Tuesday Afternoon Links: If I Had A Nichol Edition

by bradflick55 on Jul 5, 2011 1:19 PM CDT

I think Nichol will fit in St. Louis. Choking out Red Wings is an important skill to have if you're going to play for the Blues.

Things are really hectic at Links HQ today with all the fallout from yesterdays fireworkin', drinkin' and grillin', but we've got some actual Blues news today. Can you believe it?

Blues News

The Blues go swimming with the Sharks again and add free agent Scott Nichol. [Blues]
Benny Bishop is also back for another year with a two-way deal. [Blues]

NHL/Hockey News

For real, what's up with Steven Stamkos? [Puck Daddy]
The Blues free agency pick-ups get a D+ on Wysh's report card. Hard to argue against that. [Puck Daddy]
How did the Brad Richards deal go down? DGB has the inside scoop. [Down Goes Brown]
Dany Heatley already loves the new change of scenery. [SB Nation]
Washington will be booing the shit out of Jaromir Jagr. [Washington Post]
NHL owners had a chat with NBA owners to tell them that losing a season is "worth it." For them, at least. Sucks for all the fans, of course, but who gives a shit about them, am I right?! [NBC Sports]
Calgary is back on the Anton Babchuk bandwagon. [SJ Mercury]

Other Stuff

Smut: it's good for you. [MSNBC]
Smart design ideas that I want right now. [Email Junk] [Random Picdump]
Make your own beer labels. [Beer Labelizer]

Tuesday Video

Australia's finest rapper hits the streets with his bitches.

Brad Lee, why do you hate the St. Louis Blues?

gametimelinks AT gmail DOT com

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Ha

Breaking News: I'm currently in the process of writing "I will not say and/or type "that word" 1,000 times.

by Novacain on Jul 5, 2011 1:37 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

No clue how that got posted...

But not sure how D+ is “hard to argue”. What were you expecting us to do this off-season. We re-signed everyone we should have. We didn’t really need a top 6 forward (not like there were many available, and all of the ones that were got overpaid like a mother fuck) or Top 4 D-Man (Honestly, I think we have 8 D-Man I’m confident are NHL players now). I wouldn’t have minded us sign a better goalie, but it wasn’t a big deal, and just a 2 way contract.

I guess what I wanna know is… Outside of getting another solid 3rd liner (Our signing of Nichol tells me Sobotka will be on 3rd Line Duty), what, exactly, do you think we missed out on?

Breaking News: I'm currently in the process of writing "I will not say and/or type "that word" 1,000 times.

by Novacain on Jul 5, 2011 2:17 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Here's why it's not hard to argue:

The grades are in no way indicative of whether a team got any better. It’s just a grade for “splashiness”, nothing more.

Buffalo gets an A- for giving Stupid Money to Ehrhoff and Leino. The Rangers get an A- for giving Stupid Money to Brad Richards. Washington got an A for signing an over-35 defenseman and for giving Joel Ward a grossly inflated contract.

Frankly, this is one grading scale I’m happy to be at the low end of.

by BleedBlue42 on Jul 5, 2011 2:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Free Agency is also still young, so there's still more time, too.

I push snow during TV time-outs. The Blues pay me in jumpsuits.

by bradflick55 on Jul 5, 2011 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions

I, personally, would've loved to see anything outside of "depth" signings.

All the Blues sign is depth and it’s gets boring to see every year. Even with an ownership situation, the Blues have got plenty of cap room and there were top-6 forwards on the market to get. I wanted them to at least go after somebody.

If anything, I’ve always wanted the Blues to be a part of the fun.

Although, thanks to some chatting with the dudes at Fear the Fin, I’m going to like Kent Huskins, solely for the meme they made for him over there.

I push snow during TV time-outs. The Blues pay me in jumpsuits.

by bradflick55 on Jul 5, 2011 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions

Name em.

Richards, Leino. Connolly, Selanne (who was only going to sign with the Ducks. Connolly could have made sense, but he got 4 mill despite being walking wounded. Leino and Richards we didn’t stand a chance for.

Breaking News: I'm currently in the process of writing "I will not say and/or type "that word" 1,000 times.

by Novacain on Jul 5, 2011 3:13 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Why did you ask me to "name 'em" and then you named 'em?

There are plenty more players we could’ve either gotten their rights via trade with our shit-ton of draft picks or from a 2-3 year deal, like the other teams. Columbus did some serious housecleaning and will be a better team next year, but the Blues didn’t do shit.

Don’t say that “there isn’t a free agent market”… ever. There’s always a free agent market.

I push snow during TV time-outs. The Blues pay me in jumpsuits.

by bradflick55 on Jul 6, 2011 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah...

And usually it’s solely a means for teams to overpay mediocre players and then buy them out 2 years later or trade them for a 4th round pick.

I wouldn’t want a single one of those 4. And none of the players that were traded were not overpaid. I’d rather buy solid contributing players then overpay someone we can complain about later (Kariya)

Breaking News: I'm currently in the process of writing "I will not say and/or type "that word" 1,000 times.

by Novacain on Jul 6, 2011 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions

There's a difference

Between having cap room and having money. My wallet will hold several thousand dollars, but that doesn’t mean I have several thousand dollars to put into it. :)

Also, after the Blues last few forays into big contract free agency (Kariya, McKee) I was kinda hoping they didn’t overpay for guys of that ilk, as it hasn’t worked out very well either time. Both guys played well, when they were healthy, unfortunately for both of them, they missed large chunks of playing time over the courses of their contracts due to injury. I know that’s all a coincidence, but if that’s the kind of luck the Blues have with big contract players, then I’m happy to have them avoid it.

Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not. - Thomas Jefferson

by Dan. on Jul 5, 2011 7:29 PM CDT up reply actions

If I'm trying to attract an owner, I'm going to make the team look good with what money I have.

That way, somebody will buy it.

I push snow during TV time-outs. The Blues pay me in jumpsuits.

by bradflick55 on Jul 6, 2011 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions

On the pne page with the Inventions

I’ve seen the kids bowl advertised on TV, it’s called the Gyrobowl and yes we want two, one for each Jr. UIWWIldthing

Baltimore Blast - 6-time MISL/NISL Champions
Let's go Blues!

by UIWWildthing on Jul 5, 2011 1:39 PM CDT reply actions

Good luck to Nichol with you guys

he was a fan favorite in San Jose.

Really gritty lower line player, lots of fire and energy for a guy his size. And he’s an AWESOME face-off man. Pretty sure he lead the league in ‘09-’10.

There were concerns that his game is dropping off as he ages though and last season wasn’t as spectacular as his first season with us.

Still sad to see him go, I got his jersey this past year, oh well.

Proud member of the "Bring Back Semenov" Club
"The only crying allowed in hockey is when you lose a playoff series, retire or JR is speaking publicly." - Jamie Baker
"You are down with the homies, my friend." - Randy Hahn
Kent Huskins cares.
"Don't fart on my chair mutha fuckah!" - Randy Hahn

by PNK on Jul 5, 2011 3:21 PM CDT reply actions

I'm looking forward to the NBA going away after a couple years of labor disagreements (which it's trending toward).

That way, the second version of the ABA can come along. And hopefully with it, you get the return of high tube socks, Chuck Tanners, afros, long hair and red-white-and-blue basketballs. If this all happens . . . you bet your sweet ass I’d start paying attention to professional basketball again, even if St. Louis didn’t get a team (which they totally would, and we all know it).

Fight Club writer for the print edition of St. Louis Game Time . . . I need another beer.
The Throwdown Lowdown Report, only on The Bluenote Zone.
And I can also write things in 140 characters or fewer.

by Donut King on Jul 5, 2011 4:09 PM CDT reply actions