Lot of blame to go around

[Hazelwood72]

What if Army knew the team was one high skilled draft pick away from being a strong contender? What if the front office doesn't even see this as a problem? You can draft or buy talent.

Unfortunately, Army has put us into a position where we need a helluva lot more than just ONE high skilled draft pick to be a contender.

Agree with numerous other posts on this thread. We are buttery soft on both O and D, and frankly our top players are not all that talented. Let’s face it, we haven’t been a contender since Spring 2020 when JayBo nearly died and then COVID hit.

Army has pulled all the wrong levers ever since.

[theograce]

Barbashev would be our leading scorer right now. Plus he’d beat the wheels off most of the guys

Army built a real juicy peach

[theograce]

What if Army knew the team was one high skilled draft pick away from being a strong contender? What if the front office doesn't even see this as a problem? You can draft or buy talent.

Unfortunately, Army has put us into a position where we need a helluva lot more than just ONE high skilled draft pick to be a contender.

Agree with numerous other posts on this thread. We are buttery soft on both O and D, and frankly our top players are not all that talented. Let’s face it, we haven’t been a contender since Spring 2020 when JayBo nearly died and then COVID hit.

Army has pulled all the wrong levers ever since.

Pietrangelo was the backbone of the blues. There’s no spine now

[a smell of green grass]

When the Blues make wild moves, it's always a good idea to think about why.

As an example.... Why did the Blues even entertain bringing in Lucic? The guy needs to be in a fishing boat in Manitoba somewhere not on the ice.

With just a little analysis, the right answer bubbles right up. It was hidden in plain sight. Because we are real juicy peaches.

[Russdv14]

I look at our defense and I think Fowler is just messed up or tired. And I do not think it’s a contract. I just dismissed that idea. I think he’s trying perhaps too hard to cover everything and just cannot. It doesn’t matter which partner he has.
Look at his plus minus. But just watch him play and he just either can’t keep up with or doesn’t like the system or just not having a good season because I think he is a very good defenseman in past years.

Parayko can’t figure out what to do either. He’s given up on his offense most games. It’s like he’s not sure what to do. Similar to Fowler. So Montgomery‘s coaches should be the first to go.

[crookedfeeder]

It's deciding on Schenn, Faulk, Krug, and Buchnevich as being the veteran core (worthy of all the money). while playing hardball IMO with better players.

...way too much ice-time going to guys that can't carry an offence.

[hotrivets]

Two years from now is this a top 9 we can win/compete with it?(obviously not being able to identify a 3C is an issue):

Neighbours-Thomas-Snuggerud
Holloway-Dvorsky-Carbonneau
Stenberg-???-Buchnevich

Same on D can we win/compete with this in two years:

Broberg-CP
Lindstein-Mailloux
Fowler-Jiricek

Which of the two groupings has more questions marks would you say?

That forward group can’t/won’t win. It lacks any sort of grit and size necessary to compete, outside of Holloway and Jake, who are both middleweights. There is zero team toughness on that entire roster. Come playoff time, they would get run out of 99% of the buildings.

They lack a big center in their top 9. Think Lowry, Backes in his day, Scheifle, McTavish, Strome, etc…. It’s amazing what a big bodied center like Faksa brought to this team in his one season. They also need size, speed and grit on the wings. Where are the Barbashev, Sherwood, Oshie, etc… type players in our system? The answer is that they aren’t there other than maybe Pekarcik.

And the same on D. Butter soft. And I’m not talking about fighting, they lack team toughness now and in the system. Gonna be a soft team for years to come, which is sad. That has NEVER been the Blues motto.

+1 2019 Blues would have run these guys off the ice and onto injured reserve

[WilliamWestcliffe]

We desperately need A solid #5 d on the left side, I just can't wrap my head around why we have not addressed that.

We actually need a #2 LD then Fowler becomes the #3LD full time and that’s if the current plan is to stay the course which it shouldn’t be any longer.

I’m growing less convinced that Fowler is the answer for anything. He’s seemingly reverted back to his Anaheim quality which was infamous for being one of the worst defenders in the NHL.

[rezero]

Two years from now is this a top 9 we can win/compete with it?(obviously not being able to identify a 3C is an issue):

Neighbours-Thomas-Snuggerud
Holloway-Dvorsky-Carbonneau
Stenberg-???-Buchnevich

Same on D can we win/compete with this in two years:

Broberg-CP
Lindstein-Mailloux
Fowler-Jiricek

Which of the two groupings has more questions marks would you say?

Compare that lineup with the top 3 lines on the Avs or Oilers then you will see the problem. The players listed above are projects who we hope in 2 years will be breaking into full time roles. Other teams are rolling out All-stars and HoF type players and you list potential NHL players. Plus, our young players (minus Neighbors) have major gaps in playing defense so some of these will not be top line players until they develop a 200’ game.

Don’t get me wrong as I like the optimism, but we need to sign some all star types to compliment the rookies.

MacDavid - Nuget-Hopkins - Hyman
Draisaitl-Podkozlin-Savoie

vs

Neighbors-Thomas-Snuggy
Holloway-Dvorsky-Carbonneau