Holloway Joing the Blues Sunday

[stlhooked]

Expected on a line with Dvorsky and Neighbours. I like that line but not sure who’s gonna play with 28 and 29…
https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2026/01 ... -wont.html

[Zizzle1297]

So

Kryou, Schenn, Snuggy
Neighbor, Devo, Holloway
Buch, Bjustad, Berggren
Stenberg Walker Sunny

Maybe?

[stlhooked]

That’s not bad. Wonder who comes out when Suter gets back next week… Is he really 172 lbs????

[dhsux]

Welcome back Dylan!

[TruBlueFan_1970]

Hope they aren’t rushing him with that high ankle sprain. I’d rather have him healthy long term, than a spark plug short-term. Glad to have him back though!

[Frank Underwood]

Hope they aren’t rushing him with that high ankle sprain. I’d rather have him healthy long term, than a spark plug short-term. Glad to have him back though!

That was my first thought as well. When he is healthy, he is a huge asset, but he apparently did have a bit of a reputation for being injured a lot.

[Old_Goat]

So

Kryou, Schenn, Snuggy
Neighbor, Devo, Holloway
Buch, Bjustad, Berggren
Stenberg Walker Sunny

Maybe?

Well if they insist on putting Holloway with Dvorsky and Schenn with Snuggerud, wouldn't it make more sense to be the following? And note, don't worry about the numerical order of the first three lines, I'm listing like this to make it easier to compare/visualize keeping Kyrou on right side and keeping Stenberg with Schenn and NOT on the 4th checking line.

Stenberg Schenn Snuggerud
Neighbours Dvorsky Holloway
Buchnevich Bjustad Kyrou
Berggren Walker/Sundqvist

Note, this lineup of Centermen makes reading the other posts this morning about the relative value of Robert Thomas unnecessary. We don't need to trade him, we need another just as good but ideally even better than Thomas. We have very little to offer to get an elite Centerman for trade at this time, and that trade could likely have to include Thomas, which puts you right back to depth/imbalance frustration as well as one injury away from futility.
Build cash and cap room to either make a smart, but expensive play for an RFA offer sheet or an UFA offer this summer. Or acquire draft assets, etc. to try to trade for likely an additional equivalent Centerman as Thomas.

[Harry S Deals]

So

Kryou, Schenn, Snuggy
Neighbor, Devo, Holloway
Buch, Bjustad, Berggren
Stenberg Walker Sunny

Maybe?

You have two RWs in the same line

[TruBlueFan_1970]

Well if they insist on putting Holloway with Dvorsky and Schenn with Snuggerud, wouldn't it make more sense to be the following? And note, don't worry about the numerical order of the first three lines, I'm listing like this to make it easier to compare/visualize keeping Kyrou on right side and keeping Stenberg with Schenn and NOT on the 4th checking line.

Stenberg Schenn Snuggerud
Neighbours Dvorsky Holloway
Buchnevich Bjustad Kyrou
Berggren Walker/Sundqvist

Note, this lineup of Centermen makes reading the other posts this morning about the relative value of Robert Thomas unnecessary. We don't need to trade him, we need another just as good but ideally even better than Thomas. We have very little to offer to get an elite Centerman for trade at this time, and that trade could likely have to include Thomas, which puts you right back to depth/imbalance frustration as well as one injury away from futility.
Build cash and cap room to either make a smart, but expensive play for an RFA offer sheet or an UFA offer this summer. Or acquire draft assets, etc. to try to trade for likely an additional equivalent Centerman as Thomas.

This is the point, as they start to get "more healthy", that it becomes difficult to play everyone where they have maybe earned it. Specifically looking at Berggren and Stenberg. If you throw out the small sample of Hugh McGing, Stenberg is 6th on the team in P/GP at .50 and is a +5, while Berggren is 10th on the team at .38 P/GP and is a +2. For reference, that is higher production for points per game than: Suter, Walker, Sunny, Fabbri, Joseph, Dvorsky and Bjug. All of those players are minus players as well, given that it's a flawed stat IMHO.

So, decision time is nearing on either pulling the trigger on some trades, or needing to "temporarily" return Stenberg to the AHL until at which time a roster spot opens again. For no reason other than asset management. I do like the lines you have above, although I hate to see Berggren and his skillset on that 4th line. Given Monty's love for Buch though, I could see Stenberg and Berggren flip flopping during the games, depending on who is "going" that night.

[zamadoo]

So

Kryou, Schenn, Snuggy
Neighbor, Devo, Holloway
Buch, Bjustad, Berggren
Stenberg Walker Sunny

Maybe?

Well if they insist on putting Holloway with Dvorsky and Schenn with Snuggerud, wouldn't it make more sense to be the following? And note, don't worry about the numerical order of the first three lines, I'm listing like this to make it easier to compare/visualize keeping Kyrou on right side and keeping Stenberg with Schenn and NOT on the 4th checking line.

Stenberg Schenn Snuggerud
Neighbours Dvorsky Holloway
Buchnevich Bjustad Kyrou
Berggren Walker/Sundqvist

Note, this lineup of Centermen makes reading the other posts this morning about the relative value of Robert Thomas unnecessary. We don't need to trade him, we need another just as good but ideally even better than Thomas. We have very little to offer to get an elite Centerman for trade at this time, and that trade could likely have to include Thomas, which puts you right back to depth/imbalance frustration as well as one injury away from futility.
Build cash and cap room to either make a smart, but expensive play for an RFA offer sheet or an UFA offer this summer. Or acquire draft assets, etc. to try to trade for likely an additional equivalent Centerman as Thomas.

I like these lines, with Berggren and Stenberg able to switch. I would sit Walker and play Fabbri.

Is this a must win game?

On the list of offer sheet eligible RFAs are Benson, Bedard, Carlsson, Fantilli, Svechkov, Mintyukov, D Jiricek, Nemec, Edvinsson, Grebenkin, Bolduc, Othmann, Clarke, Spacek, Zellweger, Winterton, Dach, Ostapchuk, and Iorio.

We're missing our 2nds for this and next year's draft, and our 3rd in 2028. That restricts our ability to offer sheet, but I wouldn't be against trying to target some of these players if they were for some reason available and not extending with their current teams.

Without re-signing anyone, the Blues will have $12M in cap space next season. Holy Jumpin' 27-28 will be $56M and 28-29 is projected to $68M in cap space!

We probably fill quite a bit of that $12M extending Holloway, who is about to go on a tear. Otherwise we are set through next season.

Looking at the list of UFAs... perhaps a few who still haven't re-signed I might have interest in.

Panarin, Trouba, Schmaltz, Schwartz, Bjorkstrand, Tuch, Perron...and maybe if guys like Malkin and Kopitar want to end their career here...

I think the biggest impact we could make is signing Schmaltz so that he is no longer against us

I wouldn't mind trading Faulk and replacing with Trouba, but that deal will be a blocker and likely to be bid very high. Doesn't look like much impact will be coming from UFAs this offseason. There are some guys, but the price will be high and they have to want to come here.

My assumption is that we will be trying to win next season while still developing, and then the following seasons we start to go all in. Once the curse of Krug has ended. I mean contract...

We'll see what Steen thinks.

[Harry York 37]

Barring more injuries in the next few weeks, hard choices will be made.

I am entertaining the hope that the extra weeks off have allowed Holloway's oblique muscle to settle down and become completely happy with its reattachment to his hip bone.
If it has, and his nasty high ankle sprain is good to go..oooh la la!

[moose-and-squirrel]

anyone else thinkin he's coming back a game too soon?

[DawgDad]

anyone else thinkin he's coming back a game too soon?

Either way no matter, it's not our call.

[Harry York 37]

anyone else thinkin he's coming back a game too soon?

This roster has been on the ragged edge of decent all season. I believe every injured player is returning at the earliest possible moment. Thomas has played injured most, if not all this season.

Specifically, Holloway is a week to ten days ahead of the “normal” time frame, it appears.
He is the kind of player that paces in hospital rooms, gnashing his teeth in a subdued fury at his inability to create some major league fireworks on the ice.
During his recovery, Dvorsky and Stenberg have grown some solid roots and Holloway will provide a rock-solid example of a highly skilled veteran (24 year old veteran) with a compete level that rivals anyone in organized hockey.

[wiscrev]

For the Olympics, the Blues will probably send down all who they could safely send down. Everything to be reassessed after the Olympics.

[2forDiving]

Barring more injuries in the next few weeks, hard choices will be made.

I am entertaining the hope that the extra weeks off have allowed Holloway's oblique muscle to settle down and become completely happy with its reattachment to his hip bone.
If it has, and his nasty high ankle sprain is good to go..oooh la la!

I agree with you, but think the tough choices are more emotional than logical. It’s tough from a personality view to demote guys like Sunny and Walker, but from a hockey perspective it’s sort of a no-brainer.