Oshie Traded to Caps for Brouwer, Prospect & Pick

[glen a richter]

In which universe outside of Blues fanland is Oshie a star player?

[Portland Blues]

You guys are slippin'!

How will the Oshie area be remembered?

Darkest day in Blues history?

[glen a richter]

The Oshie area will be remembered as one of a guy who went from being a drunken slob who did a piss poor interview about "unfortunately playing in St. Louis" to maturing into a national hero and one of the most overrated players in Blues history, as evidenced by the suggestion that #74 was/is a star player. Tarasenko, Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Stamkos--these guys would be pissed at the suggestion that Oshie is a star player. That would make any of them one step above God.

[dmiles2186]

Depressing. We essentially traded a star player for an inferior player. I would have liked to see a star-player for star-player, not a salary dump which it was this was. Star-players involved in package deals? No, thank you.

I wanted Oshie on the other end of a package deal, say Oshie, a prospect, and a draft pick for Malkin.

I don't consider Oshie a star by any means. He's reached his peak, I'd say. He's a 55-60 point guy and we've got several of those. I think this opens up a spot on the top line and Stastny will move up. Then you can put Backes on the wing. STL line will remain the same and you've now got Size Line with Berglund, Jaskin, and Brouwer.

It's a different look, for sure. And to boil it down to just Brouwer for Oshie isn't giving the trade a fair shake. I'm not saying it's a great trade. Oshie could certainly rack up some points if he's on a line with Ovechkin, but that doesn't mean he won't disappear in the playoffs again.

We got a goalie prospect, even if his scouting profile isn't the most spectacular thing, and a draft pick. I felt like we should have received more for Oshie, but it is a 3 for 1 deal nonetheless. It's not like we're trading Jonathan Toews here.

The one thing I'll say about Oshie is that he was the face of the rebuild movement post-2006. He had some trying days but he grew into it. I hate that he has to be the one to go from this group, but change was needed and I'm all for a move that ushers that in.

[abc789987]

I'm perfectly fine with this trade. I'm laughing at all the people in st louis butt hurt over it... My love affair with TJ was over long ago. I wish him good luck with the Caps though.

Sent from my LG-VS985 using Tapatalk

[goon attack]

In which universe outside of Blues fanland is Oshie a star player?

Mike freakin' Shannon is a "Former star" for the St. Louis Cardinals. Dude was a career .255 hitter.

Screw Oshie. Fun player to watch 10% of the time. Nifty in shootouts. Useless in the playoffs. NEXT!

[Nyghtewynd]

So are we better with Brouwer (and he's the only part that matters...we were ASSURED that the goalie was a strength, so the prospect is pointless, and the pick is pointless since we just gave up a guy that was a first-round pick for it) than Oshie? Are we a better team today than we were yesterday?

[JCShutout]

As others have said, this likely moves Stastny to a top line, and replaced TJ's 20 ish goals, plus some extra. I'll take it.

[cardsfan04]

So are we better with Brouwer (and he's the only part that matters...we were ASSURED that the goalie was a strength, so the prospect is pointless, and the pick is pointless since we just gave up a guy that was a first-round pick for it) than Oshie? Are we a better team today than we were yesterday?

Brouwer vs Oshie is definitely the main part of judging the trade, but to ONLY look at that part is myopic. Brouwer isn't as good as Oshie. But, he's not a big step down from him either. And the cap space this opened up allows us to improve elsewhere (in theory).

[Nyghtewynd]

The cap space is negligible (somewhere around 500K), and Brouwer only has one year left on his deal. So you're saying that we got worse?

[The Flake]

Oshie is without a doubt the best player in this trade. His shootout skills (which were a little off last year) won the Blues 3-4 games every year. That being said, we also got a prospect and a pick to play with. Will we regret getting rid of Osh for that reason alone...I don't think so but we'll hear about it if we miss the playoffs by two or three points...

I don't know what to think yet but if I were in the GM's position, I would have insisted on a 2nd round pick instead of a 3rd. Other than that, I'm good with this trade. Plus if Brower doesn't pan out we can get rid of his contract in a year right?

Moving forward, I think Osh would have been demoted to a lower line if he stayed with the Blues. This allows the no hassle juggling we need to do with our lines as well and no one gets butt hurt. The STL line can move up to #1 and our #2 line should be great now with Backes/Stasny/Steen.

Brower can float between the 2nd and 3rd line (mainly 3rd line) and will be happy there.

My main worry right now is that we will be seeing Ott / Bergland again next season. I hope they can trade them for a bag of pucks or something.

[ComradeT]

Seems like Brouwer is marginally worse player than Oshie production-wise. His goals are comparable/better while his assists are worse (makes sense for a guy who puts himself in front of the net and feeds off of redirections and rebounds).

But he is fast and big, two things Oshie is not quite. If he is added to the third line or even to the first line next to Backes and Steen, I only see good things.

Call me an optimist. Cause I am.

[WaukeeBlues]

... Plus if Brower doesn't pan out we can get rid of his contract in a year right?...

Exactly. He's in a contract year and a bit overpaid anyway for what he brings. He has incentive to produce this season and if he doesn't, oh well, we let him go at the end of the season and have his cap hit to play with for other players. Win-win.

My main worry right now is that we will be seeing Ott / Bergland again next season. I hope they can trade them for a bag of pucks or something.

Army has a love affair with these two guys. I'd seriously doubt they get moved this season. Berglund maybe because I've heard some side comments about Army being disappointed but it was "because of injury." So if Berglund has another slow season and is healthy... we can hope.

[cardsfan04]

I'm speculating here, but I'm not so sure that it's that Army loves Berglund as much as it is that he hasn't found a good return for him. I could be wrong. He did give him that contract a year ago. But, I've always just assumed he never found the return for him that he would like.

[flyingnote38]

here's the relevant blurbs from Scott Cullen's take on the trade:

"There is some concern that the Blues, having been unceremoniously bounced from the first round of the playoffs - again - sought a bigger and tougher solution to their problems, at the expense of skill. At a time when talented teams like Chicago and Tampa Bay played in the Stanley Cup Final, is it really advisable to sacrifice skill?"

I realize the question is rhetorical, so I will give a rhetorical answer; How does Armstrong still have a job?

"Verdict: In a straight-up swap of right wingers, it's a clear win for the Capitals; Oshie contributes more, has a higher ceiling than Brouwer and is signed for an additional year. At the same time, Copley's inclusion in the deal can't be ignored. If he becomes a legitimate NHL goaltender - and at this point, who knows? - then Copley could provide value to the Blues that might help balance out the scales."

[glen a richter]

here's the relevant blurbs from Scott Cullen's take on the trade:

"There is some concern that the Blues, having been unceremoniously bounced from the first round of the playoffs - again - sought a bigger and tougher solution to their problems, at the expense of skill. At a time when talented teams like Chicago and Tampa Bay played in the Stanley Cup Final, is it really advisable to sacrifice skill?"

I realize the question is rhetorical, so I will give a rhetorical answer; How does Armstrong still have a job?

"Verdict: In a straight-up swap of right wingers, it's a clear win for the Capitals; Oshie contributes more, has a higher ceiling than Brouwer and is signed for an additional year. At the same time, Copley's inclusion in the deal can't be ignored. If he becomes a legitimate NHL goaltender - and at this point, who knows? - then Copley could provide value to the Blues that might help balance out the scales."

I, like I think many other people, could give a flyingfuckless about Copley. We have Allen, Binnington, Husso and now this new guy they just drafted whatshisname, Orpika or something? Binnington has a higher ceiling than Allen and we know Allen, for all his warts, is still a very good goalie who will probably be better this year than last year. Binnington is still probably the goalie of the future for this team, and Copley has no foreseeable role at the NHL level for the Blues ever.

The only reason I'm not bummed about this trade on the same level as some others is because I really truly believe Oshie is extraordinarily overrated. I would have been fine if they'd traded him years ago. I would have been fine if they'd traded him instead of Perron.

[Oaklandblue]

After reading all the above, I'm really starting to wonder if Hitch's plan is to make a sort of "Broad Street Bully" version of the Blues and try to, and this is a very ineloquent and inaccurate word for it, try to "goon" our way to a Cup.

[Toasted Oates]

Are they a better team than before the trade? Won't know for awhile, but it is known that other guys will be elevated because of this.

Potential "first" line:
20-26-42
The most notable elevation is 26, who had an infamously disappointing first season here. However, he toiled with the likes of Lindstrom and later Berglund. This may also allow 42 to return to RW, his original position.

"Second" line:
17-12-91
This is a money line combo. Hitchcock will play around with it all season but these three guys are deadly together. "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

Potential third (no quotes needed) line:
21-Brouwer-23 (Rattie, Barbashev, Fabbri?)
We could see one of the young guys elevated here depending on how their camps go. 21 likely stays. 23 just got extended. Unlikely they're usurped here, but...

Fourth line:
9-Brodziak-75 (Brouwer, 23....?)
The Brodziak signing is cool. He is better than Goc or his predecessor, Lapierrie. If the young guys are moved up to the big club, this could make the fourth line (gasp) more skilled. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if Brouwer and/or Jaskin joined Brodziak here. But that would mean Ott or Reaves would have to be demoted which is unlikely.

Brouwer may not be a good first or second liner, or even more than a pretty good third liner, but he'd be a helluva fourth liner.

In closing, the top 6 is arguably better than last year when 26's inclusion and 100% health is factored in. Brodziak is an upgrade on that fourth line. Brouwer and Berglund will be in bottom 6 with Brodz (holy alliteration), but those other 3 spots could be shuffled around.

I hope to copy and paste all this drivel to the Blues Facebook page for some hot takes, but I figured I'd test it here first.

[flyingnote38]

After reading all the above, I'm really starting to wonder if Hitch's plan is to make a sort of "Broad Street Bully" version of the Blues and try to, and this is a very ineloquent and inaccurate word for it, try to "goon" our way to a Cup.

Agreed. Trying an early '70s approach to winning in the 2016 playoffs. Probably hoping to meet Nixon when they get invited to the White House. Both are equally likely to happen.

[theohall]

21-Brouwer-23 (Rattie, Barbashev, Fabbri?)

If Barbashev is not on the team this season, I will be shocked. The reason he didn't make the team last season - Lapierre, Ott, Lindstrom, and Paajarvi supposedly "worked harder", but Hitchcock was "impressed" with Barbashev's hard work and preparation last pre-season. Barbashev isn't the defensive-minded center or forward Hitchcock wanted for a 3rd/4th line. If more speed and recklessness is the supposed goal for the team, Barbashev not making the roster would make that an out-right lie. However, given these off-season moves, Hitchcock probably will send Barbashev back to the minors so Ott, Reaves, Brodziak, Brouwer and all these guys with less talent continue to get the NHL ice time.