The Elephant in the room-- The Alex Pietrangelo situation
As expensive as it may be, I tend to think that Doug Armstrong, with the approval of ownership, will somehow get Petro re-signed. It will require some serious juggling to the roster because of the salary cap. But it's hard to imagine the guy who was first to hoist the Stanley Cup in a Blues sweater being allowed to walk without a fight. The damage to the psyche of the fan base would be enormous. The damage to the overall talent of the team would be as well. I'll be shocked if he walks. (There was a time not that long ago when fans were hoping he would be traded. That time is well in the rear view mirror now.)If Petro Stays, Who goes?
There aren't many comfortable answers to that question because it would mean someone who has a fairly sizable contract. The Blues like some of the prospects they have; particularly on left defense where Niko Mikkola and college hockey's Hobey Baker Award winner Scott Perunovich are expected to be NHL ready. Mikkola already has acquitted himself well in fill-in duty. So does that make someone like Vince Dunn expendable? He's a restricted free agent. Carl Gunnarsson might also be tradeable. One year left on his deal with a $1.75M cap hit. Some other youngsters (Kyrou/Kostin etc.) might be ready to replace others in the forward lineup. But keeping Petro will take some serious imagination and a gambler mentality on the part of the GM. But Army probably already has a game plan in the works.Number 91
Vladimir Tarasenko has 3 more full seasons on his contract with an annual cap hit of $7.5M. After being sent home from the bubble in Edmonton with more shoulder issues...to the same shoulder he has had surgery on...one has to wonder what his future holds. When shoulders...as any baseball pitcher will tell you...go bad, it's a tough fix. I don't remember many hockey players who have lost their careers because of shoulder problems. Dan Blackburn, a goalie with the New York Rangers in the early part of the century, is one. But Tarasenko's shoulder is a real issue for the Blues. If he is able to play at the level of expectation...and with any confidence...is going to be a huge question whenever next season starts.Who's #1?
Some people are asking if Jordan Binnington's Superman run in the 2019 playoffs was just a fluke? Should they keep Jake Allen around for insurance? It's a good question. There have been a number of goalie stories where a guy is unbeatable early in his career, then flames out. Is it the league finally figuring out the guy's weaknesses? Is it just the way confidence ebbs and flows in an athlete? Whatever it was in Edmonton for Binnington, fans are wondering if they have the savior that he seemed to be. Allen, meanwhile, is an expensive guy to have for insurance. $4.35M cap hit for one more season under contract. If he can be traded to free up cap space, now would be the time. Whatever Army decides, it's going to be interesting to see how Binner comes back from a poor bubble tournament.The Edmonton No-show
I believe there's nothing more to the poor showing in Edmonton than lack of motivation. That's not to say that Chief didn't try to motivate the team...he did. But all the coaxing in the world couldn't change the fact that the boys had won their Cup and didn't really get up for defending it in a weird, concocted for television, and less-than-valid Stanley Cup playoff arrangement. Living in the bubble, away from loved ones, and for potentially two full months, was not of interest to some of the guys. Feel free to pick the guys you think weren't totally invested, and you'd probably be right.When will regular business return?
Games at Enterprise Center with full attendance and no restrictions won't happen until there's a vaccine that works and is readily available to everyone. That seems pretty obvious. The '20-'21 season is tentatively set to start in December. If that happens with no restrictions I'll be amazed and thrilled. One or more people will be in line for the most noteworthy Nobel Prize in history if that turns out to be the case. Let's keep saying our prayers that some scientist somewhere has this figured out.Like I said at the top, I am in no way speaking/writing for the Blues management here. Just trying to have some fun and answer some of the questions that keep popping up in conversation.
cameo.com/paguytom
paguytom.com
@paguytom
