Join Blues beat writer Jim Thomas for his live chat at 1 p.m. Wednesday
Get your questions ready and join in at 1 p.m. Wednesday for our weekly Blues chat.
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Nikita Zadorov intrigues me. He is big at 6’7 and plays with an edge. He could be had for $3M or under and if you can move Scandella. He could be paired as a 1st , 2nd, or 3rd pairing and allow Mikkola and Perunovich time to develop. He could really make a difference with a fast team like Colorado in a playoff series. -
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Hi JIm! I was wondering what you think the possibilities are that the Blues would trade Tarasenko. I know from Armstrong's comments, it doesn't sound like they will be shopping him, but realistically with only one season left of his contract, along with his age, they would at least have to be interested in listening to offers from other teams. What kind of return do you think they could get if they decided to trade him before the season?
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Armstrong always listens; always works the phones. But I'm not sure why you would want to trade a 30-goal scorer. Beyond that, Tarasenko is 30 and should still be considered in his prime. According to Berube and several younger Blues, he has developed into a team leader. As long as the Blues are a serirous contender - and I think they are - why wouldn't you keep him this season. If the team is floundering at the trade deadeline, then consider a trade. I don't know what return you could expect for him in a trade return, but it certainly would have to be something substantial.
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Hi Jim,
Thanks for doing this.
Now that the season is over, we’re desperate for hockey news.
Are you hearing anything about UFA signings (Perron, Husso), possible targets in the upcoming draft, or trade possibilities (such as Barbashev, Kostin, and a 1st-round pick for Jakob Chycrun)? Gordo said LA was rumored to be the frontrunner in the Chycrun bidding. -
I'm desperate for some hockey news, too. But we won't have long to wait. The draft is next week. Free agency is just 2 weeks away. The schedule should come out some time in July. And for the first time since pre-COVID, the Blues will host a post-draft development camp. So Julyl should be relatively action-packed. As I mentioned, I'm just coming off some down time, so I'm not really sure what the landscpae looks like in terms of re-signing free agents. I did reach out to several agents and players today, but haven't heard much back. I will say this: It's my experience in both hockey and football, that the closer we get to free agency - and a player remains unsigned - the more likely he seems to be to test the market and end up elsewhere.
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At locker cleanout day, Armstrong said he did anticipate any major roster tweaking. The Blues made major strides forward this past season, and I think the playoffs showed they were the second-best team in the West. The Blues have the vast majority of their players under contract for next season. But who knows what opportunities will present themselves between now and mid-July?
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Hi Jim,
As a non-gambler I don't understand the appeal of betting on sports. With numerous players having serious gambling issues (Kane, Gretzky-reason for losing his position with the Coyotes) it appears to be in bad taste for the NHL to constantly reference the various betting lines before and throughout the games. Shouldn't they be prohibited from doing such advertising in states where it is currently illegal (ie Missouri). -
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If you're talking about the post-draft propsect camp, I'm looking forward to seeing Leo Loof, Matthew Kessel, Colten Ellis and Tanner Dickinson.Loof is a highly-regarded defenseman from Sweden who played in Finland's Liiga this past season. He has some sandpaper to his game.and has played for Sweden's national teams on the junior level.Kessel is another defenseman. He led all NCAA Division 1 defenseman in goals during the 2020-21 season for UMass. He went straight to Springfield and the AHL following the conclusing of this year's UMass season and got in 29 regular-season and postseason games with the Thunderbirds.Ellis had a highly-touted junior career as a goalie, but was behind Lindgren and Hofer at Springfield this season, and played most of his games in the ECHL.Dickinosn was teraing it up in juniors this season before suffering a season-ending broken thighbone on Jan. 29 playing for Sault Ste. Marie. I guess he'll be ready for this camp.
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Sorry I don't. I do know this: If you're expecting Perron to come in at less than the $4 million a year he made under his old contract, forget about it. He scored 94 regular-season goals over the four years of that contract, the 46th best total in the NHL. All but one of the 45 players ahead of Perron made more money on their contracts - most considerably more. The point being, Perron vastly overperfomed his contract - he was a bargain at $4 million.By the way, the only player in that group to make less than Perron's $4 million a year - Evander Kane - was a special case after a series of off-ice issues caused San Jose to terminate his contract in season.
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You know, I'll be honest...I don't dislike the key members of the Avalanche, with the exception of one player, and the owner. I'm happy for Erik Johnson, and the coaches Jared Bednar and Ray Bennett, who both spent time in the Blues organization. Quality human beings. It's just hard to get past the owners. Hopefully, the Blues can close the gap next year and give them a run for their money as it appears there will not be a major drop in quality for the Colorado...similar to 2019-2020 after the Blues won. (Dang pandemic!!)
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I have a lot of respect for Colorado. I like their style of play. They're a fun team to watch. I picked them to beat the Blues in 6 games. And they certainly are a worthy champion. When I take my reporter's hat off _ I don't really have such a hat, but you get the point - sure I have an issue with Kroenke and with Kadri coming out of this as some kind of victim.
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Jim, thanks for the years of terrific writing. I'm happy to see the paper's cost cutting has reached its team of good sportswriters. Blues: I assume, if Army doesn't trade Binnington and soon, which is unlikely, they'll loose Husso in FA. How do you see their goal situation developing? FAs, Minor leaguers, etc.
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It's hard to see Husso returning. I think he will have better opportunities to be a starter and make more money elsewhere, in part because there isn't going to be much available on the free-agent market at goalie. If that's the case, then I think you sign Lindgren to a short-term deal (maybe just one year) and begin the season with him as your backup. That gives Hofer a little more time to develop in the AHL. And Hofer, although he tailed off some at the end of the AHL playoffs, was terrific for much of the postseason - outplaying Lindgren (who spent part of that time with the Blues after the Binnington injury). I don't see Binnington getting moved. That contract (both term and amount) is a lot for someone to take on.
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Following up on the question about signing free agents, what are the rules concerning contacting/interviewing assistant coaches from other teams regarding open head coaching positions? Are there rules, or just simple professional etiquette teams should follow? If so, what are they? Of course, I'm thinking about the Blues assistants such as Montgomery, Ott, etc...
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I believe you must ask permission when it comes to coaches under contract.When it comes to Blues assistant, I have heard Montgomery's name mentioned in connection with the Winnipeg and Boston jobs. I believe he went to the NHL scouting combine in Buffalo to talk to some teams, and that some teams came to St. Louis to talk with him. He seemed like a hot candidate for a while but that seems to have cooled down especially with just 3 vaancies remaining (Winnipeg, Boston, Detroit).I don't think Ott or Van Ryn have gotten any play.
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In today's NHL, you need d-men who can skate and make quick passes out of the offensive zone, not large lumbering bodies. Binnington's injury got all of the headlines, but Krug would have made a significant difference helping to alleviate the Avs' forecheck if available. Heck, a well-aged Leddy showed the value of speed on the blue line. Jim, do you see the Blues adding more speed to the blue line or are we stuck watching the likes of Nikko, Marco, Robert struggle to stay a step behind the play?
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The buzzword seems to be "puck-mover" when it comes to today's defensemen. I don't think MIkkola and Scandella are bad skaters, althouh both could be better overall when it comes to zone exits. But youre point is valid. A healthy Krug certainly would have helped. If the Blues add a D-man, I would think speed and puck-moving ability certainly would be a consideration.
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Jim, welcome back to the "Gus Kyle Blues memorial chat room chair" located in an undisclosed location.
I assume Tyler Bozak won't be back next season, do you anticipate Logan Brown to be the center on the forth line? You can't coach size, but can he be coached to be effective at the faceoff dot? You have to have the puck to score and that starts with winning faceoffs. -
Even though he would come pretty cheaply, I don't see Bozak returning to the Blues next season. They have to make room fulltime for guys like Toropchenko and Neighbours. But I think with Bozak you don't have to be in a hurry; you can wait to see how the dust settles to a degree with the roster.
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Andy S was thinking the same thing I've been saying for months. Nikita Zadarov would be a great pickup. He's basically just like Parayko only meaner and much, much cheaper. Ottawa is willing to trade their first-round pick, #7 overall, for a top four defenseman. We haven't drafted in the top 10 since 2008. I'd trade Parayko in a heartbeat and sign Zadarov and use the extra money to sign Leddy or put it towards a scorer. Parayko is ok, but he's not worth the money he's getting.
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