Mikkola is the real boss

[Kariyadog]

Man he is playing unreal. Fore checking, joining/ leading rushes, clearing the crease, solid outlet passes. Looks like Pronger 2.0 out there!

[MiamiLaw]

Big miss by Army throwing him into the Tarasenko trade. Blues developed him and another team is now benefiting.

[theograce]

The Boss of what? He’s getting #4 minutes.

Very valuable player to have though. I’d take him over Faulk in a heartbeat and is much better than Broberg right now:

[skilles]

People have very strange ways of looking at things, we kept Mikkola in STL pretty much the entire time we had the power do do so.

[bluetunehead]

People have very strange ways of looking at things, we kept Mikkola in STL pretty much the entire time we had the power do do so.

Yeah he was going to be a UFA. Possible we could have signed him to an extension but he might have wanted to go elsewhere. He also wasn’t particularly special with us. He was a bottom pairing defenseman whose play generally reflected that.

He got better playing with Florida (a better, deeper team) but he’s still very clearly only their #4. Ekblad, Forsling, and Jones are all at 22+ minutes a night (Jones at 25) and Mikkola is getting 19. It’s pretty much the same as last year with Montour instead of Jones.

[skilles]

People have very strange ways of looking at things, we kept Mikkola in STL pretty much the entire time we had the power do do so.

Yeah he was going to be a UFA. Possible we could have signed him to an extension but he might have wanted to go elsewhere. He also wasn’t particularly special with us. He was a bottom pairing defenseman whose play generally reflected that.

He got better playing with Florida (a better, deeper team) but he’s still very clearly only their #4. Ekblad, Forsling, and Jones are all at 22+ minutes a night (Jones at 25) and Mikkola is getting 19. It’s pretty much the same as last year with Montour instead of Jones.

I think there is almost no chance he wanted to stay here VS going somewhere else to compete in the playoffs and I think the Blues would have happily kept him around if he did just like they did all the years he didn't have a choice.

[Cahokanut]

People have very strange ways of looking at things, we kept Mikkola in STL pretty much the entire time we had the power do do so.

Yeah he was going to be a UFA. Possible we could have signed him to an extension but he might have wanted to go elsewhere. He also wasn’t particularly special with us. He was a bottom pairing defenseman whose play generally reflected that.

He got better playing with Florida (a better, deeper team) but he’s still very clearly only their #4. Ekblad, Forsling, and Jones are all at 22+ minutes a night (Jones at 25) and Mikkola is getting 19. It’s pretty much the same as last year with Montour instead of Jones.

I think there is almost no chance he wanted to stay here VS going somewhere else to compete in the playoffs and I think the Blues would have happily kept him around if he did just like they did all the years he didn't have a choice.

This is bull[shirt]. I get it. Army the great.
Mikkola like many many others showed he could play in the league way before his last year.
But he wasn't given a opportunity. We played old guys.
And let the young guy go.
I know it sucks, for some. That the image so many worship is made up. But Army is the worse at evaluating young talent.

[netboy65]

People have very strange ways of looking at things, we kept Mikkola in STL pretty much the entire time we had the power do do so.

Yeah he was going to be a UFA. Possible we could have signed him to an extension but he might have wanted to go elsewhere. He also wasn’t particularly special with us. He was a bottom pairing defenseman whose play generally reflected that.

He got better playing with Florida (a better, deeper team) but he’s still very clearly only their #4. Ekblad, Forsling, and Jones are all at 22+ minutes a night (Jones at 25) and Mikkola is getting 19. It’s pretty much the same as last year with Montour instead of Jones.

I think there is almost no chance he wanted to stay here VS going somewhere else to compete in the playoffs and I think the Blues would have happily kept him around if he did just like they did all the years he didn't have a choice.

This is bull[shirt]. I get it. Army the great.
Mikkola like many many others showed he could play in the league way before his last year.
But he wasn't given a opportunity. We played old guys.
And let the young guy go.
I know it sucks, for some. That the image so many worship is made up. But Army is the worse at evaluating young talent.

UFA can pretty much go where ever they want eh? There were rumblings he was going to want more $ than we had to spend under the cap, and as someone said, he was just ok here. Don’t let that get in the way of a good rant though, carry on.

[a smell of green grass]

Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola were traded Thursday by the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Sammy Blais, defensive prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Just another fine day of work by the Chief Bumbler in Charge.

Unbelievable how the Blues can get so fleeced in a deal. This is how you go from a Cup in 2019 to nowhere, fast.

Put on your best dress, Army Moms. This is going to need some explaining.

[Hooking]

Man he is playing unreal. Fore checking, joining/ leading rushes, clearing the crease, solid outlet passes. Looks like Pronger 2.0 out there!

I get that he is playing good but Pronger 2.0?
No.

[netboy65]

Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola were traded Thursday by the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Sammy Blais, defensive prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Just another fine day of work by the Chief Bumbler in Charge.

Unbelievable how the Blues can get so fleeced in a deal. This is how you go from a Cup in 2019 to nowhere, fast.

Put on your best dress, Army Moms. This is going to need some explaining.

Tell us troll, what would be an acceptable return for two UFA players neither of which was likely to re-sign here?
It was a perfect sell high moment on 91 considering he’s on his 4th team already since leaving here.

[a smell of green grass]

Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola were traded Thursday by the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Sammy Blais, defensive prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Just another fine day of work by the Chief Bumbler in Charge.

Unbelievable how the Blues can get so fleeced in a deal. This is how you go from a Cup in 2019 to nowhere, fast.

Put on your best dress, Army Moms. This is going to need some explaining.

Tell us troll, what would be an acceptable return for two UFA players neither of which was likely to re-sign here?
It was a perfect sell high moment on 91 considering he’s on his 4th team already since leaving here.

How do you see that Mikkola is not likely to re-sign here? Is that because Army was overpaying too many old veterans on long-term contracts with no-trade clauses?

Tarasenko being on his 4th team is more of an indication that he does have value, than not.

Barbashev, Mikkola.... Mental note, folks. Anytime Army "trades away a young player", look for him to be very visible in the playoffs down the road.

[MiamiLaw]

Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola were traded Thursday by the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Sammy Blais, defensive prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Just another fine day of work by the Chief Bumbler in Charge.

Unbelievable how the Blues can get so fleeced in a deal. This is how you go from a Cup in 2019 to nowhere, fast.

Put on your best dress, Army Moms. This is going to need some explaining.

Tell us troll, what would be an acceptable return for two UFA players neither of which was likely to re-sign here?
It was a perfect sell high moment on 91 considering he’s on his 4th team already since leaving here.

How do you see that Mikkola is not likely to re-sign here? Is that because Army was overpaying too many old veterans on long-term contracts with no-trade clauses?

Tarasenko being on his 4th team is more of an indication that he does have value, than not.

Barbashev, Mikkola.... Mental note, folks. Anytime Army "trades away a young player", look for him to be very visible in the playoffs down the road.

I agree with you on the “who said Niko wouldn’t sign here?” part. I’ve never heard anything on that either way. UFAs can be re-signed people. If they all want to leave (or he is failing to identify the ones that are more valuable here than turned into draft picks), that’s also not a good look for Army.

[TBone]

Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola were traded Thursday by the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Sammy Blais, defensive prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Just another fine day of work by the Chief Bumbler in Charge.

Unbelievable how the Blues can get so fleeced in a deal. This is how you go from a Cup in 2019 to nowhere, fast.

Put on your best dress, Army Moms. This is going to need some explaining.

Tell us troll, what would be an acceptable return for two UFA players neither of which was likely to re-sign here?
It was a perfect sell high moment on 91 considering he’s on his 4th team already since leaving here.

There's no need for Stinky to list the draft picks since the players have been chosen

2023 1st rounder was D Otto Lindstein
2024 conditional 4th which actually became a 3rd: C Adam Jecho

Everyone knows about Lindstein. Jecho is still only 19 and has had back to back 23 and 25 goal seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings and had 7 points in 7 games (2G, 5A) at the 2025 World Juniors. He's also 6'5" and 200 pounds.

Yeah, I wish we still had Mikkola but to start whining about Armstrong's trade before the results are final is pathetic.

[a smell of green grass]

Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola were traded Thursday by the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Sammy Blais, defensive prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Just another fine day of work by the Chief Bumbler in Charge.

Unbelievable how the Blues can get so fleeced in a deal. This is how you go from a Cup in 2019 to nowhere, fast.

Put on your best dress, Army Moms. This is going to need some explaining.

Tell us troll, what would be an acceptable return for two UFA players neither of which was likely to re-sign here?
It was a perfect sell high moment on 91 considering he’s on his 4th team already since leaving here.

There's no need for Stinky to list the draft picks since the players have been chosen

2023 1st rounder was D Otto Lindstein
2024 conditional 4th which actually became a 3rd: C Adam Jecho

Everyone knows about Lindstein. Jecho is still only 19 and has had back to back 23 and 25 goal seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings and had 7 points in 7 games (2G, 5A) at the 2025 World Juniors. He's also 6'5" and 200 pounds.

Yeah, I wish we still had Mikkola but to start whining about Armstrong's trade before the results are final is pathetic.

My mistake. Let's clarify.

So Army is hoping that Lindstein eventually, maybe, if we are lucky, and if he ever comes to America, turns into what Mikkola already is.
and Army is hoping the Jecho eventually, maybe, if we are lucky, is 1/2 of what Tarasenko is.

Army got fleeced. That is what happened. We parlayed known quantities into just more clogs in the prospect pipeline.

[wiscrev]

Smellie doesn't comprehend that Mikkola was not the person he is now when he was here. "Focus Daniel, Focus!"