How The Blues Can Pull Off A Perfect Off-Season In 5 Steps

[TBone]

OK... I don't know if this will be behind a paywall for some of you, but it's not for me currently. YMMV

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How the Blues can pull off a perfect offseason, in 5 steps

By Jeremy Rutherford
June 19, 2025

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As far as free agency, the Blues have approximately $5.5 million in salary-cap space for the 2025-26 season, according to PuckPedia, but that number will grow when they place injured defenseman Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).

And if we’re talking trades, few can predict what general manager Doug Armstrong will have up his sleeve this summer.

But that’s what makes it fun: imagining the scenarios. Let’s start by laying out what a perfect Blues offseason looks like — but before you get too excited, just know that the nightmare version is coming Friday.

1. Draft Nesbitt at No. 19

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/643505 ... ngs-draft/

[Smith2Herr]

Paywall. Can someone please summarize?

[Tony Palazzolo]

Nothing ground breaking really - resign Broberg, Holloway and Fowler. Sign Bennet and trade Leddy. He goes on to say that Bennet is probably not going to happen given what his cost will be.

[IsDurbanodoingtime]

His followup of the five things that would make this offseason a disaster is equally as uninteresting and uninformative. As much as this place is a little loopy, there is so much more informatuon and analysis than anywhere else imho. A great aggregator. Rutherford is just clearly in part coming here and regurgitating threads. Neither of the local guys have the inside knowledge of a friedman. His take on signing Bennett without really thinking through the cost and term implications is just emblematic. Save the money on a subscription unless you are a nyt subscriber (its free with subscription).

[TheJackBurton]

His followup of the five things that would make this offseason a disaster is equally as uninteresting and uninformative. As much as this place is a little loopy, there is so much more informatuon and analysis than anywhere else imho. A great aggregator. Rutherford is just clearly in part coming here and regurgitating threads. Neither of the local guys have the inside knowledge of a friedman. His take on signing Bennett without really thinking through the cost and term implications is just emblematic. Save the money on a subscription unless you are a nyt subscriber (its free with subscription).

Now I take everything with a grain of salt, especially considering the occasion, but Bennett did just say at the parade "I'm not f'n going anywhere"

Well he has about 13 days to prove that.

[BluesDom]

Dont want Nesbitt at all. JR has lost his luster for me.

[Frank Underwood]

His followup of the five things that would make this offseason a disaster is equally as uninteresting and uninformative. As much as this place is a little loopy, there is so much more informatuon and analysis than anywhere else imho. A great aggregator. Rutherford is just clearly in part coming here and regurgitating threads. Neither of the local guys have the inside knowledge of a friedman. His take on signing Bennett without really thinking through the cost and term implications is just emblematic. Save the money on a subscription unless you are a nyt subscriber (its free with subscription).

Now I take everything with a grain of salt, especially considering the occasion, but Bennett did just say at the parade "I'm not (Ef'En) going anywhere"

Well he has about 13 days to prove that.

I’m sure he could get more money elsewhere, even taking the state tax issue into account, but he obviously realizes what a great situation he is in there. I’m sure his agent wasn’t thrilled with that comment, but I really hope he stays there.

[Harry S Deals]

Dont want Nesbitt at all. JR has lost his luster for me.

I totally agree, there is 100x more hockey knowledge here than what JR is writing these days. Bennett isnt going to be signed here, i dont like it he has Schenn like numbers and hes been on the best team in a generation. Before Florida his playoff production was just pretty good. Hes a great player no doubt but for the money hes going to get somewhere Id pass. 40-50pt center historically who knows Dvorsky may match that in 26-27

[TheJackBurton]

His followup of the five things that would make this offseason a disaster is equally as uninteresting and uninformative. As much as this place is a little loopy, there is so much more informatuon and analysis than anywhere else imho. A great aggregator. Rutherford is just clearly in part coming here and regurgitating threads. Neither of the local guys have the inside knowledge of a friedman. His take on signing Bennett without really thinking through the cost and term implications is just emblematic. Save the money on a subscription unless you are a nyt subscriber (its free with subscription).

Now I take everything with a grain of salt, especially considering the occasion, but Bennett did just say at the parade "I'm not (Ef'En) going anywhere"

Well he has about 13 days to prove that.

I’m sure he could get more money elsewhere, even taking the state tax issue into account, but he obviously realizes what a great situation he is in there. I’m sure his agent wasn’t thrilled with that comment, but I really hope he stays there.

Yeah, you only have so many winning years in most cases and Miami isn't a bad place to live, especially for a professional athlete.

Yeah, if I'm his agent I'm not happy at all, because in order to make it work he is looking at about 5-6 million instead of the 8-10 million in UFA.

[seattleblue]

I like Nesbitt and wouldn't hate it

Here's Brock Otten's take:

I feel for Nesbitt a bit because I felt like he had a pretty underwhelming U18’s and it squashed a bit of the draft momentum that he had built up based off his in season improvements with Windsor. There’s a reason why Nesbitt was voted as the Western Conference’s most improved player in this year’s coaches poll. Last year as an OHL rookie, he really was quite poor. He struggled with pace. He looked lost physically. He struggled to make plays with the puck. This year, a complete 180. So then you have to ask yourself, is this a big pivot who is a late bloomer from a coordination perspective? There’s a reason why big players take longer to develop. I also really appreciate that Nesbitt realized that he finally needed to use his size to be an effective offensive and two-way player. This was a knock on him as an OHL draft eligible player too. It’s like the lightbulb went on. Now? He’s aggressive in getting to the net and has great hands in tight. He’s assertive in puck pursuit and will lay the body to force turnovers. He’s a reliable three zone player who was used by the Spitfires to close out games. A lot of people have concerns about his skating but I don’t. I think he moves just fine and can build speed without the puck. With it? He’s a lot slower and that’s where that perception comes from. But I see it more as a need to improve his pace and ability to handle, as opposed to skating concerns. If you’re drafting Nesbitt in the first round, which I expect to happen, you’re hoping that he can develop into an Adam Lowry kind of player and that has significant value in the second half of the first round.

[rbirules]

JR's complilmentary "nightmare off-season" list is . . .
-Trade back in the 1st round
-Can't find a C in FA/trade
-Hofer signs an offer sheet (I guess he doesn't know of, or think highly of Ellis)
-Joseph and Texier still on the roster
-Defense doesn't change

[BluesDom]

I like Nesbitt and wouldn't hate it

Here's Brock Otten's take:

I feel for Nesbitt a bit because I felt like he had a pretty underwhelming U18’s and it squashed a bit of the draft momentum that he had built up based off his in season improvements with Windsor. There’s a reason why Nesbitt was voted as the Western Conference’s most improved player in this year’s coaches poll. Last year as an OHL rookie, he really was quite poor. He struggled with pace. He looked lost physically. He struggled to make plays with the puck. This year, a complete 180. So then you have to ask yourself, is this a big pivot who is a late bloomer from a coordination perspective? There’s a reason why big players take longer to develop. I also really appreciate that Nesbitt realized that he finally needed to use his size to be an effective offensive and two-way player. This was a knock on him as an OHL draft eligible player too. It’s like the lightbulb went on. Now? He’s aggressive in getting to the net and has great hands in tight. He’s assertive in puck pursuit and will lay the body to force turnovers. He’s a reliable three zone player who was used by the Spitfires to close out games. A lot of people have concerns about his skating but I don’t. I think he moves just fine and can build speed without the puck. With it? He’s a lot slower and that’s where that perception comes from. But I see it more as a need to improve his pace and ability to handle, as opposed to skating concerns. If you’re drafting Nesbitt in the first round, which I expect to happen, you’re hoping that he can develop into an Adam Lowry kind of player and that has significant value in the second half of the first round.

No thx--No more Kevin Hayes types.

[seattleblue]

I like Nesbitt and wouldn't hate it

Here's Brock Otten's take:

I feel for Nesbitt a bit because I felt like he had a pretty underwhelming U18’s and it squashed a bit of the draft momentum that he had built up based off his in season improvements with Windsor. There’s a reason why Nesbitt was voted as the Western Conference’s most improved player in this year’s coaches poll. Last year as an OHL rookie, he really was quite poor. He struggled with pace. He looked lost physically. He struggled to make plays with the puck. This year, a complete 180. So then you have to ask yourself, is this a big pivot who is a late bloomer from a coordination perspective? There’s a reason why big players take longer to develop. I also really appreciate that Nesbitt realized that he finally needed to use his size to be an effective offensive and two-way player. This was a knock on him as an OHL draft eligible player too. It’s like the lightbulb went on. Now? He’s aggressive in getting to the net and has great hands in tight. He’s assertive in puck pursuit and will lay the body to force turnovers. He’s a reliable three zone player who was used by the Spitfires to close out games. A lot of people have concerns about his skating but I don’t. I think he moves just fine and can build speed without the puck. With it? He’s a lot slower and that’s where that perception comes from. But I see it more as a need to improve his pace and ability to handle, as opposed to skating concerns. If you’re drafting Nesbitt in the first round, which I expect to happen, you’re hoping that he can develop into an Adam Lowry kind of player and that has significant value in the second half of the first round.

No thx--No more Kevin Hayes types.

I have him on my list in the 20s, and if he were like Hayes then I wouldn't. He's much more physical