted to get. He knows his position, makes less money than starter Chris Mason and is quite comfortable in the second slot. Unlike the situation last year, there is no confusion in the Blues' net heading into the regular season.

EDIT BY BRAD: I might as well toot my own horn. Our free agency primer post from earlier this week:

Potential targets: Ty Conklin was good enough to play backup to Chris Osgood. I'd think he's good enough to play backup for Mason.

Your Pick 3 lotto numbers for today: 5, 1 and 9. And you're welcome.

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Comments

good sign

cheap too, but does JD know we arent playing in the winter classic this year? that means one less win right?

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

by DESTROYER on Jul 1, 2009 1:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

plus

conk CAN start. he was great for the pens in 2007-08 when Marc-Andre Fleury went down.

i like this move.

by averagejoe on Jul 1, 2009 1:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Send Conklin to a hypnotist...

… and convince him that the Kiel is an open-air arena. There’s 41 wins right there; if Mase can play .500 on the road, the Blues are looking at 61-62 wins overall. Piece of cake.

by BleedBlue42 on Jul 1, 2009 1:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Would have preferred . . .

a backup “1-A-esque” goaltender that didn’t have the freshly-minted Detroit Stank on it . . .

But otherwise, it’s really difficult for me to argue this move. I’ll take it.

"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 Jul 1, 2009 1:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

As one of Conks' devoted stalkers...

I’ll just say this:

There was no confusion in Detroit heading into last season, either. Or in Nashville two years ago.

He wants to play. He signed in Detroit last year for peanuts because Holland guaranteed him 30 games and if you think JD promised him any less, think again.

You’re getting the one of the world’s nicest, lowest-ego guys and a pretty darn decent goaltender, but the man’s made a career out of shoving other guys out of the crease just about everywhere he’s gone.

He won’t bitch about Mason making more money. He may just outplay him for a stretch or season or so.

But for your sake, and for the sake of screwing over Detroit in any way shape or form, I hope you’ve now got the modern day Plante-Hall equivalent! :)

by Exceeding repeating on Jul 1, 2009 1:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Plus, saying “CONK BLOCk” is just tailor made for game threads.

Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

by Dominik on Jul 1, 2009 4:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Conkilin?

Have we learned nothing in the last ten years? Why couldn’t we have gotten Boucher? I hope Conklin can prove me wrong for hating that he is coming here.

by Whatablue on Jul 1, 2009 1:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

good deal. this is the guy i hoped we’d get but never really thought we’d be able to snag. feels good to be wrong on that.

by bzgea2 on Jul 1, 2009 3:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Just...

posted this on my blog. Figured you guys might like to see it. It’s a brief interview with “Conks” during his time with the Pens:

"We have two giant hamsters running on a massive wheel at our secret underground lair..." - Benjamin Linus.

Blue Skies - a new St Louis Blues Hockey blog: BLUE SKIES

by drfrankentweed on Jul 1, 2009 3:05 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Sorry..

try this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7GAMUsKb_A

"We have two giant hamsters running on a massive wheel at our secret underground lair..." - Benjamin Linus.

Blue Skies - a new St Louis Blues Hockey blog: BLUE SKIES

by drfrankentweed on Jul 1, 2009 3:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

hah, he seems like a good guy. Nice to have him onboard.

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Jul 1, 2009 3:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

pffft, that's nothing

http://kdka.com/video/?id=35977@kdka.dayport.com

This is where they cut most of that from. (Also a chance to see what he looks like before he grows the beard back.)

by Exceeding repeating on Jul 1, 2009 3:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

clemenson just signed with florida 3 years at 1.3/per or less. thats surprisingly low.

by bzgea2 on Jul 1, 2009 3:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

clem

We should have got him, now that is a proven backup. Sorry Vokoun, we will be seeing you on the bench shortly.

by Whatablue on Jul 1, 2009 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fan freaking tastic.

I kind of wanted either Anderson or Clemmenson, but this is really, really a good move. When MAF was out in Pittsburgh year before last, Conklin was the reason that he was able to stay out longer and fully heal – he cal play and look like a starter when needed. Solid, solid guy.

He was probably the only person on Detroit last year that I wouldn’t’ve thrown something at my TV if I had to see them skate with the cup. This is a perfect signing for us, and apparently the Western Conference Championship banner’s a lock.

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 Jul 1, 2009 7:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

uhhhhh

Never forget Philo T. Farnsworth

"I want to fucking break it. I want to crush you from the inside."~ Static X
"Turned into a monster I'm a motherfucker!!!" ~ Static X

by Carnie on Jul 1, 2009 7:50 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

This is a pussy signing in some respects.

The Blues need to grow a great big, hard, throbbing DICK and musheroom stamp this league.

by Henry Miller's Used Penis on Jul 2, 2009 2:25 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't forget..

he was also on 05-06 Oilers team that lost in the finals. There has only been one Conklin-free SC Finals since the lockout.

by forgetyerskatesdream on Jul 2, 2009 10:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

the Blues already did the finals thing

I want a CUP. So two years as the bridesmaid…

by Henry Miller's Used Penis on Jul 2, 2009 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Something to marinade on.

Pasi Nurminen is batshit crazy, and Conk stood up to him pretty well. When’s the last time we’ve seen a goalie fight with one of our guys? CuJo?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IUC9mDhn78

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 Jul 2, 2009 6:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

A goalie that can throw

swooooooon

Thank you hildymac

Dum spiramus tuebimur

by spectr17 on Jul 3, 2009 4:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I do what I can.

I have a backup-goalie crush on Conklin (loved watching him on the Pens and was mighty pissed off when he went to the Wings, but he did wonders for my fantasy squad), and I pray for the return of Nurminen every day. He’s a few pucks short of a full bag.

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 Jul 3, 2009 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs