No math or calculations necessary, what do you think?

[Bacchk29]

Today, they’re worse than they were end of last season. Really depends on how good Mailloux is. We traded a potential 30 goal scorer for a project.

[Red7]

The bad news is there are a lot of IF’s: IF Snuggerud is the impact rookie we hope. IF Holloway comes back from his surgery and picks up where he left off. IF Broberg continues to progress. IF Buchnevich bounces back. IF Mailloux is worth Bolduc. IF IF IF. The GOOD news is even if those IFS don’t come through, this is still going a very good and exciting team. Strap in folks. I think we’re in for a fun ride.

[Harold_Melvin]

I'm excited like Benny Hill when a pretty girl walked by.

The D is shored up.
The needle is trending upward for the center position.
The Blues clearly have a bounty of quality wingers that can score so that has me excited too.
The cherry on top is Jordan "Backstop" Binnington and Joel Hofer in goal.
The sky is the limit!

My only consternation is the transition from John Kelly's PBP to those radio guys. I don't hate the radio guys so maybe the transition won't be as painful as I think it's going to be.

P.S. I hope Kelly Chase kicks the big C's [ash] - again.

[SRV1990]

Today, they’re worse than they were end of last season. Really depends on how good Mailloux is. We traded a potential 30 goal scorer for a project.

How can we be worse if the player we traded has never actually scored 30 goals? I get his potential, but if he has never done it, we're not losing any production we never had in the first place. Conversely, many on here want Kyrou traded. Someone who has scored 30+ goals in multiple seasons. Losing him and not having a replacement would make us worse.

[Red7]

I'm excited like Benny Hill when a pretty girl walked by.

The D is shored up.
The needle is trending upward for the center position.
The Blues clearly have a bounty of quality wingers that can score so that has me excited too.
The cherry on top is Jordan "Backstop" Binnington and Joel Hofer in goal.
The sky is the limit!

My only consternation is the transition from John Kelly's PBP to those radio guys. I don't hate the radio guys so maybe the transition won't be as painful as I think it's going to be.

P.S. I hope Kelly Chase kicks the big C's [ash] - again.

At this point, the D is as big of question mark as ever, maybe bigger. A lot depends on if Mailloux is ready to play meaningful minutes/games in the NHL. He’s played in 6 NHL games. He is a rookie. That’s a lot to put on a guy who’s never played a regular shift night in and night out. The other question mark is Tyler Tucker. He opened up a lot of eyes and played really well at the end until he got hurt. Will he continue to progress or will he regress? Ryan Suter turned out to be a Godsend last season and played more, not to mention better, than expected last year. He’s not back. So, it’s up to Mailloux and Tucker. If they’re up to the task, the Blues are a very good team. If not, Armstrong and Steen will have to be looking for help.

[blues2112]

I'm excited like Benny Hill when a pretty girl walked by.

The D is shored up.
The needle is trending upward for the center position.
The Blues clearly have a bounty of quality wingers that can score so that has me excited too.
The cherry on top is Jordan "Backstop" Binnington and Joel Hofer in goal.
The sky is the limit!

My only consternation is the transition from John Kelly's PBP to those radio guys. I don't hate the radio guys so maybe the transition won't be as painful as I think it's going to be.

P.S. I hope Kelly Chase kicks the big C's [ash] - again.

At this point, the D is as big of question mark as ever, maybe bigger. A lot depends on if Mailloux is ready to play meaningful minutes/games in the NHL. He’s played in 6 NHL games. He is a rookie. That’s a lot to put on a guy who’s never played a regular shift night in and night out. The other question mark is Tyler Tucker. He opened up a lot of eyes and played really well at the end until he got hurt. Will he continue to progress or will he regress? Ryan Suter turned out to be a Godsend last season and played more, not to mention better, than expected last year. He’s not back. So, it’s up to Mailloux and Tucker. If they’re up to the task, the Blues are a very good team. If not, Armstrong and Steen will have to be looking for help.

The D is a question mark?
The top four — Parayko, Faulk, Broberg, Fowler — are all back. They play the bulk of the minutes. Precisely, they played 88:30 of the 120 minutes D play.
That leaves 31:30 of ice time for the five and six spots. Tucker averaged 14:35, leaving 16:55.
That's easily distributed over Mailloux, Kessel, vet-to-be-signed, etc.

(To OP, sorry for all the math!)

[Bacchk29]

Today, they’re worse than they were end of last season. Really depends on how good Mailloux is. We traded a potential 30 goal scorer for a project.

How can we be worse if the player we traded has never actually scored 30 goals? I get his potential, but if he has never done it, we're not losing any production we never had in the first place. Conversely, many on here want Kyrou traded. Someone who has scored 30+ goals in multiple seasons. Losing him and not having a replacement would make us worse.

Because the guy we got in return couldn’t make the Habs top 6 and they have one of the worst D corps in the league. Bjugstad is a guy. We’re pinning our hopes on Pius Suter. Organization still doesn’t think Dvorsky is ready talk of Sundqvist playing 3C at this point is silly.

[callitwhatyouwant]

The Blues are objectively better if you work from the assumption that every young player will continue to make strides forward. The wild cards for me isn't whether the young players will have explosive years, it will be if Faulk can get his offense back, can Schenn get back to that hot streak he had for about 2 months with the Kyrou Hollywood line. Can Kyrou make the jump into top tier status as a goal scorer and provide the consistency he started to show last year, but with more breakout games. Can Buchy return to his previous 3 season form and his last 20 game form? THESE are the questions that need to be answered. All of which can happen btw.

If the Hofdaddy Binner duo keeps progressing like it can, we are better there.
Fowler doesn't have to do what he did last year and we are better at defense to start this year with higher top end.
Forward group got stabilized with guys like Suter and Bjug, the sky is the limit for that group and we will be a really good team because of the forwards, or we will be a team still finding its identity because of the forwards.

People who are worried about the defense aren't paying attention to where the emphasis has been put on this team. They are expecting to make major gains in the forward group. Yes that means their ability to play defense as Monty's "system" is reliant on playing behind the end line as he puts it. You have to break out fast from your end line and you have to move from theirs. That's very much asking the forwards to be good 200 feet players.

[Cahokanut]

I can't say I'm excited for Blues hockey, like many years in the past. I don't see that the team improved. I think we have doubled down on grind, hope
and garbage goals.
I don't think it's smart trading away something you don't have and I don't see the value in the Bolduc trade or the value of trading Bolduc period. Worse was its for a hope.

Bolducs trade bugs me more then it was bad. It seemed personal. Not to better the team. But to better how certain players feel.

[TheJackBurton]

If he can get off to a good start and the PP can at least be middle of the pack the majority of the season Robert Thomas is looking at a 100 point season and a Selke Trophy nomination if not a win (although there is always a previous winner bias)

Word is Kyrou has been working his butt off this off season so it will be good to see how he comes out this year

Hopefully Holloway picks up right where he left off before the injury

I want to see a healthy Parayko dominate the entire season and cement himself as one of the top dmen in the entire league

Cam Fowler gets off to a good start and signs his extension (I think he's just such a perfect fit for this team)

Our 3rd and 4th line scoring isn't the black hole it was last year

Binnington and Hofer continue to carry the mail and dominate for stretches during the season.

[seattleblue]

This is a fascinating year for Parayko. It wouldn't last forever but I think we are seeing his career peak this past year and ideally 2-3 years more. It's the offense. That has crept up. For many years everyone has wanted there to be Pronger fire in him and then he would be one of the league's dominant forces (although he has been a relative unicorn for a while). The 4 Nations fight at puck drop ... it felt organic for him, like he is embodying new energy at this point in his career, as opposed to just a one off moment. Going back to the Olympics and being part of the solution for his country is really going to focus him at least this year, and hopefully the effectiveness that comes from it will carry over a couple more years after.

I can see the thinking with Mailloux - his top skillset (instinctively QBing a high end PP) is the one area Parayko, even in an overall production mode, isn't going to provide. The concern is if Mailloux provides Shattenkirkian PP numbers but worse defense. You can't contend while sheltering/getting exposed by two of your three RD.

[IsDurbanodoingtime]

No injuries on D we are fine. One or Two lengthy or semi-lengthy absences we are in trouble. Have to think that braintrust is waiting for the start of the season for a PTO type vet addition as insurance for the D corp.

[dhsux]

So just how much of a wild card is Mailloux if the Blues brass traded Bolduc for him?

Was it a wild hair? A shot in the dark? The crazy uncle did it?

Or a calculated trade with a minimum risk and taken for its high reward?

It's one of the big stories for the coming year and right now anyway I'm very glad it's DA that made that decision.

[blues2112]

This is a fascinating year for Parayko. It wouldn't last forever but I think we are seeing his career peak this past year and ideally 2-3 years more. It's the offense. That has crept up. For many years everyone has wanted there to be Pronger fire in him and then he would be one of the league's dominant forces (although he has been a relative unicorn for a while). The 4 Nations fight at puck drop ... it felt organic for him, like he is embodying new energy at this point in his career, as opposed to just a one off moment. Going back to the Olympics and being part of the solution for his country is really going to focus him at least this year, and hopefully the effectiveness that comes from it will carry over a couple more years after.

I can see the thinking with Mailloux - his top skillset (instinctively QBing a high end PP) is the one area Parayko, even in an overall production mode, isn't going to provide. The concern is if Mailloux provides Shattenkirkian PP numbers but worse defense. You can't contend while sheltering/getting exposed by two of your three RD.

Phenomenal post. Well stated on both points.

[Harold_Melvin]

The D is a question mark?
The top four — Parayko, Faulk, Broberg, Fowler — are all back. They play the bulk of the minutes. Precisely, they played 88:30 of the 120 minutes D play.
That leaves 31:30 of ice time for the five and six spots. Tucker averaged 14:35, leaving 16:55.
That's easily distributed over Mailloux, Kessel, vet-to-be-signed, etc.

(To OP, sorry for all the math!)

Thank you blues2112. Compared to recent years...this year seems way better on D. It wasn't long ago that Peru and Krug were wearing the Note. They were far bigger question marks than the D of today. Granted, I haven't watched Mailloux but I trust DA's assessment of younger players based on the offer sheet boys and draft pick wins. Meanwhile, Binny benefits when the D can clean up the rebounds and clear the crease. Big men can do that way more effectively than guys who can barely ride the big roller coaster.

[Bacchk29]

I'm excited like Benny Hill when a pretty girl walked by.

The D is shored up.
The needle is trending upward for the center position.
The Blues clearly have a bounty of quality wingers that can score so that has me excited too.
The cherry on top is Jordan "Backstop" Binnington and Joel Hofer in goal.
The sky is the limit!

My only consternation is the transition from John Kelly's PBP to those radio guys. I don't hate the radio guys so maybe the transition won't be as painful as I think it's going to be.

P.S. I hope Kelly Chase kicks the big C's [ash] - again.

At this point, the D is as big of question mark as ever, maybe bigger. A lot depends on if Mailloux is ready to play meaningful minutes/games in the NHL. He’s played in 6 NHL games. He is a rookie. That’s a lot to put on a guy who’s never played a regular shift night in and night out. The other question mark is Tyler Tucker. He opened up a lot of eyes and played really well at the end until he got hurt. Will he continue to progress or will he regress? Ryan Suter turned out to be a Godsend last season and played more, not to mention better, than expected last year. He’s not back. So, it’s up to Mailloux and Tucker. If they’re up to the task, the Blues are a very good team. If not, Armstrong and Steen will have to be looking for help.

The D is a question mark?
The top four — Parayko, Faulk, Broberg, Fowler — are all back. They play the bulk of the minutes. Precisely, they played 88:30 of the 120 minutes D play.
That leaves 31:30 of ice time for the five and six spots. Tucker averaged 14:35, leaving 16:55.
That's easily distributed over Mailloux, Kessel, vet-to-be-signed, etc.

(To OP, sorry for all the math!)

Soooo we traded a winger rookie that scored 19 goals and has 30 goal potential for a guy who may not play full time on D and has 6 career NHL games? Neat