Poll: 5% Better

[DawgDad]

I'm curious. How many think that the Blues will be 5% better this year--per Armstrong's comments?

I just don't see it happening.

I see two issues with your post. First, you dropped the question out of the blue (pun?) on a random mid-summer day, nothing really going on to spur further assessment of the team that hasn't been hashed out ad nauseum. Second, you just can't hold back on the negativity. You probably should have just dropped the question and posted your opinion later but you triggered the "Here we go again" reaction.

As things stand now I'm waiting for camp to start before making any predictions. Want to see who comes in healthy (Holloway), how the team comes together.

I'll record this reply as a LAME Yes vote. We all know that Dawg Dad in going to vote YES, but he is going to float his opinion on a sea of caveats and excuses.

I'm bullish on this team BUT now is not the time to go on record with preseason predictions, There are open issues I want to see more evidence on in camp (Holloway, Snuggerud, how the new guys fit, where the prospects stand). Generally, the Blues roster appears to be in a better position now than at the beginning of last season IF Holloway is healthy. They don't figure to be as dysfunctional as they were at the beginning of last season and they aren't likely to sustain the level of play after the 4Nations, so there is a levelling effect there. I believe this team COULD step it up and be a force to be reckoned with if they pull together as a team and keep refining their game under Monty's leadership. It's fair to EXPECT them to be a playoff team, this question deals with their ceiling. If the veterans do it again and the new guys plug the holes effectively and Snuggerud is an effective top-6 forward and they get reasonably good health and goaltending then they could be one of the better teams in Blues history. Falling short of that, they should hit the 5% mark.

[a smell of green grass]

I'm curious. How many think that the Blues will be 5% better this year--per Armstrong's comments?

I just don't see it happening.

I see two issues with your post. First, you dropped the question out of the blue (pun?) on a random mid-summer day, nothing really going on to spur further assessment of the team that hasn't been hashed out ad nauseum. Second, you just can't hold back on the negativity. You probably should have just dropped the question and posted your opinion later but you triggered the "Here we go again" reaction.

As things stand now I'm waiting for camp to start before making any predictions. Want to see who comes in healthy (Holloway), how the team comes together.

I'll record this reply as a LAME Yes vote. We all know that Dawg Dad in going to vote YES, but he is going to float his opinion on a sea of caveats and excuses.

I'm bullish on this team BUT now is not the time to go on record with preseason predictions, There are open issues I want to see more evidence on in camp (Holloway, Snuggerud, how the new guys fit, where the prospects stand). Generally, the Blues roster appears to be in a better position now than at the beginning of last season IF Holloway is healthy. They don't figure to be as dysfunctional as they were at the beginning of last season and they aren't likely to sustain the level of play after the 4Nations, so there is a levelling effect there. I believe this team COULD step it up and be a force to be reckoned with if they pull together as a team and keep refining their game under Monty's leadership. It's fair to EXPECT them to be a playoff team, this question deals with their ceiling. If the veterans do it again and the new guys plug the holes effectively and Snuggerud is an effective top-6 forward and they get reasonably good health and goaltending then they could be one of the better teams in Blues history. Falling short of that, they should hit the 5% mark.

I’ll summarize. DawgDad is not confident at this time that the Blues will meet Army’s 2025 target goal. In 2 months or so, he will have a better handle on the excuses, and then he will be glad to let you know what he finds.

[DawgDad]

I'm curious. How many think that the Blues will be 5% better this year--per Armstrong's comments?

I just don't see it happening.

I see two issues with your post. First, you dropped the question out of the blue (pun?) on a random mid-summer day, nothing really going on to spur further assessment of the team that hasn't been hashed out ad nauseum. Second, you just can't hold back on the negativity. You probably should have just dropped the question and posted your opinion later but you triggered the "Here we go again" reaction.

As things stand now I'm waiting for camp to start before making any predictions. Want to see who comes in healthy (Holloway), how the team comes together.

I'll record this reply as a LAME Yes vote. We all know that Dawg Dad in going to vote YES, but he is going to float his opinion on a sea of caveats and excuses.

I'm bullish on this team BUT now is not the time to go on record with preseason predictions, There are open issues I want to see more evidence on in camp (Holloway, Snuggerud, how the new guys fit, where the prospects stand). Generally, the Blues roster appears to be in a better position now than at the beginning of last season IF Holloway is healthy. They don't figure to be as dysfunctional as they were at the beginning of last season and they aren't likely to sustain the level of play after the 4Nations, so there is a levelling effect there. I believe this team COULD step it up and be a force to be reckoned with if they pull together as a team and keep refining their game under Monty's leadership. It's fair to EXPECT them to be a playoff team, this question deals with their ceiling. If the veterans do it again and the new guys plug the holes effectively and Snuggerud is an effective top-6 forward and they get reasonably good health and goaltending then they could be one of the better teams in Blues history. Falling short of that, they should hit the 5% mark.

I’ll summarize. DawgDad is not confident at this time that the Blues will meet Army’s 2025 target goal. In 2 months or so, he will have a better handle on the excuses, and then he will be glad to let you know what he finds.

Your reading comprehension is suffering. Re-read my last two sentences.

[Stlcardsblues]

I'm curious. How many think that the Blues will be 5% better this year--per Armstrong's comments?

I just don't see it happening.

Yes this will be a better team than last year. It is deeper.

[Backesdraft]

I'm curious. How many think that the Blues will be 5% better this year--per Armstrong's comments?

I just don't see it happening.

I see two issues with your post. First, you dropped the question out of the blue (pun?) on a random mid-summer day, nothing really going on to spur further assessment of the team that hasn't been hashed out ad nauseum. Second, you just can't hold back on the negativity. You probably should have just dropped the question and posted your opinion later but you triggered the "Here we go again" reaction.

As things stand now I'm waiting for camp to start before making any predictions. Want to see who comes in healthy (Holloway), how the team comes together.

I'll record this reply as a LAME Yes vote. We all know that Dawg Dad in going to vote YES, but he is going to float his opinion on a sea of caveats and excuses.

I'm bullish on this team BUT now is not the time to go on record with preseason predictions, There are open issues I want to see more evidence on in camp (Holloway, Snuggerud, how the new guys fit, where the prospects stand). Generally, the Blues roster appears to be in a better position now than at the beginning of last season IF Holloway is healthy. They don't figure to be as dysfunctional as they were at the beginning of last season and they aren't likely to sustain the level of play after the 4Nations, so there is a levelling effect there. I believe this team COULD step it up and be a force to be reckoned with if they pull together as a team and keep refining their game under Monty's leadership. It's fair to EXPECT them to be a playoff team, this question deals with their ceiling. If the veterans do it again and the new guys plug the holes effectively and Snuggerud is an effective top-6 forward and they get reasonably good health and goaltending then they could be one of the better teams in Blues history. Falling short of that, they should hit the 5% mark.

I’ll summarize. DawgDad is not confident at this time that the Blues will meet Army’s 2025 target goal. In 2 months or so, he will have a better handle on the excuses, and then he will be glad to let you know what he finds.

I’ll summarize. ASOGG hasn’t been able to find another job since his paper route was suspended 3 and a half years ago and it’s desperate times at his mom’s house because rent is way overdue. That couch in the basement next to the hot water heater isn’t going to pay for itself after all.

[a smell of green grass]

I'm curious. How many think that the Blues will be 5% better this year--per Armstrong's comments?

I just don't see it happening.

Yes this will be a better team than last year. It is deeper.

What do you think about the other teams in the division? Are they better/same as last year?

[seattleblue]

Many many years ago I accepted that the playoffs are a different sport almost than the regular season.

Therefore I do not care the number of "points" the team collects in the regular season, therefore I can't imagine caring enough to predict how many regular season thingys they do. What I care about is winning in the playoffs. Five percent better is Armstrong saying this is a team good enough to win a round this upcoming season and hopefully will surprise people being better. I never think of how many points the Blues had in the prelims when they won the Cup. It was 99 but who cares.

I will be disappointed if this team doesn't win a playoff round.

This is a very fair take. It’s what I’d like to see as progress too.

That said, the Central will be a beast and who knows what that 1st round matchup might look like, how each team is playing come April, injuries etc. But high level, winning a playoff round should be the expectation going into the season IMO.

I understand the logic, but the playoffs can be a wildcard (pun intended). Things like injuries, hot streaks, etc. can happen and sometimes do.
In my opinion, this is year #2 of transitioning. I want a solid season and progress in the gaps that were identified being corrected.

The central is crazy good, but they should make the playoffs. But I have a hard time being overly disappointed if they lose in Rd 1. Of course, my opinion might change as the season progresses.

Completely agree. For now, I’m good with a goal of winning a round. But will I be disappointed if that doesn’t happen? TBD. Totally depends on how the season goes. I mean, let’s say we’re firing on all cylinders but then Thomas, Parayko and Binner all get injured the last month of the season and they’re unavailable for the 1st round. We then put up a solid fight but lose in 6. That’d be super disappointing but not in an underperformance sort of way. More in a “what could’ve been” sort of way.

But given where they’re at, how the roster looks, who should take steps or at least maintain their current levels, etc, I think a goal of winning 1 round is reasonable. But of course that’s why they actually play the games and so much can happen in an 82 game season and beyond.

Let me clarify between disappointment after the fact in the Blues themselves, as that is situation dependent and player by player, and disappointment with the overall season outcome as we sit here today answering this question.

I'd be slightly disappointed if this team in a league of 32 isn't in the final 8. Bitter disappointment? No. But I think the team is capable of winning a round. It's a team overall that should be roughly 7th-12th in power rankings. Once you are in the postseason I don't think it's super critical what home/away spot you're in. It's the fan's disappointment of losing instead of winning when both are possible that I'd feel. Not disappointment in the overall team direction (as we sit here today).

[Stlcardsblues]

I'm curious. How many think that the Blues will be 5% better this year--per Armstrong's comments?

I just don't see it happening.

Yes this will be a better team than last year. It is deeper.

What do you think about the other teams in the division? Are they better/same as last year?

Dallas and Colorado will be tough. I feel the Jets are likely to take a step back.

I also expect the Blues to play a higher level game and be a tough opponent to play each night.

[BalotelliMassive]

who is J Fresh Hockey?

https://x.com/JFreshHockey/status/1960709812242530538

[dr0zombie]

who is J Fresh Hockey?

https://x.com/JFreshHockey/status/1960709812242530538

https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJoseSharks/ ... /#lightbox

He nailed first in the draft this year. Maybe he is going for shock with his predictions? I guess I will be expecting this order to be as good as his draft order.

[seattleblue]

That is one hard, hard [defecating] of the bed as draft predictions. My god

[STL fan in MN]

That is one hard, hard [defecating] of the bed as draft predictions. My god

I was about to cut him some slack by saying it was a ranking and not a mock draft but then I noticed his secondary headline literally reads “Eighth and final pre-draft ranking and mock draft”

That said, he does produce some decent stats. But he’s another one of the stats guys that just spits out a model without actually adding context or adjusting the model when it clearly spits out garbage.

[somni]

Many many years ago I accepted that the playoffs are a different sport almost than the regular season.

Therefore I do not care the number of "points" the team collects in the regular season, therefore I can't imagine caring enough to predict how many regular season thingys they do. What I care about is winning in the playoffs. Five percent better is Armstrong saying this is a team good enough to win a round this upcoming season and hopefully will surprise people being better. I never think of how many points the Blues had in the prelims when they won the Cup. It was 99 but who cares.

I will be disappointed if this team doesn't win a playoff round.

This is a very fair take. It’s what I’d like to see as progress too.

That said, the Central will be a beast and who knows what that 1st round matchup might look like, how each team is playing come April, injuries etc. But high level, winning a playoff round should be the expectation going into the season IMO.

I understand the logic, but the playoffs can be a wildcard (pun intended). Things like injuries, hot streaks, etc. can happen and sometimes do.
In my opinion, this is year #2 of transitioning. I want a solid season and progress in the gaps that were identified being corrected.

The central is crazy good, but they should make the playoffs. But I have a hard time being overly disappointed if they lose in Rd 1. Of course, my opinion might change as the season progresses.

Completely agree. For now, I’m good with a goal of winning a round. But will I be disappointed if that doesn’t happen? TBD. Totally depends on how the season goes. I mean, let’s say we’re firing on all cylinders but then Thomas, Parayko and Binner all get injured the last month of the season and they’re unavailable for the 1st round. We then put up a solid fight but lose in 6. That’d be super disappointing but not in an underperformance sort of way. More in a “what could’ve been” sort of way.

But given where they’re at, how the roster looks, who should take steps or at least maintain their current levels, etc, I think a goal of winning 1 round is reasonable. But of course that’s why they actually play the games and so much can happen in an 82 game season and beyond.

Let me clarify between disappointment after the fact in the Blues themselves, as that is situation dependent and player by player, and disappointment with the overall season outcome as we sit here today answering this question.

I'd be slightly disappointed if this team in a league of 32 isn't in the final 8. Bitter disappointment? No. But I think the team is capable of winning a round. It's a team overall that should be roughly 7th-12th in power rankings. Once you are in the postseason I don't think it's super critical what home/away spot you're in. It's the fan's disappointment of losing instead of winning when both are possible that I'd feel. Not disappointment in the overall team direction (as we sit here today).

Well put.
I pretty much agree with you and especially on the team direction.
I haven't been this excited for a season to start for a couple years. Both with STL and in Springfield.

[seattleblue]

That is one hard, hard [defecating] of the bed as draft predictions. My god

I was about to cut him some slack by saying it was a ranking and not a mock draft but then I noticed his secondary headline literally reads “Eighth and final pre-draft ranking and mock draft”

That said, he does produce some decent stats. But he’s another one of the stats guys that just spits out a model without actually adding context or adjusting the model when it clearly spits out garbage.

Look at poor Reschny down at 42 lol

[b-a-a-a-rclay]

That is one hard, hard [defecating] of the bed as draft predictions. My god

I was about to cut him some slack by saying it was a ranking and not a mock draft but then I noticed his secondary headline literally reads “Eighth and final pre-draft ranking and mock draft”

That said, he does produce some decent stats. But he’s another one of the stats guys that just spits out a model without actually adding context or adjusting the model when it clearly spits out garbage.

Look at poor Reschny down at 42 lol

Yep. that one name in that spot pretty much puts a dagger in any credibility, right? I haven't personally seen Reschny but when he was still on the board along with Carbonneau with just a pick to go before the Blues pick ...

[STL fan in MN]

That is one hard, hard [defecating] of the bed as draft predictions. My god

I was about to cut him some slack by saying it was a ranking and not a mock draft but then I noticed his secondary headline literally reads “Eighth and final pre-draft ranking and mock draft”

That said, he does produce some decent stats. But he’s another one of the stats guys that just spits out a model without actually adding context or adjusting the model when it clearly spits out garbage.

Look at poor Reschny down at 42 lol

92 pts in 62 games in the Dub as a 17 yr old - a league of 16-19 yr olds. Led Team Canada in scoring for the 5 games he was there, 1C for their gold medal winning team. Hockey sense and compete level out the wazoo. 42nd best just in his class…ok.