Need to trade Buch

[Galatians221jb1]

At age 31 and under contract at $8mill per season for five more years, he isn't the future. It's exciting to see the new young players and having a veteran or two is desirable, but he just doesn't seem to fit into the fast skating, young forwards that we are acquiring and developing for the near future. Maybe he's unmovable. If possible, I'd hope we are not saddled with an $8 million contract for a forward who may never reach 20 goals again for five more years. He'll be around 37 in his last year on his contract. If we're going to move him, it won't get easier than now.

[tfriede2]

At age 31 and under contract at $8mill per season for five more years, he isn't the future. It's exciting to see the new young players and having a veteran or two is desirable, but he just doesn't seem to fit into the fast skating, young forwards that we are acquiring and developing for the near future. Maybe he's unmovable. If possible, I'd hope we are not saddled with an $8 million contract for a forward who may never reach 20 goals again for five more years. He'll be around 37 in his last year on his contract. If we're going to move him, it won't get easier than now.

He’ll actually be “only” 35 through all of the last season of his contract and will turn 36 during the playoffs (if we make them that year). If he’s a 20 goal 50 point guy, then he’s really not that overpaid in this new high cap environment.

[UMR-alum-05]

The cap is going up so the Blues don't have to do anything silly. Buch may rebound now with a better roster around him and players that more fit his style.

If they could move him out for a right shot winger. Even one maybe that's around the same age or has the same type of contract, that would be a plus in my mind.

[hornetfb52]

If trading Buch was an option, it likely would have been done by now. Much like we don’t want to be saddled with that contract, no other team wants it either

[UMR-alum-05]

Also I'll point out. He's still a very useful player. He's a responsible 200' player who is good on the penalty kill and he's still scoring 20.

If he were a free agent right now I bet he'd get 5x6 or something like that.

So while he is overpaid, he's still an asset. Let's not act like he's completely dead cap here.

[bgwinn01]

I like him on this team for at least this next season with the youth. He needs a bounce back year. But he still has that in him I think. No need to sell low on him right now.

[The Average Gatsby]

He certainly has the worst contract on the team. But we aren’t hurting for cap space and he does contribute so it’s not like we need to move him. Until someone beats him out for his spot and forces our hand there’s no reason to make a desperation move. Hopefully Carbonneau does that sooner rather than later though.

[PWD8730]

Why?
He is a good middle six winger that can play center (not great) when needed.
He kills penalties. He plays on the PP. He's durable 81/76/80 games last three years.
He is a veteran that can mentor the younger players. (Look at Chicago they have talented kids surrounded by cheap, underperforming vets and it kills them every year.)
He is a point per game performer for the Blues in the playoffs. He was a ppg player for much of his time during the regular season for the Blues. Thus the contract.
He is not old at 31.
8 million is not outlandish now.
If some team wants to blow the bank for him, sure deal him. He fits the Blues schema better than most teams so unlikely he is going anywhere for a cheap return.

[Harry York 37]

Why?
He is a good middle six winger that can play center (not great) when needed.
He kills penalties. He plays on the PP. He's durable 81/76/80 games last three years.
He is a veteran that can mentor the younger players. (Look at Chicago they have talented kids surrounded by cheap, underperforming vets and it kills them every year.)
He is a point per game performer for the Blues in the playoffs. He was a ppg player for much of his time during the regular season for the Blues. Thus the contract.
He is not old at 31.
8 million is not outlandish now.
If some team wants to blow the bank for him, sure deal him. He fits the Blues schema better than most teams so unlikely he is going anywhere for a cheap return.

l
Agree, wholeheartedly. He is a team guy and does his best wherever the Coach puts him. Ony 16 or 17 of his points last year involved Kyrou, and I think being chained to JK for much of the past 3 years ... changed his compete level.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQHnreWCUIP/

[Army's Mom]

Also I'll point out. He's still a very useful player. He's a responsible 200' player who is good on the penalty kill and he's still scoring 20.

If he were a free agent right now I bet he'd get 5x6 or something like that.

So while he is overpaid, he's still an asset. Let's not act like he's completely dead cap here.

This. In terms of what he provides versus what he costs, I'm not even sure he's our most overpaid player - that might be Fowler, based on last year. With better center depth (McTavish) and better defensive depth (Carlo), both should rebound this year and perform closer to their annual cap hits.

We're in good shape.

[Pierre McGuire]

I don’t really even care for Buch at all, I think it was a terrible decision to resign him but I think we need him at this point.

[Backesdraft]

Offensively, I think we’d all agree that Buch is overpaid. But, he does bring other intangibles that make him valuable (most of which have already been addressed earlier in this thread). Luckily, as the cap continues to rise, his money is easier and easier to work around.

[UMR-alum-05]

I don’t really even care for Buch at all, I think it was a terrible decision to resign him but I think we need him at this point.

I agree with all this. Someone has to score some goals. And someone has to kill penalties.

[dtkblueshockey]

They won't.

They need some veterans on the team and he is a player who does what the coach asks of him and more. It's also valuable to have someone who can play Top 6 minutes if needed and on any line at any position - and produce points while doing so.

It was going to be either Kyrou or Buchnevich and I think the Blues chose to move Kyrou because he's more 1 dimensional.

[stlblue06]

Buch’s time here as a Blue has been a frustrating one as a fan. The first 2 years here he was unbelievable. It looked like the steal of the century at first.

Then once the team started to stumble he became very inconsistent/streaky while making glaring mistakes regularly. He isn’t a line driver so it feels like he could bounce back with better linemates .

He does have a very solid playmaking instincts and usually smart defensively. Trading him now would be selling low as the Blues wouldn’t get anything in return, maybe even a negative value.

[Harry S Deals]

Also I'll point out. He's still a very useful player. He's a responsible 200' player who is good on the penalty kill and he's still scoring 20.

If he were a free agent right now I bet he'd get 5x6 or something like that.

So while he is overpaid, he's still an asset. Let's not act like he's completely dead cap here.

Theres a pretty good chance Buch ends up with more like 25 gs 60 pts which would not be overpaid plus as you say PK,PP