If you've got an hour or so to kill while multitasking this is worth a listen.
Lots of talk about how new players will fit in, line combinations, D pairings and when young players will be intergrated.
One talking point that caught my attention was how critical the Brandon Carlo signing was. He's so good at killing offense with his suffocating defense they foresee him starting a game on the 3rd pairing with Cam Fowler then elevated to the top pair with Broberg late when trying to close out games. Makes sense as he's a +137 on 29 goals and 119 points in his career.
Some good old hockey talk which summarizes all of the moves the Blues have made to date.
Disclaimer: The video above is hosted on Youtube, and has not be reviewed by the staff of the Post-Dispatch.
Another point they made was the addition of Brandon Carlo should allow Cam Fowler's offense to open up again since he won't have to worry about defense first playing with inexperienced / substandard partners. Hope so. That $6.5 x 3 contract could become another Marco Scandella albatross as it ages.
TBone wrote: ↑03 Jul 2026 06:51 am
Too late to edit my original post.
Another point they made was the addition of Brandon Carlo should allow Cam Fowler's offense to open up again since he won't have to worry about defense first playing with inexperienced / substandard partners. Hope so. That $6.5 x 3 contract could become another Marco Scandella albatross as it ages.
Word is that Carlo is an amazing team mate to have.
I have always liked Carlo. I first noticed him during the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019. Steady and reliable not flashy, he didn't have the spotlight on him, but I was hoping that we could have somehow acquired him a couple of years ago. Better late than never and at this point this is a great fit and timing with our old and new prospective D-men.
Last edited by Old_Goat on 03 Jul 2026 08:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
brianstlou2 wrote: ↑03 Jul 2026 07:48 am
Do you think they try to switch back to a zone defense again or stick with man to man? M2M seems to work best for this team.
That is a really good question. Personally, I tend to lean toward the zone -- simpler, but requires lots of practice, stability in whom the partners are to know/anticipate the handoff and lots of communication. It also slows down the tiring mad scramble that can lead to mistakes or gaps, especially during the second period. But maybe even more of a hybrid defense depending on whom may be on the ice for the opponents and is it PK situation and maybe man-to-man for forwards further away from the goal line.
But I'll defer to the new coaches to make the call.
Old_Goat wrote: ↑03 Jul 2026 08:01 am
I have always liked Carlo. I first noticed him during the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019. Steady and reliable not flashy, he didn't have the spotlight on him, but I was hoping that we could have somehow acquired him a couple of years ago. Better late than never and at this point this is a great fit and timing with our old and new prospective D-men.
Agree. Admittedly, haven’t watched much of him other than the cup finals, when he was 6-7 years younger. From what I’ve read since the trade though, he’s exactly what we were missing on the 3rd pair last season. A big body with length, not overly physical, but strong enough to win battles, defensively sound and great on the PK, especially as a shot blocker. Also, while not a great fighter, saw some clips of him dropping the gloves and chucking some good rights. Hopefully a more skilled Eddy/Borts mix.
