Let's Go Blues

Do we make a move?
If so, who do you want to see the Blues acquire/trade away?

I don't see the Blues doing anything major. When the team is healthy, they don't have little trouble scoring. With any luck, since it's been hard luck most of the regular season for injuries, they will be healthy when the playoffs start.

Why no major moves?
1) Cap space is so tight the move has to match salary in and out. I don't see teams agreeing to take on salaries for guys the Blues are over-paying.
2) What the Blues need depth for is guys who could fill-in for Steen or Schwartz. Outside of Eriksson, those don't seem to be on the market and for an Eriksson move there has to be 4.2M going out from the Blues.
3) As said above, when healthy, the Blues don't seem to struggle scoring.
4) Armstrong is already on record saying he likes what the Blues have in the room and doesn't want to mess up that chemistry.
5) Armstrong is also on record saying he doesn't want to move Backes stating it wouldn't be fair to him for the work he's done with the Blues. However, if the Blues did make a major move, he would be the one due to the pending UFA status and the return we are seeing other teams get for UFAs.

So no "big name" moves for the Blues.

I think the Blues will make moves, but how big they'll be is what I'm nervous about. Army is out here talking about cap issues, meanwhile the Blackhawks are out there picking up any/everyone they can find.

I would love to see Loui Eriksson, especially if the asking price is Jaskin and a 1st. I've not been impressed with Jaskin at all. He played well yesterday but that doesn't change my opinion of him. Sure, he can grow into a nice player, but that doesn't help us trying to break the Cup-less streak.

But even if we don't snag Eriksson, I want us to take a shot on a forward. And not just depth, either. I want someone, even if it's a vet a little past his prime, but still serves as a threat come postseason time. We've lacked that for years.

We have about $1.4 million in cap space.

HOWEVER...

Elliott is on LTIR, which means we have $2.5 million in extra space that we are allowed to currently spend due to that.
Steen is on LTIR, which means we have another $5.8 million in extra cap space that we are allowed to spend due to that.
So, technically, we could acquire $9.7 million in salary today. But, we'd have to dump $8.4 million before both Elliott and Steen return to the lineup in a few weeks or so.
And that's not factoring in Ott. He is on the LTIR as well, so I guess...we'd have another $2.6 million to spend, bumping up what we could acquire today to $12.3 million in salary.
That absolutely will not happen...but technically, it could...assuming the numbers I am seeing are accurate. But it's close to that number anyway.

With Steen out, I think Eriksson's offensive abilities would be welcome...hell, they would be welcome AFTER Steen returns. He would be 2nd on the team in scoring, 1 pt. ahead of Steen. His cap hit is $4.5 million...so at some point we'd need to move $3.1 million in salary out to be under the cap when the injured returns.

Boston has $2.2 million in cap space...so they could take on some.

I think for this to be a perfect day, for me anyway, we'd get:
Eriksson AND Drouin....and we'd see Berglund and Paajarvi leaving in some capacity. And we'd still have Fabri.
Rattie may be a casualty...so may Edmundson or Lindbohm and our 1st rd. pick next year.

The Blues will make two moves, minimum. One will get a scoring forward, one will clear the cap space necessary to pay for said scoring forward.

My wish list is Okposo first, Eriksson second, if we're to get a scoring forward. If neither, I prefer they stand pat and work to make fixes in the offseason instead. It's not really necessary to make major changes to any team when whomever represents the west in the SCF will probably be crushed by Washington. Any trades now are to either A) fill voids that are created by injury (see: Anders Nilsson), B) fill a possible future void (see: Backes) with a non-rental, whether that be someone under contract or someone they can definitely re-sign or C) to clear cap space in areas that can be filled by guys already in the system (see: Ty Rattie, Jordan Schmaltz and/or Petteri Lindbohm v. Jay Bouwmeester, Patrik Berglund).

Howdy. It's been a while...completely shit year for me.

On Topic: I just don't see how the Blues can make any substantial moves given their cap situation and the fact that any of the guys they might want to move are (a) too valuable or (b) still progressing into productive players or (c) overpaid.

If someone wants to take bergie (like Toronto) because they need cap dollars back to stay up by the floor, you might see something happen, but I think that scenario is just wishful thinking from Blues fans. Besides, I'm not sure what salvageable parts are left there we might want at all.

I think we have what we have and will have to sort it out. The team is doing well enough this year with all the injuries to key players, but I am still not convinced Hitch is maximizing the talent in that room. Maybe this is the year where the Blues actually find another gear in the post season...usually they seem max effort to get a great regular season and don't have anything left in the tank when the real season comes around.

Who knows. I will just make some snacks and wait for the deadline.

cprice12 wrote:So, technically, we could acquire $9.7 million in salary today. But, we'd have to dump $8.4 million before both Elliott and Steen return to the lineup in a few weeks or so.

You guys don't need to dump any salary. There are only 6 weeks left in the season. The easy play is to leave Elliot and Steen on LTIR until the playoffs start. Then have Armstrong pick up a forward or two before noon today. When the playoffs start you activate Elliot and Steen and now have everyone and there's no salary cap in the playoffs. So there's no excuse for Armstrong to do nothing today.

Kerfuffle wrote:

cprice12 wrote:So, technically, we could acquire $9.7 million in salary today. But, we'd have to dump $8.4 million before both Elliott and Steen return to the lineup in a few weeks or so.

You guys don't need to dump any salary. There are only 6 weeks left in the season. The easy play is to leave Elliot and Steen on LTIR until the playoffs start. Then have Armstrong pick up a forward or two before noon today. When the playoffs start you activate Elliot and Steen and now have everyone and there's no salary cap in the playoffs. So there's no excuse for Armstrong to do nothing today.

Even so, wouldn't you want your #1 goalie and #1 two way forward to have a few games under their belts before the playoffs?

Also, Ott can be put on LTIR as well, and his cap hit is 2.6 or whatever it is. So that's another option.

theohall wrote: 4) Armstrong is already on record saying he likes what the Blues have in the room and doesn't want to mess up that chemistry.
5) Armstrong is also on record saying he doesn't want to move Backes stating it wouldn't be fair to him for the work he's done with the Blues.

With all due respect I think your GM is weak - I'm seeing more of the playoff exits being his fault rather than Hitch. You want to have an aggressive GM who goes for it, not someone who is timid and refuses to pull the trigger. He's got plenty of room to wheel and deal today since Elliot and Steen are out. For item #4 above it's the chemistry that has been the problem the last 3 seasons for the Blues - so I'm scratching my head on why he 'doesn't want to mess that up'. For item #5 I don't understand why his loyalty to Backes takes precedence over improving the club - if the right deal is there and involves Backes he should take it.

dmiles2186 wrote:

Kerfuffle wrote:

cprice12 wrote:So, technically, we could acquire $9.7 million in salary today. But, we'd have to dump $8.4 million before both Elliott and Steen return to the lineup in a few weeks or so.

You guys don't need to dump any salary. There are only 6 weeks left in the season. The easy play is to leave Elliot and Steen on LTIR until the playoffs start. Then have Armstrong pick up a forward or two before noon today. When the playoffs start you activate Elliot and Steen and now have everyone and there's no salary cap in the playoffs. So there's no excuse for Armstrong to do nothing today.

Even so, wouldn't you want your #1 goalie and #1 two way forward to have a few games under their belts before the playoffs?

Also, Ott can be put on LTIR as well, and his cap hit is 2.6 or whatever it is. So that's another option.

If they missed the whole season then yes I'd be worried about bringing them back for the playoffs without any games. But they haven't and both guys are vets so I believe they get right back into it quickly. Both are out at least 4 of the 6 weeks so we're only talking 2 weeks more of keeping them out. And if the Blues could get a Stamkos as a rent-a-player for the rest of this season that would be HUGE.

I'm not really expecting anything today. I would love to be wrong, but I doubt we make a move for cap reasons. I get the LTIR stuff, but I don't see us sitting 2 of our better players until the playoffs because of the cap.

cardsfan04 wrote:but I don't see us sitting 2 of our better players until the playoffs because of the cap.

They can't play anyhow - both are injured for at least another 4 weeks. So it's not like they would play tonight and you'd be holding them off until April 15th. Most likely neither would be ready until 4/1 so you'd just hold them for 2 weeks.

dmiles2186 wrote:

Kerfuffle wrote:

cprice12 wrote:So, technically, we could acquire $9.7 million in salary today. But, we'd have to dump $8.4 million before both Elliott and Steen return to the lineup in a few weeks or so.

You guys don't need to dump any salary. There are only 6 weeks left in the season. The easy play is to leave Elliot and Steen on LTIR until the playoffs start. Then have Armstrong pick up a forward or two before noon today. When the playoffs start you activate Elliot and Steen and now have everyone and there's no salary cap in the playoffs. So there's no excuse for Armstrong to do nothing today.

Even so, wouldn't you want your #1 goalie and #1 two way forward to have a few games under their belts before the playoffs?

Also, Ott can be put on LTIR as well, and his cap hit is 2.6 or whatever it is. So that's another option.

If Elliott is ready to go a couple weeks before playoffs, you have to get him into at least a couple games before playoffs start. I can see doing that with Steen or a position player that you can hide or play matchups with for a couple games until they get back into the swing of things...but not with the goalie.
Allen has missed a chunk of time and has come back and he still looks "off" after a few games.
In a short series, you can't afford to be screwing around with your goaltending...especially with how much the Blues have relied on their goaltending this year.

It is an interesting proposition though...and if they were coming back closer to playoff time, I'd see that as a possiblity...with Steen anyway.

Kerfuffle wrote:

cardsfan04 wrote:but I don't see us sitting 2 of our better players until the playoffs because of the cap.

They can't play anyhow - both are injured for at least another 4 weeks. So it's not like they would play tonight and you'd be holding them off until April 15th. Most likely neither would be ready until 4/1 so you'd just hold them for 2 weeks.

I guess it depends on when we expect them back, and for Elliott, what his role in the playoffs is (I'm not counting on him coming back as hot as he was before being injured). Neither of them were injured last night, so today isn't the start of the 4 week timeline given (to both? I can't remember if both are 4 week reevals or not). Even if today was the first day of it, 4 weeks is before the end of March.

If they can come back around March 20, then I think you bring them back as soon as they're ready. And that's not unrealistic. Keep in mind Pietrangelo's reevaluation time was this past weekend and he's already back. If their returns are more like April 7, ok, play the salary cap game.

cardsfan04 wrote:

Kerfuffle wrote:

cardsfan04 wrote:but I don't see us sitting 2 of our better players until the playoffs because of the cap.

They can't play anyhow - both are injured for at least another 4 weeks. So it's not like they would play tonight and you'd be holding them off until April 15th. Most likely neither would be ready until 4/1 so you'd just hold them for 2 weeks.

I guess it depends on when we expect them back, and for Elliott, what his role in the playoffs is (I'm not counting on him coming back as hot as he was before being injured). Neither of them were injured last night, so today isn't the start of the 4 week timeline given (to both? I can't remember if both are 4 week reevals or not). Even if today was the first day of it, 4 weeks is before the end of March.

If they can come back around March 20, then I think you bring them back as soon as they're ready. And that's not unrealistic. Keep in mind Pietrangelo's reevaluation time was this past weekend and he's already back. If their returns are more like April 7, ok, play the salary cap game.

Steen's injury is a separated shoulder...which can be tricky. I'm a little worried about the analysis at the 4 week review. Hopefully it's not as complicated as Berglund's mess of a shoulder issue that he had.

I don't expect anything. Armstrong will do nothing like he does every trade deadline.

Kerfuffle wrote:

cprice12 wrote:So, technically, we could acquire $9.7 million in salary today. But, we'd have to dump $8.4 million before both Elliott and Steen return to the lineup in a few weeks or so.

You guys don't need to dump any salary. There are only 6 weeks left in the season. The easy play is to leave Elliot and Steen on LTIR until the playoffs start. Then have Armstrong pick up a forward or two before noon today. When the playoffs start you activate Elliot and Steen and now have everyone and there's no salary cap in the playoffs. So there's no excuse for Armstrong to do nothing today.

Armstrong has explained that they will not do this and why: he doesn't think it's reasonable for Elliott's first game back to be a playoff game after a 6-week layoff. I agree with that completely. Same with Steen. Unfortunately, at the same time he made it clear that he's "anticipating" Ott's return so, yeah, ugh.

I don't think the Blues do much substantial and quite possibly do nothing today, especially considering what's available and Armstrong stating they won't move Backes. Aside from Drouin, I just don't see how they make anything work. Also: the acquisition of Nilsson tells me they expect Elliott back sooner than later.

Kerfuffle wrote:With all due respect I think your GM is weak - I'm seeing more of the playoff exits being his fault rather than Hitch.

Your first sentiment there is right to an extent but there's no point separating Army & Hitch. They plan everything together. There's not a dime's width between them.

KrustyKevo wrote:I don't expect anything. Armstrong will do nothing like he does every trade deadline.

What, you've already forgotten

Yep, everyone seems to forget that Army took a big swing just TWO years ago with the Miller trade. And yes, I agree that maybe goaltending wasn't the most pressing issue, but nonetheless, Miller was one of the biggest names on the market at that time, the Blues got him and it just didn't work out.

dmiles2186 wrote:Yep, everyone seems to forget that Army took a big swing just TWO years ago with the Miller trade. And yes, I agree that maybe goaltending wasn't the most pressing issue, but nonetheless, Miller was one of the biggest names on the market at that time, the Blues got him and it just didn't work out.

More like that was a 100% mistake. Miller isn't doing much for Vancouver, either, after signing his FA deal. Over-rated goaltender. May have been great in the East, but he can't handle the West. When one sees what Allen and Elliott have done with the Blues, yet Ryan friggin' Miller played like crap with that same defense in front of him??

Well deadline over - gotta give Armstrong an F for doing absolutely nothing. Elliott was not going to implode from starting his first game back in the playoffs - especially a veteran like him. With 3 guys able to go on LTIR there was no excuse for him not to add firepower for a deep Blues run. I think it would have also sent the message to the locker room that "we're going for it" and that can be exciting to the other players and give some momentum. For Pete's sake, the Rangers got Staal and didn't even have to give up a 1st rounder for him.