Army's Departure and its impact on team

[diehardbluesfan1]

One year in the top 3 could change our entire team. Grab an elite player in the top three like a Stenburg and get lucky in the second round with a Hutson? Done

[DawgDad]

Army desperately hired Monty because he was very concerned with leaving the team BETTER than when he started.

Sadly, that hasty move now foretells the team moves for the rest of this year. The team is now even worse than when Monty started, and even worse than it has been in many years.

There are 2 big questions now:

1) What desperation short-term moves is Army going to make to save his legacy in St Louis? For sure, Army is going to WIN WIN WIN to close out the season--DESTROYING DRAFT POSITION. The Blues will be instructed to hit every head thinking about a golf cart, and the team will win big -- GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF PROGRESS. And short-term moves will be made. Bring in some skilled vets that ensure the appearance of "progress".

2) Army's roster is a mess. The hole that he dug in St Louis is deep. And who is primed to take over? Current Answer: A rookie trained by the master that dug the hole. Is Steen the answer to fix this mess?

Fase premise. Army didn't dig a hole, he sought to keep a window of contention open for a veteran core.

This is a team in transition. Most of the earlly transition draft picks are still VERY young, working their way up to
the NHL, Quite a few are still in Juniors or college.

Several years ago on this forum I and others posited a younger core wouldn't be ready to make a difference until the end of this decade. Last season and league parity raised hopes they might make some noise during the transition. It hasn't worked out this season. That's it. That's the story. Blues fans need to be patient. Along the way, avoid the snake oil sellers trying to convince you the sky is falling. It isn't, this is just a team in transition struggling through numerous injuries and performance issues.

How much is all that snake oil you selling. Hope it's cheap. Cause you seem to have a warehouse full.

Each year the teams overall health has gotten worse. Besides the facts. Each year fans of Army claim its getting better. Because we play the hardest on other teams day off for those 2-1 wins

I'm a fan of the Blues.

I've been a fan since the beginning. I've weathered "storms" far worse than this. I've seen top-5 picks fizzle out. I've seen good GMs by reputation accomplish nothing and bad ownership groups wreck the team. [I saw an entire home-town franchise come and go in Atlanta, lots of high picks that never got them anywhere in the playoffs, GM that is stll in the league, promoted up to President/GM]. I am not buying the garbage you're selling. I've smelled it before, many times.

[Jeff Goldblum]

4 months left in the season and the doom and gloomers are already calling for a top 5. It's like some of you have never watched sports before.

[ManitobaBlues]

4 months left in the season and the doom and gloomers are already calling for a top 5. It's like some of you have never watched sports before.

This team just isn’t good defensively, and we’re not seeing anything close to high-level hockey right now. I honestly don’t know how anyone can believe things are suddenly going to turn around. There’s no spark, no identity, and definitely no depth to lean on.

At this point, a top-5 pick might be the best thing for the Blues—not just for this season, but for the long-term future of the team. Sometimes taking a step back is what sets you up to finally move forward.

[DawgDad]

4 months left in the season and the doom and gloomers are already calling for a top 5. It's like some of you have never watched sports before.

This team just isn’t good defensively, and we’re not seeing anything close to high-level hockey right now. I honestly don’t know how anyone can believe things are suddenly going to turn around. There’s no spark, no identity, and definitely no depth to lean on.

At this point, a top-5 pick might be the best thing for the Blues—not just for this season, but for the long-term future of the team. Sometimes taking a step back is what sets you up to finally move forward.

You have a good point but . . . starting the season it was mostly the same team that finished strong last season. On top of the individual player meltdowns (Hofer, Mailloux, Buchnevich, et al) a wave of debilitating injuries has piled on. Thomas, Neighbours, Toropchenko, Walker, Snuggerud, Kyrou, all starters, part of the core. It's been part step back, part slap down. But yes, it will likely set up for a nice rebound effect, more transition.

[Jeff Goldblum]

4 months left in the season and the doom and gloomers are already calling for a top 5. It's like some of you have never watched sports before.

This team just isn’t good defensively, and we’re not seeing anything close to high-level hockey right now. I honestly don’t know how anyone can believe things are suddenly going to turn around. There’s no spark, no identity, and definitely no depth to lean on.

At this point, a top-5 pick might be the best thing for the Blues—not just for this season, but for the long-term future of the team. Sometimes taking a step back is what sets you up to finally move forward.

They were terrible last season until February. Give them a little more time. If they are still this inept by the trade deadline then make some trades for picks and play the kids.

[LGB73]

Amry isn't going to do anything drastic. Fill in parts like Fabbri to keep bodies in the lineup here and in Springfield. Come the TDL, he'll try to make some trades of vets like Faulk, Buch, Schenn who are closer to turning the page to the final chapters of their career to open up flexibility on roster construction in the offseason. Maybe move Kyrou but I doubt it unless the return is strong.

The team out there will be coached to produce the best results they can and as they should be. No team asks its players to go out there and suck. I still doubt it's a team that will finish in the bottom 5 in the league. Probably land in the 8-12 spot which would be short of expectation but better than they are playing now.

[son_of_foolsgold]

Nothing is going to change when Army departs, because he'll still be running things from aside...every decision will need to be approved by him.

[somni]

What is amazing is if the Blues would have just won 3 of the 7 OT losses, they would be in a playoff position.

[Cahokanut]

Army desperately hired Monty because he was very concerned with leaving the team BETTER than when he started.

Sadly, that hasty move now foretells the team moves for the rest of this year. The team is now even worse than when Monty started, and even worse than it has been in many years.

There are 2 big questions now:

1) What desperation short-term moves is Army going to make to save his legacy in St Louis? For sure, Army is going to WIN WIN WIN to close out the season--DESTROYING DRAFT POSITION. The Blues will be instructed to hit every head thinking about a golf cart, and the team will win big -- GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF PROGRESS. And short-term moves will be made. Bring in some skilled vets that ensure the appearance of "progress".

2) Army's roster is a mess. The hole that he dug in St Louis is deep. And who is primed to take over? Current Answer: A rookie trained by the master that dug the hole. Is Steen the answer to fix this mess?

Fase premise. Army didn't dig a hole, he sought to keep a window of contention open for a veteran core.

This is a team in transition. Most of the earlly transition draft picks are still VERY young, working their way up to
the NHL, Quite a few are still in Juniors or college.

Several years ago on this forum I and others posited a younger core wouldn't be ready to make a difference until the end of this decade. Last season and league parity raised hopes they might make some noise during the transition. It hasn't worked out this season. That's it. That's the story. Blues fans need to be patient. Along the way, avoid the snake oil sellers trying to convince you the sky is falling. It isn't, this is just a team in transition struggling through numerous injuries and performance issues.

How much is all that snake oil you selling. Hope it's cheap. Cause you seem to have a warehouse full.

Each year the teams overall health has gotten worse. Besides the facts. Each year fans of Army claim its getting better. Because we play the hardest on other teams day off for those 2-1 wins

I'm a fan of the Blues.

I've been a fan since the beginning. I've weathered "storms" far worse than this. I've seen top-5 picks fizzle out. I've seen good GMs by reputation accomplish nothing and bad ownership groups wreck the team. [I saw an entire home-town franchise come and go in Atlanta, lots of high picks that never got them anywhere in the playoffs, GM that is stll in the league, promoted up to President/GM]. I am not buying the garbage you're selling. I've smelled it before, many times.

Yeah me too. Except I grew up watching every game I could. Played on the streets every day I could, played on the ice every year I did.
While you were talking ozzie, and Lonnie. I was finding two by fours and stealing mom's sheets for a new goal.
We all have our stories. And Everyone here is a fan.

But the longer this team ignores skills to work hard. The bigger full rebuild we will need.
I don't have full rebuild time.

[a smell of green grass]

Army has gotten almost ZERO value from the NHL draft for years. He somehow thought that he was TOP5, and he could find talent despite it all. It was only a matter of time for this day of reckoning. Springfield is losing, The Blues are losing. The players holding down the key positions down the middle are getting older and the fresh horses in the stables are weak substitutes. The players that we want to get rid of, are signed for 5+ years, and the players that we need are on the other rosters.

Army is desperate, Sports fans. He does not want to go out like this. I fully expect to see the very worst moves of his tenure to happen soon. He needs to show progress at all cost. His reputation is riding on it.

[DawgDad]

Army has gotten almost ZERO value from the NHL draft for years. He somehow thought that he was TOP5, and he could find talent despite it all. It was only a matter of time for this day of reckoning. Springfield is losing, The Blues are losing. The players holding down the key positions down the middle are getting older and the fresh horses in the stables are weak substitutes. The players that we want to get rid of, are signed for 5+ years, and the players that we need are on the other rosters.

Army is desperate, Sports fans. He does not want to go out like this. I fully expect to see the very worst moves of his tenure to happen soon. He needs to show progress at all cost. His reputation is riding on it.

LOL. Your lead sentence is pure nonsense, your closing argument is "The sky is falling".

[LGB73]

Army has gotten almost ZERO value from the NHL draft for years. He somehow thought that he was TOP5, and he could find talent despite it all. It was only a matter of time for this day of reckoning. Springfield is losing, The Blues are losing. The players holding down the key positions down the middle are getting older and the fresh horses in the stables are weak substitutes. The players that we want to get rid of, are signed for 5+ years, and the players that we need are on the other rosters.

Army is desperate, Sports fans. He does not want to go out like this. I fully expect to see the very worst moves of his tenure to happen soon. He needs to show progress at all cost. His reputation is riding on it.

Neighbours, Snuggerud, Mailloux(substituted for Bolduc), Dvorsky, Lindstein, Carbonneau are all busts? Think it's a little early to call the guys from the last 5 drafts weak substitutes or busts at this point. They're young and need time to develop which is one of the downsides of not having top 5 picks. They they usually don't make their mark without a little more time to develop, but that doesn't mean they won't. That's part of being a fan: pulling for your prospects to meet or exceed their expected draft ceilings.

[a smell of green grass]

Army has gotten almost ZERO value from the NHL draft for years. He somehow thought that he was TOP5, and he could find talent despite it all. It was only a matter of time for this day of reckoning. Springfield is losing, The Blues are losing. The players holding down the key positions down the middle are getting older and the fresh horses in the stables are weak substitutes. The players that we want to get rid of, are signed for 5+ years, and the players that we need are on the other rosters.

Army is desperate, Sports fans. He does not want to go out like this. I fully expect to see the very worst moves of his tenure to happen soon. He needs to show progress at all cost. His reputation is riding on it.

Neighbours, Snuggerud, Mailloux(substituted for Bolduc), Dvorsky, Lindstein, Carbonneau are all busts? Think it's a little early to call the guys from the last 5 drafts weak substitutes or busts at this point. They're young and need time to develop which is one of the downsides of not having top 5 picks. They they usually don't make their mark without a little more time to develop, but that doesn't mean they won't. That's part of being a fan: pulling for your prospects to meet or exceed their expected draft ceilings.

First of all, the Blues never seem to have the full set of picks. Army likes to trade those away. Just getting rid of Kevin Hayes cost us a Rd2 pick, etc.

Then, take a look at these picks. Does a Stanley Cup appear certain with this stable of horses? Average is all that I see. Average, at best.

2017 Robert Thomas
2017 Klim Kostin
2017 Torpochenko

2018 Dominik Bok
2018 Scott Perunovich
2018 Hofer

2019 Nikita Alexanderov

2020 Neighbors
2020 Peterson

2021 Bolduc => Mailloux
2022 Snuggerud

2023 Dvorsky
2023 Stenberg
2023 Lindstein

[DawgDad]

Army has gotten almost ZERO value from the NHL draft for years. He somehow thought that he was TOP5, and he could find talent despite it all. It was only a matter of time for this day of reckoning. Springfield is losing, The Blues are losing. The players holding down the key positions down the middle are getting older and the fresh horses in the stables are weak substitutes. The players that we want to get rid of, are signed for 5+ years, and the players that we need are on the other rosters.

Army is desperate, Sports fans. He does not want to go out like this. I fully expect to see the very worst moves of his tenure to happen soon. He needs to show progress at all cost. His reputation is riding on it.

Neighbours, Snuggerud, Mailloux(substituted for Bolduc), Dvorsky, Lindstein, Carbonneau are all busts? Think it's a little early to call the guys from the last 5 drafts weak substitutes or busts at this point. They're young and need time to develop which is one of the downsides of not having top 5 picks. They they usually don't make their mark without a little more time to develop, but that doesn't mean they won't. That's part of being a fan: pulling for your prospects to meet or exceed their expected draft ceilings.

First of all, the Blues never seem to have the full set of picks. Army likes to trade those away. Just getting rid of Kevin Hayes cost us a Rd2 pick, etc.

Then, take a look at these picks. Does a Stanley Cup appear certain with this stable of horses? Average is all that I see. Average, at best.

2017 Robert Thomas
2017 Klim Kostin
2017 Torpochenko

2018 Dominik Bok
2018 Scott Perunovich
2018 Hofer

2019 Nikita Alexanderov

2020 Neighbors
2020 Peterson

2021 Bolduc => Mailloux
2022 Snuggerud

2023 Dvorsky
2023 Stenberg
2023 Lindstein

The 2021-23 guys are too young to be difference makers. Of the others you list four starters over four drafts, including a 1C (90 point pace last season) and a 1B goaltender and Neighbours (no slouch on any team). That doesn't strike me as "average".

[Old_Goat]

I actually was frustrated a LOT more when we would on more than one occasion trade future First Round picks and decent players to get a "savior" that flops like a real goalie flop so that we can go further in that season such as Ryan Miller. What makes it worse is when you have a pretty good idea that he won't re-sign with you, because his wife is an actress wanting to be in LA and you still have the other part of the trade "contributing' (if you want to call it that -- Steve Ott) and you give up a former First Round pick whom is still playing -- Lars Eller and you still do not get out of the 1st Round, because of the savior did flop.
I'm not as agitated now.