Let's Go Blues

https://www.nhl.com/blues/video/backes- ... c-44075603

You kinda get the feeling this was David's last game with the Blues, don't you? I know I am.

I've expressed my wish list for the off-season in another thread. That wishlist includes giving a shot to Adam Musil and Mackenzie Maceachern to secure a slot on the 3rd line. It would stand to reason that both would benefit from having Backes' veteran presence around to encourage and push them to work hard and actually earn the spot. I'd rather see Berglund move down to the 4th line (yes, an expensive 4th liner, I get that) to make some effort to revamp a line that recently has been pretty useless and only this year started to get somewhat better. All of this depends on securing the money to re-sign Backes which probably depends on moving Bouwmeester for a pick (totally in favor of that). Lindbohm moves into Bouwmeester's spot, Schmaltz becomes the #7. It's a delicate game of dominoes to get Backes back, but if there's any intent to bring in some of the younger guys, it's important he stays around for at least a couple more seasons.

Been my favorite player for years and years and continues to be my favorite player.
No way they let him go.

They need to move salary to make room for him though. It's not like he had a god-awful playoffs and didn't earn a sizable raise. We have the bodies in the system to replace guys who get moved out, which is why I jump on moving Bouwmeester for a pick. I'm not even picky here, Bouwmeester for a 4th rounder, whatever. Clear that 5.6 million just like that and signing Backes becomes instantly possible.

While we're at it, I'm also trading Binnington for a pick and getting Husso over stateside to start developing at the pro level.

Frusciante wrote: You kinda get the feeling this was David's last game with the Blues, don't you? I know I am.

Yes I got the same impression watching this - as if he already knew that a new deal was not going to happen with the Blues after this season.

As if losing 2 games short of the Stanley Cup Final didn't rip my heart out....

Backes, please don't sign with the Rangers. That would break my heart more than him signing with nearly any other team.

I know his cousin lives here (or at least someone purporting to be his cousin) because I was talking to her on the train going to a game at MSG one time much earlier on in his career.

He is Mr. Blue right now isn't he? No way they let him go. He is productive on the ice and in the clubhouse.

Not to bring Sharks into this... but Backes to Blues is what Thornton is to Sharks - a stalwart. A true constant. A symbol. Keep him. Let him teach others around him (including Senko). Move him to the front office once he hangs them up.

I haven't looked at the cap situation very closely yet, and there are some young players that you have to prioritize ahead of him. But, they've gotta find a way to make it work to bring him back. If we lose him, I think we will regret it.

ComradeT wrote:Not to bring Sharks into this... but Backes to Blues is what Thornton is to Sharks - a stalwart. A true constant. A symbol. Keep him. Let him teach others around him (including Senko). Move him to the front office once he hangs them up.

This ^


Sent from my R2 unit

http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/STL?year=2017

Here's a breakdown.

Moving the millstone that is Jay Bouwmeester at 5.6M is critical IMHO. Lots of other talent behind him that are to be due (signficiant) raises in the next couple years.

If I'm reading this right the Blues have 15.7M to spend against the cap. They have to sign or replace:
Paajarvi (RFA)
Schwartz (RFA)
Backes (UFA)
Brodziak (UFA)
Brouwer (UFA)
Ott (UFA)
Upshall (UFA)

Sobotka if he comes back is under contract for 2.725M. Jaskin at 775K is also "inactive" in this analysis and would count against the 15.7M

It's gonna be interesting.

dmiles2186 wrote:As if losing 2 games short of the Stanley Cup Final didn't rip my heart out....

yup

fargoblues wrote:http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/STL?year=2017

Here's a breakdown.

Moving the millstone that is Jay Bouwmeester at 5.6M is critical IMHO. Lots of other talent behind him that are to be due (signficiant) raises in the next couple years.

If I'm reading this right the Blues have 15.7M to spend against the cap. They have to sign or replace:
Paajarvi (RFA)
Schwartz (RFA)
Backes (UFA)
Brodziak (UFA)
Brouwer (UFA)
Ott (UFA)
Upshall (UFA)

Sobotka if he comes back is under contract for 2.725M. Jaskin at 775K is also "inactive" in this analysis and would count against the 15.7M

It's gonna be interesting.

That's what I got from it too. $15.7MM to replace 7 forwards (or maybe just 6 since we have 8 defensemen against the cap). If 2 of them are Jaskin and Sobotka, we have 12.2MM left for 4 forwards. If we give Backes $5.5MM and Schwartz $4.5MM, we'd have 2.2MM for 2 forwards. Rattie + another cheap option might work.

Backes/Steen/Berglund
Tarasenko/Scwhartz/Lehtera
Stastny/Fabbri/Rattie
Reaves/Sobotka/Jaskin

+ cheap option in pressbox = 13 forwards

pietro
bouwmeester
Shatty
Gunnarson
Bortuzzo
Edmundson
Parayko
Lindbohm

= 8 defensemen

Allen/Elliott = 2 goalies = 23 roster spots

Tight fit, but might be possible to bring Backes back.

I believe Brouwer will test the market and with a really strong playoff showing should command a nice deal. But he's not a guy I would overpay for - even when he won the cup with us in 2010 he was no superstar and really was just an afterthought at best. NHL was showing his previous playoff numbers compared to this year and there's a stark contrast which is a red flag of a player turning it up in a contract year. i.e Bryan Bickell ring a bell?

To start with, I didn't see anything negative or gutless about their performance; this was a team that had never been this far that got fatigued. Two rounds of seven game wars can do that to you. I expected better out of those who were paid more, who, to give credit for, did show up in other ways, including Stastny, just to name a name.

I don't think we should lose Backes, but this video made me realize that he shouldn't be Captain. Steve Ott was a contributing reason for us losing this series and I don't blame Dave for feeling this way about Ott as a friend -- Ott seems like a really solid guy off the ice, but on the ice he's counterproductive and I don't think these guys 'see' that out of their teammates. I think that might be what's killing us when push comes to shove. Too many friends and not enough teammates. It seems they can't make that seperation of the two and I know I am reading alot into it, but if this has been how Dave has felt, maybe he shouldn't be wearing that C.

Anything the last few playoffs have made me realize is that Pie should be Captain and we should do what we can to keep Brouwer. He is the real deal.

Kerfuffle wrote:I believe Brouwer will test the market and with a really strong playoff showing should command a nice deal. But he's not a guy I would overpay for - even when he won the cup with us in 2010 he was no superstar and really was just an afterthought at best. NHL was showing his previous playoff numbers compared to this year and there's a stark contrast which is a red flag of a player turning it up in a contract year. i.e Bryan Bickell ring a bell?

Definitely. I'd put together a one year deal for him and leave it at that.

Oaklandblue wrote:

Kerfuffle wrote:I believe Brouwer will test the market and with a really strong playoff showing should command a nice deal. But he's not a guy I would overpay for - even when he won the cup with us in 2010 he was no superstar and really was just an afterthought at best. NHL was showing his previous playoff numbers compared to this year and there's a stark contrast which is a red flag of a player turning it up in a contract year. i.e Bryan Bickell ring a bell?

Definitely. I'd put together a one year deal for him and leave it at that.

I think he'll be looking for a 4-5 year deal at around $4M per

Oaklandblue wrote:To start with, I didn't see anything negative or gutless about their performance; this was a team that had never been this far that got fatigued. Two rounds of seven game wars can do that to you. I expected better out of those who were paid more, who, to give credit for, did show up in other ways, including Stastny, just to name a name.

I don't think we should lose Backes, but this video made me realize that he shouldn't be Captain. Steve Ott was a contributing reason for us losing this series and I don't blame Dave for feeling this way about Ott as a friend -- Ott seems like a really solid guy off the ice, but on the ice he's counterproductive and I don't think these guys 'see' that out of their teammates. I think that might be what's killing us when push comes to shove. Too many friends and not enough teammates. It seems they can't make that seperation of the two and I know I am reading alot into it, but if this has been how Dave has felt, maybe he shouldn't be wearing that C.

Anything the last few playoffs have made me realize is that Pie should be Captain and we should do what we can to keep Brouwer. He is the real deal.

How did Ott contribute to the Blues losing this series? Backes shouldn't be the captain because Ott is his buddy? Other captains in the league aren't buddies w/ their teammates? Get real. You've had a hard on for taking his captaincy from jump street, so I get it. But even for you this is a stretch.

Troy Brouwer's numbers will not go up. What he gave the Blues this year was best case scenario so be careful in wanting to "do what we can to keep him."

In the offseason, somehow getting the brutal contacts of 19 and 12 off the books would be the ultimate. 22 for the #4 pick? Hell yeah, if you could hypnotize the Oilers into doing that after Shatty's rough postseason.

PS: Please retire, Ken.

Toasted Oates wrote:

Oaklandblue wrote:To start with, I didn't see anything negative or gutless about their performance; this was a team that had never been this far that got fatigued. Two rounds of seven game wars can do that to you. I expected better out of those who were paid more, who, to give credit for, did show up in other ways, including Stastny, just to name a name.

I don't think we should lose Backes, but this video made me realize that he shouldn't be Captain. Steve Ott was a contributing reason for us losing this series and I don't blame Dave for feeling this way about Ott as a friend -- Ott seems like a really solid guy off the ice, but on the ice he's counterproductive and I don't think these guys 'see' that out of their teammates. I think that might be what's killing us when push comes to shove. Too many friends and not enough teammates. It seems they can't make that seperation of the two and I know I am reading alot into it, but if this has been how Dave has felt, maybe he shouldn't be wearing that C.

Anything the last few playoffs have made me realize is that Pie should be Captain and we should do what we can to keep Brouwer. He is the real deal.

How did Ott contribute to the Blues losing this series? Backes shouldn't be the captain because Ott is his buddy? Other captains in the league aren't buddies w/ their teammates? Get real. You've had a hard on for taking his captaincy from jump street, so I get it. But even for you this is a stretch.

Troy Brouwer's numbers will not go up. What he gave the Blues this year was best case scenario so be careful in wanting to "do what we can to keep him."

In the offseason, somehow getting the brutal contacts of 19 and 12 off the books would be the ultimate. 22 for the #4 pick? Hell yeah, if you could hypnotize the Oilers into doing that after Shatty's rough postseason.

PS: Please retire, Ken.

Ott takes dumb penalties that turned into goals against and wastes a roster spot.

And yes, I don't believe Backes is the best candidate as a Captain. Hard-working guy and heartful, absolutely and it hasnt really amounted to much. Need I remind you what happened when a Captain lost their C and the team actually benefitted from it? Ask the Sharks about that.