This is just a little gameday booster to remind us how great we have things here in STL. I know that the Blues are healthy for the first time, which is great. I didn't win the mega millions, so I can't buy they Blues and put the lines the way I want to see them. Though, I did think it would have been cool to make at least one game like the EA NHL games where the lines make sense to me. Oh well, here is my video of the day, nothing new, but damn it makes me laugh every time I see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM

This is perhaps an odd thought to offer up to the coaching staff of the St. Louis Blues. We are making all kinds of assessments about the needs of the club and we are hearing in response from the tight lipped GM that we have all of the tools already on the ice. I am going to have to agree with the GM on this one. The Blues fan in me wants to make two trades, one for Mike Richards (just because he is under-performing) and the other for Jeff Carter (because he is under-performing on a really bad team). Both of those guys know each other and play well together and are probably really pissed about the decision their former team made to move them away for Bryz. This being said, they are both really expensive and we would probably give up quite a bit to get them. I like our current players, our system players (though I still wish we had a little more in the way of depth and I know that isn't a popular opinion). So here goes my ass backwards way of fixing the little problem of who to trade and who to play (based on the hope that everyone is magically healthy before the end of the year).

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This is a decision that was painful for me to acknowledge. After watching the game last night and discussing in detail with my friend the legality of the hit by Stuart on Pietr, I have decided that I will no longer be pissed at the refs for their consistently terrible work on the ice. In addition, I feel the same way about Shanny now that I did when I saw him in a redwing jersey for the first time, indifference bordering on laughter. We know that his position in the disciplinary system is monkey on an organ grinder and that he is only the face of the proverbial wooden paddle. Officiating and discipline have become a joke in the NHL, you did not hear it first here.

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However, it is a part of the game and Halak needs to sit every time we come to that point. I don't care if he has a 90 save game going, sit his ass in a shootout. With that rank done, I have been watching the posts and articles all year as I have done for several of the past years and we seem to have some misunderstandings as far as the view on Halak go. The articles and posts in the last few months have been really negative on Halak, even to the point of trading him. I just get a kick out of the quickness some people are willing to drop a guy because the whole team is sucking on the rectum of the Blues. Moves were made, people are playing like NHL starters, but all in all a goalie is a goalie.

Give Halak a fucking break, the guy puts up great numbers when our defense plays defense. I just wonder what is going to come out after this game. Lol though I still think Elliott or the beer guy should play in net in a shootout.

On another note, I was terrified watching the second line tonight, despite getting the one goal. Even Panger caught on, which makes me even the more worried (you all know what I am talking about).

I am hoping to God that Perron fills that second line's hole before breaking up the first line. But then again Steen would look good making moves to open up the Bergs and Stew. D'ags needs to be a third liner, but I would honestly move Arnott down to the 4th line to keep him fresh, he moves slowly, but damn if he isn't precise. And still a hell of a shot on the old man. Shit, if it was the old NHL I would vote we move Shattner to the forward and Arnott to D just to Zalapski some shit.

Regardless, Stew needs to fuck someone up if he isn't going to play hockey. Reaves needs to fuck someone up every game just to keep his job. Perron is just good fucking news (sorry Andy). Halak is going to be fine as a starter if Elliott wins all the other fucking games lol, or vice versa, I'm not too picky when it comes to who wins my games. Elliott, good fucking start. Vodka, holy shit dude you are like Marc Savard without head issues and are willing to lay someone the fuck out, I love it.

You guys haven't had one of my rants for a while, so there you go. Pick it to pieces, but don't give me that fair weather shit lol.

No lost love for the Kings here, but Mike fucking Richards was available and the Blues wait by the side?  Could we have packaged and Oshie 70 points at his best for a Richards 70 points at his worst?  Give them a fucking first rounder.  We made our big deal with getting Shattner and Stewie for a first rounder.  To me, RIchards is worth both together at their best moments.  Shame on us for not making this deal, our first rounders would mean so much more than the Kings first rounders.  Does anyone else wish we had a competent owner?

The easy comment here is Matt Cooke.  Growing up I loved the Pens second to the Blues.  Family lol.  Now, I say Fuck the Pens.  Crosbitch and the Cookiecunt.  That's right, cunt (no actual offense intended to those who are offended by the word).  Dirty hockey the way Philly loved it back in the day.  But not real hockey, there used to be hard fucking open ice hits that didn't involve the head.  It was called a hip check.  A man named Jamie Rivers new how to throw them. Jamie fucking Rivers.  The last of the open ice hitters not named Oshie fucking up people not looking legally.

We have a good team, though we are not unlike the team that drafted Stemp as the Blues savior.  Sure we will use our 6th overall pick (ideally) for a dman, but we will at least get Jaden and Tara for the next season to replace Crack and Ports.  I wish Port could be as good as a bad wine, but shit, lets be serious.  Crack is just that good.  Good enough to make the lineup, but seriously, does anyone outside of an addict really want to do it?  

Defense?  Still not worried here.  Pietr is the man, hopefully not hurt passed next season.  Shat or the Captain or the Kirk or the Shattner Kirk is looking really good.  Coli made a non appearance, oh well.  

My last point, play Allen.  Shit it doesn't matter.  Bishop and Pietr got their tryouts way ahead, why not see if he doesn't get fucked up at the NHL level.  If he does, don't we have some Russian goalie that is looking to get over here without playing in the minors?  From what I hear the guy is good and ready to play, but fuck the Russians right?  I mean we have been doing that in St. Louis since Khavanov, who would have been good as a rookie in this day and age, but fucked ass in his.  So bring up Allen, give Conks the day off, he will have many after this year anyway.

Conks stayed up because he is getting paid, and that is the right thing to do for a team that is just playing hockey for the rest of the season.  It sucks monkey balls that we have no chance for the playoffs.  However, this gives us a great measuring stick against the other teams in the league in our position.  Colorado looked like a sure thing for the playoffs this year, then the got the Johnson.   A good upgrade considering the players they have.  Except they will eventually lose the power play man in Hejduk.  The Selanne lesser.  

The Blues are sending Bishop down.  Don't worry, he will be our backup next year.  Allen will become the new arch-Bishop and we will give him shit for posting a .800 save percentage when we have injuries next year.  The difference is, that I am actually optimistic.  Halak will be back, this is a good thing.  He is a goalie that needs good fucking defense.  We have that.  As young as we are, we have decent dmen.  It will only get better.  Clear the Halak rebounds and you have a great team.  Pietr is the man, Nikitin is the offensive Polak given the chance.  Polak is the new Jax.  Jax gets the boot. Coli survives another year, but is our best dman outside of Pietr, we give him no credit.  

The D core is good.  Even though they are all like 23.  Coleish.  We get Junland back to trade or keep lol.  We can trade Jax and Coli if need  be.  We can trade them for whoever, but we need to take care in the free agency.  Richards could be ours, but we won't do it.  And we shouldn't.  Not popular? I can't imagine my thoughts are.  But we can get way better players for the people we have given up.  I mean Kaberle essentially went for nothing.  He is the shit.  Ovech, Crosbitch, and Malkin are a decade long luckbasket.  It hadn't happened for years, then came all at once.  

We won't see that talent for years.  Stamkos being the only difference thanks to Marty.  The Blues are in a good place right now because they are not Pheonix, or Atlanta, or Carolina, or the Isles.  Bergs is playing like a great player, Perron will make him better, which will make Oshie better.  That will give Backes, Steen, Mac ( who won't be along forever) and Stewart, the new Blue who will be, a great chance to make this team great.  

I am giving props to the management who traded away Johnson, who will be decent in 5 years, but not for us.  For people that can score now.  I will mention Tarasenko, but please don't comment on him.  He is a 3rd liner at best next year.  But with Dags and Steen, we could do it right.  And give him the ice needed to be decent.  

The Blues are in a good place, despite the fact we will suck the rest of the year.  Don't be a bitch and write this team off.   Fuck you, I vote Blues.  And for you actual fair weathers, I am speaking to the majority here, love the hockey.

I just read the article about the "Free Pass Deadline".  It is pretty much spot on.  I have been a Blues fan since I was 3 years old and the arena was locked down in order for security to look for a little kid that wandered away from his dad, went by himself on the escalator, and found his way to his seats to watch the Blues beat the Blackhawks in the first game he had ever been to.  What can I say, I have been a die hard hockey fan since the day I was given the chance to be.  My mom still tells me to this day one of my first sentences was "Secord Sucks".  I am and always will be a fan.

This having been said, I would like to present some of my concerns for the re-rebuilding this off-season.  Sure, we are going to have all kinds of "money" to spend this summer because of the salary dumps known as Brewer, Boyes, and Johnson.  I think those were good trades to say the least.  However, the obvious presents itself.  No solid ownership group that wants to spend any kind of money on the St. Louis Blues.  This is stupid.  We once had an ownership group that overpaid for Brewer, Boyes, and Kariya just to get people in the seats with some "big names".  This is no longer that time.  A smart ownership group would jump in and pay for real "big names" to step in and bring some much needed victories to this city.  

Unfortunately, I don't know if anyone has taken a gander at this upcoming season's ufa list, but it is thin.  Realistically speaking, the only player worth a damn is Brad Richards.  I can't see him wanting to come to St. Louis.  Everyone else is old and past their prime, but will still get paid by Toronto or Edmonton.  Possibly even Florida.  Markov is going to be available I think, but do we really need more defense on this team?  I think the current D core is good enough with the potential to get better with Pietr growing into his role nicely.  Shattner should be a pretty decent scoring dman in the near future as well.

We have the money to overpay the players going into restricted free agency next year.  Polak will be overpaid.  Oshie and Bergs will get overpaid.  So on and so on.  2-3 mil a piece I am thinking for guys who have, for one reason or another (injuries), can't put up consistent scoring seasons and who will never put in over 30 goals.  That being said, Stewart and Backes have the chance to do just that and Perron will eventually net 40 goals if he ever gets motivated and stays healthy.  I just don't want to rely on Andy Mac and Oshie for goal scoring.  I love both those guys and think they are incredibly talented, but they are good playmakers.  Oshie is good for 25-30 goals if he ever picks his moments instead of trying to do it all by himself.  And to be fair, he has tried to do it all himself because no one else seems to want to play that hard.  Not a knock on Oshie, in fact it is great to see that kind of attitude, it just shouldn't be necessary for him to play like that every night.  

Who knows how Tarasenko will be in the NHL, I am hoping for the next Russian Rocket with a few more years of active playing than the last one.  Honestly though, I am guessing he plays the third line and nets 15 goals next year.  Right at the Dags line.  Lehtera is still an unknown, but could be good.  But are any one of our prospects natural goal scorers with the ability to finish?  No idea, and that is a problem.  We need to get some players that are actually good.  A top line of forwards.  We are not going to get those kinds of players with the guys coming into free agency this summer, unless we spend on RFA's that are willing to come to a team that is known to younger players as a "hard working" team that "underachieves".  

I still have faith in Halak, he plays as well as his defense clears out his rebounds.  When the D is sharp, he is sharp.  When we play too many AHLers, he lets in a lot of second chance goals.  Weird right?  Nikitin is going to be the offensive threat version of Polak.  Jackman is overpaid for what he does, but he does what he does very well.  Maybe a 3-4 mil a year shutdown tough dman, but unless he is getting 20-30 points a year, not worth what he is paid.  

In the end, if the "Free Pass Deadline" is going to happen successfully, the Blues are going to need to pay for some "in the prime" RFA's that are willing to play for the Blues.  Draft picks have to be high and ready to play (no first rounder in this draft or possibly the next one, but I am worried about the talent pool in this year's draft as it is and we may get stuck with a high pick that needs development years).  I would love to think that the first round pick we sent away for Stewart will not be needed in the 2012 draft, but I have my doubts.  I want this team to do well so badly.  I will never call the Blues the Cubs of hockey like my broken uncle has done for years now (he got decimated by the heartbreak year after year).  

I am and always will be your Blues fan, but let's see some hard work by the front office that pays off.  

Matt Cooke, you are the contents of a dirty douche bag.

Courtney Love's douche would look like filtered spring water compared to you.  

Someone needs to use an AHL tough guy to take him out. Tell the guy, "you will be suspended, we will pay your fines. You may not play again, we will keep you on the payroll, hell you weren't going to make it anyway".

I fucking hate Matt Cooke. Dirtier than Ricci, Probert, and Ott combined, though I hold a special place in the black of my heart for the hatred of those three, Cooke has made me find a deeper hate.

Pittsburg is a fucking joke for keeping that douche nozzel on the team.  The fact the NHL has not stepped in on this guy is a disgrace.  Put this guy on Edmonton and see if he ever plays a game in the NHL again after a hit like that.  

Not that I am completely worried about this, but after reading the nice fan post on "Predictions for next year's roster" I think the Blues are in a little bit of trouble.  The fans have responded to a few years of mediocre play with all kinds of sell outs this year.  I have to give them much credit, but how long is that going to last?  The amount of fair weather fans in St. Louis is hard to judge considering they probably haven't really been seen since the dawn of the '01 season and tapered off the next two years. 

My concerns for this season basically involve our draft position.  My simple prediction is that Perron returns in early March and the Blues tear it up just enough to fuck up our draft position.  I don't want us to completely tank and get in the same sentence as Edmonton, but a top 5 draft pick would certainly be a nice place to be in.  This is, of course, assuming we don't make the playoffs.  I love the Blues, but right now, this is not looking like a playoff team.  Conks got mad the other night in Tampa, that is good.  We lost to a team a lot better than us in overtime, but shit, they are an Eastern conference team and we got a point out of it.  We need to see our goalies get mad when Detroit gives us a loss.  Not a Belfour like bitch fit, but show me some emotion.

Emotion, the lack there of, seems to be much like our captain.  Brewer hardly ever shows it, when he does he gets into a fight at the wrong time in the game.  The rest of the team seems to be too stoic.  I am giving them the stoic title because it is the only way to be hardcore while seemingly not showing any emotion.  However, hockey is a game of emotion.  Big hits, fights, a sweet move, and the should-have-been-a-goal pad save from Halak are what drives the sport of hockey.  Getting scored on and looking like you don't care doesn't make the other team afraid.  Get pissed, go right back at them with your best shift.  Get the goal back.  Don't wait till the third and make the miracle comeback.  If these things don't change and I'm sure they won't until Perron gets back and scores and end to end goal against someone, we are in a lot of trouble.  I want to see a team lose a good game.  Not win one or two then lose a game while not seeming to care about it.  If we lose, I want to see a one goal game with the game winner having been something out of the Hull/Oates playbook.  

So after all this, I reiterate.....Perron is the goal scoring catalyst of this team and the only one we have.  When he gets back, the Blues will look like the early season Blues about 3 games into his return.  We will miss the playoffs by 4 points and lose a decent draft spot position.  Without Jarko, who knows what our scouting is like.  He has done well, but we aren't historically great picking up great players late in the draft.  Here's to you Blues, go out there and kick some ass!

Believe it or not, this has been a whole season of fuck so far.  This all started in the off season when a buddy at work confirmed my wish of having Halak in a Blues jersey, just as I had said we should have done at the trade deadline of the previous season.  This was an elated fuck.  I couldn't believe it, we did something exactly as I had thought the Blues should do.  I thought that the solid pre-season play of Nikitin and Cole would solidify a long list of capable dmen.  

The season opens with a stellar run.  Another good fuck.  Then it happened.  The d core goes down in a rash of bad and unlucky injuries.  Still, we have good players on the ice and even get to see a bit of the new (young) dmen.  Then, the ass romp of the hockey gods gives us the injuries to Osh, Mac, and Perron.  Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, and fuck.  I think that is the appropriate number of fucks to injuries at this point.  However, the Blues keep things interesting and win a few games thanks to guys like Dags, Techno, Steen, Brewer, and Winny (hard to believe fuck).  

Still, this is a fuck moment.  Of course, the depleted Blues start to wear and tear.  Oh fuck.  We start our slide from the potential 4th place to the current (luckily fuck) 11th place.  Then we start to make deals to make ourselves feel better.  They both come from the KHL (fuck).  They both end in fuck, fuck.  Thanks to fuck nossels Nashville and San Jose.  Not that those moves would have made that big of a fucking deal, but fuck, let's see something go right.  

We get Oshie back (thankful fuck).  We still lose (oh shit fuck, but we kinda saw it coming).  Management holds firm that we are still a playoff contender as is.  Oh fuck it's happening again.  Perron and Mac are not drooling on themselves, reserved fuck, but there is no timetable for their returns (expected fuck).  

Long story short, this has been a season of fuck, and or fucks.  Let's hope that the Blues and soon to be new ownership group gets the fuck together and figures this shit out before we are fighting the Oilers and Isles for a top pick again.  However, I must say the Blues are doing a decent effort keeping themselves in the position to do the late season push for a playoff spot.  Though I wish we would do a little more to get the fuck in the playoffs.

Thanks for letting me rant and I would appreciate any and all fucking thoughts.

You know what?  I love this Blues team.  After talking these last two "losses" out with my best friend.  He has firmly convinced me that the Blues are right on track.  I mean, we have had some awful luck with injuries, but in all honesty, this is what makes good teams great.  We are testing our youth.  Probably more so than we hoped, but again, we have a decent amount of wins for this shit to happen.  We aren't first in the league anymore, but we are still in a decent position.  In the end, all that matters is the playoffs.  In some time we will get Perron, Coli, and "Winchester" back.  Jackman won't be too far behind that hopefully. 

I was one of the first people to jump to the trade ship, but my buddy successfully pulled me back.  Getting Perron back is even better than a trade for a new 2nd or 3rd liner.   Coli is a top 4 dman and a top PP dman, nough said.  Jackman is the man.  We are only at 9th best in the league on the PK.  Get Jackman back and we are in the top 5.  Oshie is a hit no doubt, but come on.  We got this shit.  Draz looked decent.  As my buddy said "Porter is about as bland as his name" with regards to hockey names lol.  I suggest bringing someone up a little less seasoned than Porter.  He has gotten his chance in the past and I wonder if he wasn't hungry enough to beat out Winchester for a spot.  Someone has to be better than this guy. 

Halak is showing that he is somewhat human.  That is ok.  He gives up a ton of rebounds, but trusts his d to take care of it.  When we play to his game, as we did in the first bunch, we get good outlet looks and leave the opposing forwards thinking they have a chance to forecheck.  When we don't clean them up quickly, things get messy as we have seen.  I am thinking this game against Nashville was a good chance to right the ship.  We got a point.  Sucks we lost, but again, loses breed hatred.  Hatred against a rival central league team.  This is good.  Losing is never fun, as my beers have figured out tonight, but we can learn from it.  We are a young team and losses sting a young team. 

In summation, reboot the Brewerbot and get Coli back in the top 4 so Brewer can get to a safe point.  Hope our top guys, (Boyes, Backes, Mac)  start scoring so we don't have to worry about how many of the 3rd and 4th liners are scoring.  Steen, Dags, and Bergs have been great, but we need to get some of the paid players to make their cash.  Boyes found out tonight that shootouts are not the best way to win a game.  Hopefully that leads to his Scott Young streaky scoring boost that we crave.  Go Blues!

I didn't think I would be saying this and maybe it's late news I was unaware of but......Fuck You Ovechkin. 
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Alex-Ovechkin-takes-a-job-with-the-KHL-yes-ser;_ylt=ApBf_2jtIpRjyhmHc6BCg0J7vLYF?urn=nhl,256537

The Russian spy known only to regular hockey fans as one of the best players in the NHL will be stealing the great ideas of the NHL (at least the profitable ones I would imagine) and is taking them back to the KHL.  Doesn't he know that the NHL seriously wants the KHL to die.  It just seems to be an issue of poor taste in my opinion.  I know he loves the home country and all, but I miss the days where we just had to worry about how great the Russian hockey program WAS every four years in the Olympics.  Anyway, enough ranting for one night.  All Apologies to the readers if this news is old news and I am just behind on the times.  I found this on the yahoo NHL page and they are typically way behind on the times, so I only check on what they have to say when there is limited info on the Blues elsewhere.

Tyson Strachan was re-signed to a one year deal.  The deal happened today on the 15th.  I personally think this is a good deal.  Drazenovic was also signed to a two way contract.  Both links are available at www.Stlblues.com.  Now the Blues still need to focus on the big two, EJ and Perron.  Personally I am a little worried about the length of time it has taken to sign them.  I could see us trying to lock up both longer term and both actually wanting short contracts so if they do anything next year they can really get paid.  I don't want anything like a 12 year deal like certain players around the league have been getting, but a 5 year max seems like a decent length of time for cornerstone players like these.  EJ I think will definately be producing similarly to the numbers he put up last year, if not better.  However, despite Perron's 3 highlight reel goals a year, I would still like to see him put up 30 goals in a season before he gets paid what he is probably asking for already.  Thoughts and comments are always appreciated.  GO BLUES!

Do you send out qualifying offers to UFA's or are those just for the RFA's?  I noticed that all of our qualifying offers sent out were to RFA's with the exception of Strachan, but he is a UFA IV whatever that means.  I am not quite sure about all the politics of the situation, but my biggest concerns involved in this post are that Colaiacavo and Weaver were not in that list of players.  Without a doubt I want those guys to be re-signed as well.  Thoughts?

Only a bitch like Crosby could be worried about shit like a Richard trophy.  Ovech really seems to like to play hockey, Sid the bitch undercrotches players when he is pissed.  Bitch move.  I thought Stamkos was a bust after last year, but I can admit my faults.  No crotch shots, no shots at the cup, but fuck, the kid plays to play.  He is not unlike Vinny or should be in STL St. Louis.  The kid worked harder than hard to get his last goal of the season, and I'd like to think he would have gone for #30 as hard as this goal.  However, I love to see a guy like Crosby, wish he was as good as Geno, fret over losing a meaningless trophy to a second year kid than stay healthy for the Cup.  Ha.  I have loved the Pens as a number two to the Blues since I was a kid with cousins sending me Pens jerseys for birthday gifts, but Jesus Christ, didn't Mario have a bit of the thing called class?  Sid can lick my ass, I like Geno.  Trade the kid to detwat and keep Geno.  Lol I should GM a team.

I have done so well avoiding the barley beverages and still managing to watch every game possible.  The Blues have done something I don't think they would ever do.  Kariya is playing for a contract... cough cough, have I seen this before?  Mason needs to go somewhere else because he is the shit and needs to pull a Hully to do it.  Steen got paid.  Perron needs to give a shit to get paid....I'm waiting for more than three highlight goals a year for that.  Holy shit I did not realize Johnson or Junland got paid what they do.  I have three cousins betting me Johnson leaves us for more money. 

In my estimation, Steen gets paid, Perron gets pissed off at what we offer him.  We miss out on Halak and Niemi because the Beard tells us he is good for another 8 years.  Coli gets 60 points as the replacement to Quincey in Colorado and we focus more on him than forgetting to make an offer to Anderson.  We re-sign 12 4th liners to compete for a spot on the next four seasons worth of teams.  Eller, Cole, Pietr, and Sonne end up in the minors for another three years to develop.  Junland is traded for Brewer's all star year jock strap.

I just wanted to point out a worst case senario before I got down to business.  Steen needs to get paid.  Perron is thinking he is worth more than he is because he knows how to make Luongo shit himself.  Johnson is a legitimate threat from the Blues blueline (ask Kaberle what that is worth).  Let us pay them and ensure the future.  We have too many fourth liners and someone needs to be cut.  Ok we like Weaver, so what do we do with Strachan?  I can deal with the Brew for another year if he plays like he has this year, just give us back 12 million bucks.  I still like Jackman, fuck off. 

Blues have everything but a first line.  Get me one of those and we are fine.  If you can't, I will settle for another year of disappointment until we can get one.  Our 2nd, 3rd, and lordy 4th lines are solid for 10 years.   Get the first line and an elite goalie.  Noting there are not many goalies available that are proven, but seriously, San Jose has developed like 4 good to great goalies.  I think we can manage to get one from some other team that doesn't know what they have.  Kipper or Nabby?  I'd still take Kipper, and I'd bet SJ would too.

This is one of the very last drunken exploits, but it had to be done at this point in the Blues season.  I want us to win, always have, will be a fan when we don't.  But seriously, show me that we have a chance.... I mean fuck, look at Pheonix and Colorado.  We aren't fuck me the Hawks, but we can definately beat Nashville, Colo, Phoenix, and most teams at the bottom to get a spot, and we can dominate the good teams.  If we didn't lose so much to the shitty teams we might be pulling a LA type season. 

Frustrations vented from a 26 year old Blues fan that got lost at his first Blues game after walking away from his dad at the vender because he talks too much and found his way back to his seat in the nose bleeds at the Arena after the place was shut down to find me.  I just wanted to see the damn game.  Let's Go Blues!

I have to say I about shit myself when reading this headline and article.  http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/blues/story/25C35F735CB84627862576EC000D1FA2?OpenDocument 

Honestly, the idea that we would re-sign Kariya is pretty rediculous.   If he were to take a Tkachuk like paycut, I can almost/kind of see why he would be attractive.  However, I would still have to look at the going rate for guys with his production, without his stellar NHL name.  Cough cough.  I like Kariya, have since I was a kid, but was disappointed with him after I found the joy that is fantasy hockey.  Consequently enough, I have found that most high end fantasy players, actually play for teams that are doing well.  My goalies, for example, are Brody, Luongo, and Anderson (A lucky find, but I figured since I wanted him to sign with the Blues in the offseason I could at least use him as a late round goalie draft).  All of those goalies are playing for winning teams.  I don't have to mention the star offensive players.  We know who they are and who they play for.

I don't know guys, correct me if I am wrong, but we let McKee go, despite being a decent low end defensemen for making a bunch of money a year.  But this makes me think that we are going to think about re-signing Brewer at the end of his career to a similar deal, because you got to figure, there might not be anyone good enough to play for our team for 4-6 mil a year.  I am just ranting at this point, but come on, learn from the past.  We can do better for less.  Or we can pay that for a good player.  Don't learn too much from NY JD, we don't want to pick up Redden for 10 mil at the end of Brewer's career just because that is the best deal out there, or just signing Brewer for the same level contract.  Eh, oh well.  Hopefully we make the playoffs sometime in the next three years.

Did anyone make a Feb wallpaper with the schedule on it?  I like those.  Keep them coming.  I was looking around on the site and couldn't find anything.  Well the game against Colo isn't over, but I haven't gotten to watch any of it.  Looks like another bust, but who is counting?  I am counting on next season and who cracks the lineup.  Anyone have any word on how Cole is doing and if he has a shot at a Blues roster spot or just a Peoria spot?

All is resolved in this fan's house, but still the Blues are losing some pretty important games without making any effort to make ourselves better.  I don't honestly know if there is anyone really available out there that will make this team a playoff maker/contender by the end of the year.  I just get so upset watching other teams making deals to get better when we are sitting back.  But I suppose the management is doing what they can to ensure the long term greatness of this team.  BTW sealed the deal tonight. Ha.

We are approaching trade season in the NHL and concerns involving the Blues production have certainly been an issue throughout the season.  The Blues believe they are in the place they should be, yet they are not performing up to the expectations of many.  The Blues have a bunch of upcoming free agents to worry about in the upcoming offseason.  This makes it more difficult as it seems to be that we are hoping to be in the playoffs, but not expected at all to be cup winners this year.  So the question is what helps the organization long-term because short term is looking less important again?  Here is a link to free agents for the Blues this coming offseason.... http://www.nhlnumbers.com/freeagents.php?team=STL&pos=none&summer=none&status=none. 

After discussing this with a close friend and incredible Blues fan, we have decided that the Blues are going to have to pay (hopefully not overpay) Johnson, Perron, and Steen for sure.  Colaiacovo needs to be seriously considered for an extension unless he is somehow worth much more in a trade situation (personally I think he would be valuable on this Blues team for the next few years).  Kariya should be allowed to go into free agency unless he is willing to take a Tkachuk like paycut (even then I am not entirely convinced that he should remain a Blue).  Tkachuk should retire (he will be missed and respected as a Blue).  Winchester is going to have to do extremely better to get an offer from this Blues team with Eller and Sonne waiting in the wings.  Sydor and Armstrong don't need to be here.  Sorry DJ, Cam gave us the heartfelt article about how he loves us, (DJ should have thought about doing that sooner) he will only get an offer as a 2 way in case janssen gets hurt or denies us a generous hometown discount. 

Now comes the difficult part.  How much does the management believe in Junland and what is he worth?  I still don't think I have been allowed to see him enough to make an educated decision.  Strachan seems solid in my opinion and should be given an offer to stay, even if it has to be a 2 way deal.  I am not sure the Blues organization shares my sentiments on Strachan.  Weaver continues to be solid enough to stay, but do we have too much upcoming talent to keep him?  I think we keep him, just don't know if he plays-ask Sydor how that works.  I think Stastny has had enough opportunities to make the club and will either try to get picked up by another team or he is just willing to settle as the captain of Peoria.  I think he is expendable, we missed out on the good Stastny.

Finally, my biggest concern of all....Chris "The Mad-Beard" Mason.  There seems to be a pool of potential starters coming into free agency this offseason, but not one real proven goalie worth anything.  Perhaps Halak, Harding, or Niemi, but that seems to be the only goalies I would really care to see in a Blues jersey.  Still I think that is a needle in a haystack situation that could result in the next Craig Anderson, (who I thought we should have picked up in the offseason last year) or we end up with the next Vesa Toskala.  The year of free agency in 2011 appears even more bleak.  Mason is 33 years old, has done very well for us considering he is still trying to prove he can carry a team, but the fact is.....he is NOT elite.  We would have to trade for an elite goalie in his prime just to get Bishop or Allen enough time to prove that they can make it at the NHL level.  I am not thinking the organization is gutsy enough to make a move of that caliber for a goalie.

The Blues need scoring, so they say.  Only Kovalchuk is mentioned to be available and fits the kind of scoring prowess I think the Blues lack.  The Blues are waiting for young D-men 4 years away from their prime to become number 1 dmen (though I think Jackman gets one or two more years of leeway to prove himself).  I do think Jackman will be a great shutdown dman, but never a powerplay quarterback.  Souray wants out of Edmonton, but I didn't realize how old he was and honestly only has two seasons of stellar offensive output.  However, I would consider losing some picks or Kariya's for a player like that.  A top PP d-line of Johnson and Souray sounds fine to me until Pietr can take his place in that role.  Souray's powerplay ability might also jumpstart the rest of our offensive goal scorers by making the opposition really worry about our point.  Let's consider a 3 year deal to Souray, I think that gives Pietr enough time to grow and gives Cole appropriate time to turn into the Pietr we will see next year.  Then we have to pay Pietr and let go of Souray who is close to retirement age. 

These are my thoughts on the nearing trade deadline and what we should do about our upcoming offseason.  I offer open discussion about these issues because they fuel my love for the Blues and hockey overall.  I want the best for the Blues in the long and short term, but I still want to see a management willing to do something to make this team elite.  Maybe Vokoun is pickable from Florida and we can put our decent upcoming Dmen around him until Allen or Bishop get up here.   Let's here it from the fans, LET'S GO BLUES!

         I will try to not get too crazy with this post.  Basically, I just wanted to tell you all of a wierd trend that I have come into contact with in my travels.  I am from St. Peters, MO, currently residing in St. Charles, MO.  My wife is from Monett, MO about 45 min outside of Springfield, the long way from Springfield.  From time to time we go down there to visit her family.  It is a bit uncomfortable for me because we never have a set spot to crash, unlike anywhere I end up here. 

      However, one great thing about this magical city is that every time I have gone down there in the last 4 years, the Blues have only lost one freaking game.  I believe it was against the Lightning.  When I am at the psych hospital with the kids, making them watch the game instead of a movie, they seem to get scored on every time I walk in the room.  Now when I can't watch the game, because my brothers and sisters in law don't have the cable or internet necessary for me to watc the games, the Blues come out firing and I hear from friends and family through text that the Blues are playing the best games they have seen that year.  Although I am always happy that the Blues are winning, I am missing getting to see these games that the Blues are kicking ass.  I will try to wrap this up with some final thoughts......

Alex Steen is our most dangerous offensive threat this year.

Jackman is finally at the defenseman maturing age and now is not the time to lose him.

Kariya is expendable, Brewer might be worth a puck bag these days, and the Cromby/Winchester goal scoring frenzy is finally over and we can determine which of them to get rid of-my suggestion is Winchester.

Finally, Bergs, Osh, and Perron are still worth keeping together on a line.  Though I would trade Bergs and a pick for something better.   Of course, when we trade him he will end up being a three year 50 goal scorer for Detwat or some shit. 

It's nice being back in town and watching the Blues, despite playing a lackluster game against the Blue Jackets as soon as I walk in the door.  Thank you.

I saw that Jake Allen was traded today after the game last night.  But it was a trade within the league he is playing right now.  Does anyone know if that means anything to his status within our system?  I am not exactly sure how his level effects our level.  I am hoping for our sake that he is still considered in the Blues system.  Let me know if anyone has any insight into the matter.   I really hope we didn't get rid of him.

Are you kidding me?  I stayed home just to show fucking support (in my own way) to watch another fucking trainwreck.  I knew it was going to be iffy after scoring just once on a 5 min pp, but seriously?  We lost that fucking game in style....style being the worst shit I can imagine.  I like Luongo and all, but that game was ours to lose and we found a way to do it again.  Incredible!  I have been in favor of keeping Murray around, but something now has to happen.  After hearing that Doug-the good-Armstrong was going out to find talent to bring the Blues and then nothing happened, I guess we just aren't looking to win.  I am starting to revert to the 2005 Victor that started rooting for a good draft spot.  I mean even Carolina is starting to win games.  What the Fuck!  I am really worried, I am really upset as well.  I know all the actual Blues fans are irate while the fair weathers are all just like, well this is what happens.  I am still not convinced that Murray is the problem, but something is necessary.  I thought we actually played pretty well, even after the Polak goal.  The third period started off decent in my opinion, but then I take my dog out to shit and the Blues apparently do the same.  Sit back and see how many saves we can get for Mason.  I am sick and tired of how we revert to the dump and chase in the third period after gaining the zone actually works throughout two periods.  I was thinking there would be a huge brawl to start the third, but we let them get their composure back and then let them bend us over for a new years assfuck.  Well, this is the end of my tirade and I welcome any additional thoughts on what to do.  We need to get Eller, Sonne, Palushaj, and any other of the young guys up here instead of more vets.  At least if we lose with AHL players, we have some kind of excuse for doing so!

I am not sure about the recent trend that I have begun to notice again.  The last few years, with the exception of the second half of the season last year, has brought me to recognize a new problem with the opponents of the Blues.  I have heard from several people that we are the team that no one wants to play against.  However, I am starting to speculate that it just isn't true.  Sure we are terrible at home, but the thing that I have noticed this year and from years past with the poor Blues play is that we are seeing an awful lot of the opposing teams' backup goalies.  If we are the team no one wants to play against then why are we seeing the scrubs on the bench getting icetime.  I know that it is possible that it is just the way the schedule is working out and their starting goalies are in need of a break, but how often do you see Ryan Miller, Nabby, or Brody sit against any team that has a chance against them?  Not often.  We get to see Dubnyk, McElhinney (on the night we honor someone, lucky us), and Lalime (granted Miller played the night before).  I just wonder if points are so precious in the NHL then why are we seeing so much of the opposition's B-line goaltenders.  I noticed this trend shortly after the lockout when we couldn't buy a win.  However, it has become more consistent over the last few years.  If anyone has any thoughts on this insult the opposition continues to bless us with please let me hear you.  I am hoping that we are soon to be the team that the best goalie has to play against us to have a chance at winning.  I wonder who Washington would play against us?  Possibly the leading high school league goaltender.

I have a brother in law that is saying that the Blues are mostly expendable with the exception of Perron or Oshie, Backes, and Johnson.  He believes that Coli is our second best d-man, but Johnson is at best a Second line dman.  Brewer, he believes, is the next best man to Coli, but is ahead of Coli defensively.  He goes to lots of games and says that Jackman is useless and makes the worst passes on the team.  He believes that Bergs is expendable (I agree for Staal, Kovalchuk, or Nash) but otherwise no.  He thinks Pietr is a bust and we should trade him now.  He still thinks that Perron or Oshie have to go to make the team better.  He thinks that Tkachuk and Jackman are not leaders and have never been.  Kariya is useless and has been since ever.  Now my brother in law has been on a roller hockey team throughout his life, (lol I have been for the most part) and knows hockey better than any fan that has to watch the games at home instead of in the lower bowl.  I know he is a fan, but also full of himself beyond anything.  I want to know what the educated hockey fans of gametime think of this.  I have to continue my tirade in that he believes that Boyes is a lucky 40 goal scorer and we have no potential 30 goal scorers on the team.  We did agree that Kovalchuk would be an amazing addition, but we disagreed on who would be expendable.  He seems to think that the Blues should be good now and get rid of the young forwards and older defensemen.  Except he thinks that Brewer is right where he should be developmental wise.  So please let me hear your thoughts.  I am really needing to hear some educated thoughts about this issue.

Due to a recent article featured on this website with Brett Hull and others debating the moves made by this team throughout the 90's and up history of the Blues I have come up with this post.  I am starting to think that we are a better minor league sports team than the rival Kansas City Royals.  The Royals have traded away so much talent that they would have to be considered in the top 3 best players ever given away in a sports lifetime.  The Blues are not far off.  We, as fans, know who has been traded, released, lost to some new rule, and generally forgotten to draft.  I hope to God that we do not continue our trend, but at the same time we are in a vulnerable spot.  We have never really grown any talent.  However, now we have and we are still not producing.  I believe that it is too early to jump ship and just throw away our potentially great players.  We have traded away defensemen about Jackman's age for a potentially good offensemen, like everyone one on the 20 player roster we still have yet to accomplish their potential.  So what now?  My love for the Blues says to save the players, coaches come and go as long as the management isn't retarded.  This team is still young, and the older ones are going to open up cap space.  So unless there is an opportunity to get Kovalchuck or Nash, there is no reason to panic.  Or we can go the way of the past and trade someone away for Modano, Lidstrom, or Selanne, who at best have two years left (at best).  We get the name of the past to bring in fair weathers at the expense of keeping the next 10 players that will win cups for future opposing teams.  God help us that the management doesn't decide to trade Backes or Boyes to the Red Wings, Avs, or Hawks for a couple old names or young unproven names.  We have our own Versteegs, Wolskis, and Kronwalls.  Fuck the people thinking we aren't good enough now, because we can be good now, or dominate the next 15 years.   Play the fucking game right.

Honestly, how can a fluke goal like that happen in the late minutes of the third period?  Lucky bastards is my guess.  However, it seems as if the hockey gods give us a bad bounce or shit disturber hit from some doucher that shouldn't be in the league...cough cough Ott, but seriously, we have way too many reasons to be hating Detwat already.  Then this pooter goal goes in and we are a point down from what we should have had and Detroit has two points because of a shootout.  I am obviously frustrated with the outcome of this game, but who the hell in StL wouldn't be after playing such a great game?  We played strong, but still lost.  It seems the gods have nothing better to do than give the wings another reason to believe they are the best team in hockey (not true).  But I hate the Detroit fans, as I had to deal with them while my wife was in law school up there (and representing the Blues properly) and you know they will say tomorrow morning over morning crack hits that the Blues are the worst team ever.  Goddamn it, I am tired of losing to these guys.  Blues keep up this kind of effort though and we will be ahead of the wings in the standings in no time.

I was wondering, when do a team like the Blues start to worry about their future?  We are no longer a team that can really afford to be losing like this.  There is no real possibility to be looking towards the future because we need to be doing better now.  We can't be a losing team and trade players at the deadline for draft picks anymore because our system is so stacked as it is, unless there happens to be a really good number one pick available.  I know people will say that there is always a need for future prospects, but do we lean in that direction at the expense of experience?  Do we look at veterans as exchangable?  Do we trade away prospects to get more mid-level talent like the mid-level talent we already have?  Do we make a blockbuster trade for a name that was good in 1995 like we always have?  Or do we make a move for someone like Kovalchuk that is young enough to be good for the next ten years and give up some of the youngsters that have this potential we keep talking about.  Of course, I would like to keep Bergs, Oshie, Perron, Eller, Palushaj, Cole, and Sonne.  But none of them seem to be potential 50 goal scorers.  I take that back, I would settle for a proven 40 goal scorer.  Boyes should be that guy and I will keep the faith in him, but damn find the back of the net.  Personally I think the Blues should make a move for Rick Nash, who I think would fit well into the Blues system and give us a multiyear proven finisher.  This is my first post on this website and I don't think it is my best first impression, but I got some things out I have been pondering.  Looking forward to some comments.  Let's Go Blues!