Rutherford - “Thomas might be the only thing Armstrong can get anything for at this point”

[JR1]

Remember—DON’T FEED THE TROLL !

[BleedingBleu]

Maybe that’s worthy of a banner in Nashville, but arbitrary stat doesn’t mean anything.

Arbitrary how?

Is one of the worst collapses in NHL history worthy of a banner?

You’re the one pining to recognize meaningless garbage.

By the way, you can go about celebrating the Blues Game 7 Loss as the “worst collapse in NHL History.” Frankly, it takes nothing away from an eighth-seed team taking the President’s Trophy Winner to the brink of elimination, only to lose Game 7 in the 2 OT. This appears to mean something more to you than it does anyone else on this forum.

I’d argue the 128 Point 2018/19 Tampa Bay Lightning getting swept out of the First Round by the revered Columbus Blue Jackets was a far greater collapse, but only one of us is being logical and the other thinks points for a non-playoff team over the course of 1-1/2 seasons means something.

The Presidents Trophy winning Lightning got outscored 19-8 by a Franchise who’d never made it past the First Round. Now, a President’s Trophy Winner not winning a single Stanley Playoff Game vs an 8th Seed losing Game 7 in the 2nd Overtime? No contest.

Speaking of collapses… the 2024/25 Calgary Flames were ahead of the Blues at March 15. They didn’t make the playoffs

[theograce]

They are ahead of the Blues over the last 130+ games as well

[DawgDad]

I clicked on the link. After being compelled to listen to part of an advertisement, it took about 30 seconds of introductions to determine I had no interest in listening further.

As for the outtake in the thread subject, LOL. No, I do not agree. I do not have to prove whether I'm right or wrong, time will tell.

Moving forward, veterans will age and ultimately be traded, leave, or fade away. Younger players will move up and some will get better. At various points players may be added from outside the organization. It's been that way ever since I started following the Blues, back when Dickie Moore was making waves by joining the team. The 70's were mainly blah or bad, the 80's had an owner abandon the team. There were down years when I was more closely following the Thrashers down here in Atlanta. As bad as this team has performed they don't carry a candle to the horror show the Thrashers were out of the gate or the disasters that franchise spawned. In short, I will live through this. If the players all get healthy they might yet rediscover what they appear to have lost in Game 7 in Winnipeg.

[Bubble4427]

I clicked on the link. After being compelled to listen to part of an advertisement, it took about 30 seconds of introductions to determine I had no interest in listening further.

As for the outtake in the thread subject, LOL. No, I do not agree. I do not have to prove whether I'm right or wrong, time will tell.

Moving forward, veterans will age and ultimately be traded, leave, or fade away. Younger players will move up and some will get better. At various points players may be added from outside the organization. It's been that way ever since I started following the Blues, back when Dickie Moore was making waves by joining the team. The 70's were mainly blah or bad, the 80's had an owner abandon the team. There were down years when I was more closely following the Thrashers down here in Atlanta. As bad as this team has performed they don't carry a candle to the horror show the Thrashers were out of the gate or the disasters that franchise spawned. In short, I will live through this. If the players all get healthy they might yet rediscover what they appear to have lost in Game 7 in Winnipeg.

Great post.

[crookedfeeder]

Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet; but Thomas for Misa.

[Russdv14]

I am afraid that Thomas is the only forward that gets traded.
Then we get stuck with the wandering floaters Buch and Kyrou and no center can corral those two long enough at least. With Thomas out we still can’t score enough per game. The Blues podcast had very good analysis of the Blues problems(I had watched it earlier today before this was posted) including some insightful Thomas talk & how he is in his prime now, but would be close to 30 and be stuck on a bad team like Eichel or OReilly & Buffalo. Thus, I feel very sorry for us fans, particularly us old guys. Thomas is averaging goals like past years but his assists are way off and he can each give examples why. So I for one don’t want to lose him from the team. He is discouraged because he is saddled with passengers. However it takes a little luck for the staff to identify players who will tuck these pucks into the net. We’ve talked past years that it is rarely Thomas & Kyrou do well together & eventually give up tons of goal (minus for +/-) . There is no courage to sit Buch or/and Kyrou and play Fabbri/Berggren for example. I am tired of watching Kyrou and Buchnevich skate in only to give up the puck or shoot off the boards and out of the zone. The podcast also talk about the # of missed shots -even Snuggerrud who is complimented for at least having a shoot mentality. I think it will be easier to find someone to click with Thomas than it will be to rely on Kyrou or Buch to not kill the play. Great playmakers are hard to find and I suspect Carbonneau will be like Snuggerrud & eventually get their hard shots on net regularly & start scoring. But give those two an avg center man & we’ll lose the new core. I also wonder in Neighbours is overhyped. He disappears in games to me. And last, the D zone is a mess and Parayko & Fowler used to go like Broberg from end to end and have a forward cover the point. Now it is a mess and messed up Fowler & Parayko . Nobody has mentioned trying to move Fowler. I’m just surprised . He must be super frustrated. Saying this the other coaches are are factors too. What a mess

[DawgDad]

Losing Thomas to injury (or plural) was the biggest risk this season. Neighbours was never expected to be the leading goal scorer. The veterans on this team are all battling hockey demons (perhaps Faulk gets a pass), that cannot be overcome in-season. Add all the key players who are and have been on IR to a group of prospects struggling to adapt and we see a team stuck in the mud.

It can and should get better even with mainly the same group, but the guys on IR need to get healthy.

[aslord]

this thred be dum

[stlblue06]

The Blues are not trading Thomas.

These are just rumors probably initiated by Army so it can appear from the outside that he’s doing everything he can to fix another disappointing season. In reality he has no plans to trade him

[DawgDad]

The Blues are not trading Thomas.

These are just rumors probably initiated by Army so it can appear from the outside that he’s doing everything he can to fix another disappointing season. In reality he has no plans to trade him

Yep, Army does all those right things he does for all the wrong reasons.

[Ziggy3]

Problem with trading Thomas isn't that he's some untouchable-level player in general; it's that for this Blues team right now he is very close to that.

What are you getting back that doesn't plunge them to the basement for the foreseeable future? He's the only thing even remotely resembling a 1C that we have now or on the horizon. Who is trading a prospect that is likely to become Thomas in the next year or two for Thomas right now? Or a similar established player, and why?

Because we'd simply have to get some sort of replacement coming back. Are we going to run with a 21-year-old Dvorsky as the 1C? I just don't see much that makes sense unless we are ready for a multi-year, real-deal rebuild operation with no notion of playoffs for a good while, and I promise you this ownership is not, nor will they probably ever be, ready for that.

[moose-and-squirrel]

tacos

[Harry S Deals]

Im not sure how Rutherford would know anything other than the Thomas quote which he probably got directly. Jeremy Rutherford is ok but hes a notch up from click bait.

Anyone who thinks that Army cant get ANYTHING substantial for Faulk, Schenn probably Kyrou too is joking themselves. Whether the Blues make a bunch of deals or just a couple or anything at all, who knows. Guys with big, long contracts are hard to move to contenders generally due to lack of space. The Blues may not want what other teams can offer the Blues may not want a bad contract back, Army doesnt have to do anything at all this year if he doesnt want to

Joseph, Sunny and Fabbri are the Blues only expiring UFA contracts.

Unless the Blues (as a whole, not just "Army") like the deal AND unless the Blues player waives to that team then its going to be hard to deal.

[dhsux]

Im not sure how Rutherford would know anything other than the Thomas quote which he probably got directly. Jeremy Rutherford is ok but hes a notch up from click bait.

Anyone who thinks that Army cant get ANYTHING substantial for Faulk, Schenn probably Kyrou too is joking themselves. Whether the Blues make a bunch of deals or just a couple or anything at all, who knows. Guys with big, long contracts are hard to move to contenders generally due to lack of space. The Blues may not want what other teams can offer the Blues may not want a bad contract back, Army doesnt have to do anything at all this year if he doesnt want to

Joseph, Sunny and Fabbri are the Blues only expiring UFA contracts.

Unless the Blues (as a whole, not just "Army") like the deal AND unless the Blues player waives to that team then its going to be hard to deal.

As far as TDL deals, there's a lot of hockey to go for seller and buying teams both before one can say anything definitive about potential returns.

If DA wants a strong return for any of those players, and circumstances lean his favor, it only takes one taker to make it happen.

[DawgDad]

As Harry points out, Army doesn't HAVE to move ANY of the veterans, though the pending UFA guys may be targeted. There could be a big push next season. It may be better to see if they can get everyone healthy and see where they stand, who rebounds and who doesn't, who is getting pushed out.