Mikkola is the real boss

[SameOldBlues]

I'm not at a near expert level as some here but imo Mikkola was indeed "blocked" by bigger contracts and yeah....the Blues lost him to that reality.

I liked him here and saw what I saw and was very sorry to see hm go.

Further, he has not surprised me by his play since.

It is true though, the Rangers made a bigger mess of it than the Blues.

I admire this post for one simple insignificant reason while being kind of significant to my own perceptions..

I had you pegged as one of the ‘Blues/Army are never wrong and I’ll do as many truth gymnastics as needed to never criticize my Bluesies’ people who I find impossible to take seriously and cant conversate with cause of the false narrative from the jump. But apparently you’re more tranquil, even-keeled and able to call a spade a spade than I previously thought ya were.

No biggie, just wanted to acknowledge how refreshing I find it. I wish everyone were more like that, including those on the ither end of the spectrum who never find anything positive ti say about their team.

[icon]

I liked Mikkola's game from the very beginning with the Blues, mistakes and all. He was big, tough and aggressive, something sorely lacking in varying degrees in the blue line corps overall.

[Lone_Ranger]

Big miss by Army throwing him into the Tarasenko trade. Blues developed him and another team is now benefiting.

Big miss is right. We had Mikkola and he was playing well but Army went out and got Leddy instead of trusting the kid.

Army does have a bad habit of locking up cap space on so called "economically priced veteran players" but man sometimes you got to put trust in the kids. And right here was a perfect example. Mikkola should be a Blue.

Come on now. That’s a bit of revisionist history there IMO. The Blues re-signed Leddy after the 2021-22 season. A season in which they went 49-22-11. Leddy was signed to be in our top-4. Mikkola was the #6-7 guy that year. Are you really saying the Blues should’ve inserted Mikkola into the top-4 and just seen what happens? Assume he’d be able to handle that role even though he’d shown no ability to do so to date?

While I’ll agree with the overarching sentiment about signing vets like Leddy and Scandella, that didn’t make guys like Mikkola the right choice at the time. My argument was they they should’ve gotten someone better than Scandy or Leddy…but it wasn’t Mikkola. At least not in 2020 when they signed Scandy or in 2022 when they signed Leddy.

Mikkola didn’t take a step until he signed with Florida. It would sure be nice to still have him but you can’t keep everyone. He was a pending UFA and hadn’t shown much by that point. He bloomed later. It happens sometimes. But out of all of Army’s moves, him moving Mikkola as a pending UFA isn’t one I shake my head at.

Mikkola showed a lot of promise when he was a Blue and when he did get in the lineup in that Colorado series he played very well. I said it at the time when it happened Army should of had faith with Mikkola. The guy was showing promise when he was here.

[Harry S Deals]

Tyler Tucker is the next Blues Mikkola somewhat similar trajectories so far. Would it shock you if Tuckers upside is a tad higher hes shown flashes of offense, he has a big edge to his game. In 5 yrs is Tucker capable of a 2nd pair LHD minutes? 10gs, PIMs, PK? Once again we see Blues draft picks consistently outperform their draft positions. This is why I wouldn't sleep on any picks until we see they cannot do it. Tucker will be a stretch at top 4 role most likely and he will have tough competition for clock in the near future with Broberg, Lindstein and Fowler but I really liked what I saw from Tucker as the Jets series went on. Tucker will make one of Suter/Leddy expendable this summer and I would really like to see Kessel get a shot at the last RHD spot

[Harry S Deals]

Big miss by Army throwing him into the Tarasenko trade. Blues developed him and another team is now benefiting.

Big miss is right. We had Mikkola and he was playing well but Army went out and got Leddy instead of trusting the kid.

Army does have a bad habit of locking up cap space on so called "economically priced veteran players" but man sometimes you got to put trust in the kids. And right here was a perfect example. Mikkola should be a Blue.

Come on now. That’s a bit of revisionist history there IMO. The Blues re-signed Leddy after the 2021-22 season. A season in which they went 49-22-11. Leddy was signed to be in our top-4. Mikkola was the #6-7 guy that year. Are you really saying the Blues should’ve inserted Mikkola into the top-4 and just seen what happens? Assume he’d be able to handle that role even though he’d shown no ability to do so to date?

While I’ll agree with the overarching sentiment about signing vets like Leddy and Scandella, that didn’t make guys like Mikkola the right choice at the time. My argument was they they should’ve gotten someone better than Scandy or Leddy…but it wasn’t Mikkola. At least not in 2020 when they signed Scandy or in 2022 when they signed Leddy.

Mikkola didn’t take a step until he signed with Florida. It would sure be nice to still have him but you can’t keep everyone. He was a pending UFA and hadn’t shown much by that point. He bloomed later. It happens sometimes. But out of all of Army’s moves, him moving Mikkola as a pending UFA isn’t one I shake my head at.

Mikkola showed a lot of promise when he was a Blue and when he did get in the lineup in that Colorado series he played very well. I said it at the time when it happened Army should of had faith with Mikkola. The guy was showing promise when he was here.

Wasn't it 20-21 when Leddy got ran by Kahdri? Leddy was playing very well 21+ min a night he was ahead of Mikkola it's just how it goes

[a smell of green grass]

Tyler Tucker is the next Blues Mikkola somewhat similar trajectories so far. Would it shock you if Tuckers upside is a tad higher hes shown flashes of offense, he has a big edge to his game. In 5 yrs is Tucker capable of a 2nd pair LHD minutes? 10gs, PIMs, PK? Once again we see Blues draft picks consistently outperform their draft positions. This is why I wouldn't sleep on any picks until we see they cannot do it. Tucker will be a stretch at top 4 role most likely and he will have tough competition for clock in the near future with Broberg, Lindstein and Fowler but I really liked what I saw from Tucker as the Jets series went on. Tucker will make one of Suter/Leddy expendable this summer and I would really like to see Kessel get a shot at the last RHD spot

Speaking of Kessel.... What happened to him this year? Did he skate into some disappearing ink somewhere? Are we looking at the next Mikkola?

[dhsux]

I'm not at a near expert level as some here but imo Mikkola was indeed "blocked" by bigger contracts and yeah....the Blues lost him to that reality.

I liked him here and saw what I saw and was very sorry to see hm go.

Further, he has not surprised me by his play since.

It is true though, the Rangers made a bigger mess of it than the Blues.

I admire this post for one simple insignificant reason while being kind of significant to my own perceptions..

I had you pegged as one of the ‘Blues/Army are never wrong and I’ll do as many truth gymnastics as needed to never criticize my Bluesies’ people who I find impossible to take seriously and cant conversate with cause of the false narrative from the jump. But apparently you’re more tranquil, even-keeled and able to call a spade a spade than I previously thought ya were.

No biggie, just wanted to acknowledge how refreshing I find it. I wish everyone were more like that, including those on the ither end of the spectrum who never find anything positive ti say about their team.

Appreciate that Samo.

I do find myself defending DA because A) I have high regard for him as a person and GM and B) IMO he's in a class of imperfection I consider at the top of the list of GM's.

While I don't ever actually attack him there are plenty of mistakes and potential mistakes to discuss here for sure. In the present tense I'm not too fond of that Buch contract. And what lies ahead this coming summer is one I am not totally relaxed about either.

[dhsux]

Tyler Tucker is the next Blues Mikkola somewhat similar trajectories so far. Would it shock you if Tuckers upside is a tad higher hes shown flashes of offense, he has a big edge to his game. In 5 yrs is Tucker capable of a 2nd pair LHD minutes? 10gs, PIMs, PK? Once again we see Blues draft picks consistently outperform their draft positions. This is why I wouldn't sleep on any picks until we see they cannot do it. Tucker will be a stretch at top 4 role most likely and he will have tough competition for clock in the near future with Broberg, Lindstein and Fowler but I really liked what I saw from Tucker as the Jets series went on. Tucker will make one of Suter/Leddy expendable this summer and I would really like to see Kessel get a shot at the last RHD spot

I think your analogy on Tucker can relate to the Mikkola situation. If Tucker was a UFA this summer...what does DA do with that? Or would he already have done it?

As it is Tucker has another year and that should tell the Blues a lot more about his future here.

[Harry S Deals]

Tyler Tucker is the next Blues Mikkola somewhat similar trajectories so far. Would it shock you if Tuckers upside is a tad higher hes shown flashes of offense, he has a big edge to his game. In 5 yrs is Tucker capable of a 2nd pair LHD minutes? 10gs, PIMs, PK? Once again we see Blues draft picks consistently outperform their draft positions. This is why I wouldn't sleep on any picks until we see they cannot do it. Tucker will be a stretch at top 4 role most likely and he will have tough competition for clock in the near future with Broberg, Lindstein and Fowler but I really liked what I saw from Tucker as the Jets series went on. Tucker will make one of Suter/Leddy expendable this summer and I would really like to see Kessel get a shot at the last RHD spot

I think your analogy on Tucker can relate to the Mikkola situation. If Tucker was a UFA this summer...what does DA do with that? Or would he already have done it?

As it is Tucker has another year and that should tell the Blues a lot more about his future here.

The fact that Tucker adds a heavy game to the back end should keep him in the mix for awhile and he will be a cheap extension

[dhsux]

Tyler Tucker is the next Blues Mikkola somewhat similar trajectories so far. Would it shock you if Tuckers upside is a tad higher hes shown flashes of offense, he has a big edge to his game. In 5 yrs is Tucker capable of a 2nd pair LHD minutes? 10gs, PIMs, PK? Once again we see Blues draft picks consistently outperform their draft positions. This is why I wouldn't sleep on any picks until we see they cannot do it. Tucker will be a stretch at top 4 role most likely and he will have tough competition for clock in the near future with Broberg, Lindstein and Fowler but I really liked what I saw from Tucker as the Jets series went on. Tucker will make one of Suter/Leddy expendable this summer and I would really like to see Kessel get a shot at the last RHD spot

I think your analogy on Tucker can relate to the Mikkola situation. If Tucker was a UFA this summer...what does DA do with that? Or would he already have done it?

As it is Tucker has another year and that should tell the Blues a lot more about his future here.

The fact that Tucker adds a heavy game to the back end should keep him in the mix for awhile and he will be a cheap extension

And he might grow into a top 4

I would not preclude that right now.

[netboy65]

Tyler Tucker is the next Blues Mikkola somewhat similar trajectories so far. Would it shock you if Tuckers upside is a tad higher hes shown flashes of offense, he has a big edge to his game. In 5 yrs is Tucker capable of a 2nd pair LHD minutes? 10gs, PIMs, PK? Once again we see Blues draft picks consistently outperform their draft positions. This is why I wouldn't sleep on any picks until we see they cannot do it. Tucker will be a stretch at top 4 role most likely and he will have tough competition for clock in the near future with Broberg, Lindstein and Fowler but I really liked what I saw from Tucker as the Jets series went on. Tucker will make one of Suter/Leddy expendable this summer and I would really like to see Kessel get a shot at the last RHD spot

I think your analogy on Tucker can relate to the Mikkola situation. If Tucker was a UFA this summer...what does DA do with that? Or would he already have done it?

As it is Tucker has another year and that should tell the Blues a lot more about his future here.

The fact that Tucker adds a heavy game to the back end should keep him in the mix for awhile and he will be a cheap extension

And he might grow into a top 4

I would not preclude that right now.

I don’t think he’s got the wheels to ever be top 4

[dhsux]

Tyler Tucker is the next Blues Mikkola somewhat similar trajectories so far. Would it shock you if Tuckers upside is a tad higher hes shown flashes of offense, he has a big edge to his game. In 5 yrs is Tucker capable of a 2nd pair LHD minutes? 10gs, PIMs, PK? Once again we see Blues draft picks consistently outperform their draft positions. This is why I wouldn't sleep on any picks until we see they cannot do it. Tucker will be a stretch at top 4 role most likely and he will have tough competition for clock in the near future with Broberg, Lindstein and Fowler but I really liked what I saw from Tucker as the Jets series went on. Tucker will make one of Suter/Leddy expendable this summer and I would really like to see Kessel get a shot at the last RHD spot

I think your analogy on Tucker can relate to the Mikkola situation. If Tucker was a UFA this summer...what does DA do with that? Or would he already have done it?

As it is Tucker has another year and that should tell the Blues a lot more about his future here.

The fact that Tucker adds a heavy game to the back end should keep him in the mix for awhile and he will be a cheap extension

And he might grow into a top 4

I would not preclude that right now.

I don’t think he’s got the wheels to ever be top 4

That's a valid issue.

He would have to get help with that and then be a hell of a positional player.