Snuggarud

[blackinkbiz]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

[STL fan in MN]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

Going to have to disagree with you about Dvorsky. He’s still only 19 and plays the harder position. He’s going to need some time to develop but I’d still rank Dvorsky ahead of Snuggy longterm in terms of their overall impact. But it’s close. And Snuggy’s quick NHL adaption perhaps closes the gap.

Living here in MN, I watched quite a few Gophers games on tv with a handful in person. Snuggy is good but so far he’s way outperforming what I would’ve expected based on what I saw his 3 years in college. Maybe he just got bored or needs to play with higher caliber players to truly shine but he had quite a few flaws in his game in college that haven’t really shown in the NHL much yet. Not sure if he’s made a quick adjustment or he’s just running on adrenaline and he’ll peter out in a bit but either way, I’m cautiously optimistic with him. He’s still a very young player and is bound to make a ton of rookie mistakes over the next year or so.

[blackinkbiz]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

Going to have to disagree with you about Dvorsky. He’s still only 19 and plays the harder position. He’s going to need some time to develop but I’d still rank Dvorsky ahead of Snuggy longterm in terms of their overall impact. But it’s close. And Snuggy’s quick NHL adaption perhaps closes the gap.

Living here in MN, I watched quite a few Gophers games on tv with a handful in person. Snuggy is good but so far he’s way outperforming what I would’ve expected based on what I saw his 3 years in college. Maybe he just got bored or needs to play with higher caliber players to truly shine but he had quite a few flaws in his game in college that haven’t really shown in the NHL much yet. Not sure if he’s made a quick adjustment or he’s just running on adrenaline and he’ll peter out in a bit but either way, I’m cautiously optimistic with him. He’s still a very young player and is bound to make a ton of rookie mistakes over the next year or so.

Oh how do I sooo hope you're correct! If both Snuggs and DD can live up to the hype, on top of what we already have in uniform, and then pepper in a decent FA or two. Look out!

[skilles]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

Going to have to disagree with you about Dvorsky. He’s still only 19 and plays the harder position. He’s going to need some time to develop but I’d still rank Dvorsky ahead of Snuggy longterm in terms of their overall impact. But it’s close. And Snuggy’s quick NHL adaption perhaps closes the gap.

Living here in MN, I watched quite a few Gophers games on tv with a handful in person. Snuggy is good but so far he’s way outperforming what I would’ve expected based on what I saw his 3 years in college. Maybe he just got bored or needs to play with higher caliber players to truly shine but he had quite a few flaws in his game in college that haven’t really shown in the NHL much yet. Not sure if he’s made a quick adjustment or he’s just running on adrenaline and he’ll peter out in a bit but either way, I’m cautiously optimistic with him. He’s still a very young player and is bound to make a ton of rookie mistakes over the next year or so.

Oh how do I sooo hope you're correct! If both Snuggs and DD can live up to the hype, on top of what we already have in uniform, and then pepper in a decent FA or two. Look out!

I think the problem we face is our d is going to really be aging out as our forwards are aging in. The d is going to have to be addressed, Broberg was a good start and helps a lot but its still a problem.

[82birds]

I feel like this guy is way better than advertised

Might turn out that way. That would be nice

that WOULD be nice !

[MizTruBlueLuvzU]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

Going to have to disagree with you about Dvorsky. He’s still only 19 and plays the harder position. He’s going to need some time to develop but I’d still rank Dvorsky ahead of Snuggy longterm in terms of their overall impact. But it’s close. And Snuggy’s quick NHL adaption perhaps closes the gap.

Living here in MN, I watched quite a few Gophers games on tv with a handful in person. Snuggy is good but so far he’s way outperforming what I would’ve expected based on what I saw his 3 years in college. Maybe he just got bored or needs to play with higher caliber players to truly shine but he had quite a few flaws in his game in college that haven’t really shown in the NHL much yet. Not sure if he’s made a quick adjustment or he’s just running on adrenaline and he’ll peter out in a bit but either way, I’m cautiously optimistic with him. He’s still a very young player and is bound to make a ton of rookie mistakes over the next year or so.

Oh how do I sooo hope you're correct! If both Snuggs and DD can live up to the hype, on top of what we already have in uniform, and then pepper in a decent FA or two. Look out!

I think the problem we face is our d is going to really be aging out as our forwards are aging in. The d is going to have to be addressed, Broberg was a good start and helps a lot but its still a problem.

We are going to have a bunch of cap space to work with to address the D corps. Hopefully a couple of big nasties who can skate and exit the zone efficiently.

[skilles]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

Going to have to disagree with you about Dvorsky. He’s still only 19 and plays the harder position. He’s going to need some time to develop but I’d still rank Dvorsky ahead of Snuggy longterm in terms of their overall impact. But it’s close. And Snuggy’s quick NHL adaption perhaps closes the gap.

Living here in MN, I watched quite a few Gophers games on tv with a handful in person. Snuggy is good but so far he’s way outperforming what I would’ve expected based on what I saw his 3 years in college. Maybe he just got bored or needs to play with higher caliber players to truly shine but he had quite a few flaws in his game in college that haven’t really shown in the NHL much yet. Not sure if he’s made a quick adjustment or he’s just running on adrenaline and he’ll peter out in a bit but either way, I’m cautiously optimistic with him. He’s still a very young player and is bound to make a ton of rookie mistakes over the next year or so.

Oh how do I sooo hope you're correct! If both Snuggs and DD can live up to the hype, on top of what we already have in uniform, and then pepper in a decent FA or two. Look out!

I think the problem we face is our d is going to really be aging out as our forwards are aging in. The d is going to have to be addressed, Broberg was a good start and helps a lot but its still a problem.

We are going to have a bunch of cap space to work with to address the D corps. Hopefully a couple of big nasties who can skate and exit the zone efficiently.

Yeah, still not easy to come by though.

[Bluesfan1978]

The Blues want D with an edge the same as we do. Burns, Fisher, Ralph and Jiricek all fit that mold. Unfortunately there’s probably 2 more years before you have a chance to see either. I do think Army is probably looking to make a trade to upgrade one of the right D positions within the next year if he can.

[FunSeeker]

Come on now. His name is Snuggerud. Not Snuggarud. We are the educated "top Blues fans" is why we are here right?
Signed Jordon Benninton

[dhsux]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

Going to have to disagree with you about Dvorsky. He’s still only 19 and plays the harder position. He’s going to need some time to develop but I’d still rank Dvorsky ahead of Snuggy longterm in terms of their overall impact. But it’s close. And Snuggy’s quick NHL adaption perhaps closes the gap.

Living here in MN, I watched quite a few Gophers games on tv with a handful in person. Snuggy is good but so far he’s way outperforming what I would’ve expected based on what I saw his 3 years in college. Maybe he just got bored or needs to play with higher caliber players to truly shine but he had quite a few flaws in his game in college that haven’t really shown in the NHL much yet. Not sure if he’s made a quick adjustment or he’s just running on adrenaline and he’ll peter out in a bit but either way, I’m cautiously optimistic with him. He’s still a very young player and is bound to make a ton of rookie mistakes over the next year or so.

It appears his decision to stay another years was a good one

How does the league look upon the NCAA versus their own system for development of players ?

[STL fan in MN]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

Going to have to disagree with you about Dvorsky. He’s still only 19 and plays the harder position. He’s going to need some time to develop but I’d still rank Dvorsky ahead of Snuggy longterm in terms of their overall impact. But it’s close. And Snuggy’s quick NHL adaption perhaps closes the gap.

Living here in MN, I watched quite a few Gophers games on tv with a handful in person. Snuggy is good but so far he’s way outperforming what I would’ve expected based on what I saw his 3 years in college. Maybe he just got bored or needs to play with higher caliber players to truly shine but he had quite a few flaws in his game in college that haven’t really shown in the NHL much yet. Not sure if he’s made a quick adjustment or he’s just running on adrenaline and he’ll peter out in a bit but either way, I’m cautiously optimistic with him. He’s still a very young player and is bound to make a ton of rookie mistakes over the next year or so.

It appears his decision to stay another years was a good one

How does the league look upon the NCAA versus their own system for development of players ?

Yeah, I was one that never really had an issue with him returning for his Jr year. I would’ve had a big issue had he wanted to stay all 4 years but a year ago, he clearly still had parts of his game that needed work and I had no issue with him doing that work in college instead of Springfield. You only get to go to college once. Might as well enjoy it.

As for how the league as a whole or Blues view the NCAA as a development path, I could only guess but I’d guess it’s quite favorable. I get the impression the Blues might have a slight preference for the CHL but if they hated the NCAA model then we wouldn’t continually have so many prospects there. The NCAA is a good development path. Much better the last 10-20 years than it was in the 90s or earlier. Lots of talent in college hockey these days. Not as many games as the CHL but it allows the players to develop at a bit slower pace while spending more time in the gym.

And now that CHL players can play in the NCAA, that opens things up even more for the talent to increase in college hockey. At first it was just the overagers and fringe players that were leaving the CHL for NCAA but then Michigan State landed last year’s 4th overall pick Cayden Lindstrom, who’s leaving Medicine Hat to join the Spartans. I’ve even heard rumblings that Gavin McKenna (led the WHL in scoring as a 17 year old, pretty much guaranteed to be the 1st overall pick of the 2026 NHL draft) is considering leaving for the NCAA for big NIL money. That’d be a seismic event and the CHL would want to find a way to prevent that. Could be a war brewing IMO…

[seattleblue]

McKenna going to college would be seismic. His team sure is steamrolling right now

[Cardsfanforlife]

Snuggy has exceeded my expectations. He’s adapted quicker and better than I expected. I saw a likely 2RW with a wicked shot in time but if he can develop into more than that then that’d be awesome.

That said i couldn't help but wonder how strong a team really is when you have a rookie still getting acclimated playing such a big role in the playoffs.

Oh for sure. Snuggy is doing fantastically given his age and experience level but he’s a pretty huge downgrade from this season’s version of Holloway. And it absolutely highlights a lack of depth that he was getting 2nd line minutes to start the playoffs and then thrust onto the top line last night. I really like Snuggerud’s future but it’s simply true that a Cup caliber team should have better options for that important of a role than a kid that was playing college hockey a couple weeks ago.

Who ever claimed THIS is a Cup caliber team? They might still prove to be but they are a long shot at best.

Snuggerud IS depth. That said, he would be playing now even if Holloway were healthy.

Nobody backfills a Holloway without losing performance.

That’s my point. This year’s Blues team isn’t a Cup caliber team. Not without a ton of luck and almost every player playing well above their current caliber.

Perhaps Snuggerud would still be playing on a deeper team but perhaps not. Maybe more the role Thomas had in ‘19 but it’s hard to say. But it’s telling to me that he’s easily passed Texier and Joseph already in the eyes of Monty.

Only saw Dalibor for that one game and he appeared to be everything fans said he would be: a good shot but needs to improve his skating, and that's just to be an NHL regular perhaps. Not sure he's got the toolset to be a high-caliber player.

Snuggy, on the other hand ... WOW. Faster than advertised, deceptive/elusive skating ability, great passing, and a Tarasenko-level shot. Kid is the total package.

Hopefully Army makes a few "smart" moves in the offseason (don't need a Predators 2.0 type offseason) and this team will be ready to compete for the Conference Finals next season barrring too many horrendous injuries.

Going to have to disagree with you about Dvorsky. He’s still only 19 and plays the harder position. He’s going to need some time to develop but I’d still rank Dvorsky ahead of Snuggy longterm in terms of their overall impact. But it’s close. And Snuggy’s quick NHL adaption perhaps closes the gap.

Living here in MN, I watched quite a few Gophers games on tv with a handful in person. Snuggy is good but so far he’s way outperforming what I would’ve expected based on what I saw his 3 years in college. Maybe he just got bored or needs to play with higher caliber players to truly shine but he had quite a few flaws in his game in college that haven’t really shown in the NHL much yet. Not sure if he’s made a quick adjustment or he’s just running on adrenaline and he’ll peter out in a bit but either way, I’m cautiously optimistic with him. He’s still a very young player and is bound to make a ton of rookie mistakes over the next year or so.

Oh how do I sooo hope you're correct! If both Snuggs and DD can live up to the hype, on top of what we already have in uniform, and then pepper in a decent FA or two. Look out!

I think the problem we face is our d is going to really be aging out as our forwards are aging in. The d is going to have to be addressed, Broberg was a good start and helps a lot but its still a problem.

We are going to have a bunch of cap space to work with to address the D corps. Hopefully a couple of big nasties who can skate and exit the zone efficiently.

Yeah, still not easy to come by though.

i concur with you that d is an issue for sure. and i dont think FA is a great way to acquire talent. we have drafted a ton of d men lately, and none super high end #1 type d, (imo) but some of these guys have to turn out to be good # 3 or # 4 dmen. hopefully some over achieve i guess.

[seattleblue]

The Blues want D with an edge the same as we do. Burns, Fisher, Ralph and Jiricek all fit that mold. Unfortunately there’s probably 2 more years before you have a chance to see either. I do think Army is probably looking to make a trade to upgrade one of the right D positions within the next year if he can.

Ralph is a maybe. Jiricek does not play with an edge that I have seen.
Burns and Fischer absolutely play with the edge you are talking about though.
Having Burns Fischer and Tucker in their #3-7 defensemen is solid depth with a physical edge.
Burns and Fischer (and Ralph if he gets nastier) can all skate very very well.
That is Jiricek's #1 thing, his skating is eye popping. The other day he made what seemed like two backward glide strides and he shot down the ice faster than anyone.

[Harry S Deals]

The Blues want D with an edge the same as we do. Burns, Fisher, Ralph and Jiricek all fit that mold. Unfortunately there’s probably 2 more years before you have a chance to see either. I do think Army is probably looking to make a trade to upgrade one of the right D positions within the next year if he can.

Ralph is a maybe. Jiricek does not play with an edge that I have seen.
Burns and Fischer absolutely play with the edge you are talking about though.
Having Burns Fischer and Tucker in their #3-7 defensemen is solid depth with a physical edge.
Burns and Fischer (and Ralph if he gets nastier) can all skate very very well.
That is Jiricek's #1 thing, his skating is eye popping. The other day he made what seemed like two backward glide strides and he shot down the ice faster than anyone.

Blues fans under estimate Glen Wesley, Chris Thorburn and Matt D'Aggostini's and Stanbrook (skating) contributions with developing prospects. This is an organization strength, these coaches are excellent with the kids. There will be several still to come that outperform our expectations

[seattleblue]

The Blues want D with an edge the same as we do. Burns, Fisher, Ralph and Jiricek all fit that mold. Unfortunately there’s probably 2 more years before you have a chance to see either. I do think Army is probably looking to make a trade to upgrade one of the right D positions within the next year if he can.

Ralph is a maybe. Jiricek does not play with an edge that I have seen.
Burns and Fischer absolutely play with the edge you are talking about though.
Having Burns Fischer and Tucker in their #3-7 defensemen is solid depth with a physical edge.
Burns and Fischer (and Ralph if he gets nastier) can all skate very very well.
That is Jiricek's #1 thing, his skating is eye popping. The other day he made what seemed like two backward glide strides and he shot down the ice faster than anyone.

Blues fans under estimate Glen Wesley, Chris Thorburn and Matt D'Aggostini's and Stanbrook (skating) contributions with developing prospects. This is an organization strength, these coaches are excellent with the kids. There will be several still to come that outperform our expectations

I want to see what they do with Stancl because if he were to go on a Backes-like skating leap forward then he is a #1 candidate for what you're saying.