Valuing forwards.

[Ace07]

I've been a critic of the Bolduc v Mailloux trade since it happened, but what doesn't make sense to me is the Snuggerud vs Bolduc treatment.

Bolduc last season scored 19 goals playing on the 3rd line. He played a gritty 2 way game and couldn't didn't even receive an average of 13 minutes per night. He is a former 1st round pick, 17th overall.

Snuggerud comes up and immediately gets 1st line playing time with our most talented C, Robert Thomas. This equates to him scoring 1 goal in 7 regular season games and getting 15+ minutes per night. He doesn't appear to play NHL defense and doesn't seem to have any physicality to his game. He is also a former 1st round pick, 23rd overall.

Just wondering why. Is it overvaluing Snuggerud while devaluing Bolduc? It just didn't make sense to me.

[2forDiving]

I've been a critic of the Bolduc v Mailloux trade since it happened, but what doesn't make sense to me is the Snuggerud vs Bolduc treatment.

Bolduc last season scored 19 goals playing on the 3rd line. He played a gritty 2 way game and couldn't didn't even receive an average of 13 minutes per night. He is a former 1st round pick, 17th overall.

Snuggerud comes up and immediately gets 1st line playing time with our most talented C, Robert Thomas. This equates to him scoring 1 goal in 7 regular season games and getting 15+ minutes per night. He doesn't appear to play NHL defense and doesn't seem to have any physicality to his game. He is also a former 1st round pick, 23rd overall.

Just wondering why. Is it overvaluing Snuggerud while devaluing Bolduc? It just didn't make sense to me.

I assume it’s because Snuggerud was the more complete player. Bolduc had lots of holes in his defensive game still, even at season’s end and quite honestly was probably their worst forward in the playoffs. I give him credit for adding the grittiness to his game, but his overall game wasn’t close to what Snuggerud showed IMO.

[LGB73]

I wasn't doing backflips over the trade either but we needed a young RD. Hoping Mailloux pans out.

I definitely with you on why Snuggerud was anointed without doing a thing in the NHL and Bolduc who started slow was really playing well the last 30 games of the season. He was on 35+ goals pace over those games playing on the 3rd line with Sunny as his center.

The real comparisons this season shouldn't be Mailloux vs Bolduc but Snuggerud vs Bolduc. They're similar age both playing wing on teams that are bubble playoff teams. If Bolduc outplays Snuggerud playing with Dach while Snuggerud gets to play with a 1C who is a distributor, it's should raise questions on why he was dealt.

[MiamiLaw]

I wasn't doing backflips over the trade either but we needed a young RD. Hoping Mailloux pans out.

I definitely with you on why Snuggerud was anointed without doing a thing in the NHL and Bolduc who started slow was really playing well the last 30 games of the season. He was on 35+ goals pace over those games playing on the 3rd line with Sunny as his center.

The real comparisons this season shouldn't be Mailloux vs Bolduc but Snuggerud vs Bolduc. They're similar age both playing wing on teams that are bubble playoff teams. If Bolduc outplays Snuggerud playing with Dach while Snuggerud gets to play with a 1C who is a distributor, it's should raise questions on why he was dealt.

I think Snuggerud was demoted yesterday right before Jake scored and the team started playing. They mentioned it on the broadcast.

[John Cocktoastin]

Snuggerud not only has a superior shot (elite NHL shot), his passing/vision is on the same level. His two set-ups last night (Thomas who scored) and Buch (who didn't) were prime helpers. Not only deserves first line minutes, will be a mainstay there for years.

Not sure what happened with Bolduc, but clearly something was a sticking point here. Really liked him though.

[Bluesfan1978]

On LW the team valued Jake, Holloway and Buch more than Bolduc. Just a guess but I’d say they probably project Stenberg to be the better overall player in a few years.
RW Snuggy and Kyrou are already in the top 2 RW slots and the team just drafted Carbonneau who I’m assuming they are projecting to exceed what they already had in Bolduc.

[Ace07]

Appreciate all the input here. I've seen flashes from Snuggerud that appears he has the potential to be a Top 6 forward, but haven't seen it consistently yet. Obviously, the Mailloux trade was a gamble. I respect them for trading from a position of strength to get a young D-Man, only time will tell how this trade ends up. Hope both Snuggerud/Maillouix pan out but not convinced on either yet. Guess we need to trust the process.

[STL fan in MN]

After a few practices, Thomas went to Monty and specifically asked to play with Snuggerud. I’d imagine that certainly helped get Snuggerud on his line.

Beyond that, it would be what others have said already. They clearly didn’t trust Bolduc much defensively.

Also, Snuggerud shoots righty so he was simply the better fit at RW over left shooting Bolduc.

They were simply trying to find lines that worked after Holloway went down. That said, I would get it if Bolduc felt shafted.

[DawgDad]

Appreciate all the input here. I've seen flashes from Snuggerud that appears he has the potential to be a Top 6 forward, but haven't seen it consistently yet. Obviously, the Mailloux trade was a gamble. I respect them for trading from a position of strength to get a young D-Man, only time will tell how this trade ends up. Hope both Snuggerud/Maillouix pan out but not convinced on either yet. Guess we need to trust the process.

Another way to look at it is young players breaking in often require patience. Moving Snuggerud up and down the lines is not new, Monty did that in the playoffs. Juggling lines is as old as hockey.

[Harry S Deals]

I wasn't doing backflips over the trade either but we needed a young RD. Hoping Mailloux pans out.

I definitely with you on why Snuggerud was anointed without doing a thing in the NHL and Bolduc who started slow was really playing well the last 30 games of the season. He was on 35+ goals pace over those games playing on the 3rd line with Sunny as his center.

The real comparisons this season shouldn't be Mailloux vs Bolduc but Snuggerud vs Bolduc. They're similar age both playing wing on teams that are bubble playoff teams. If Bolduc outplays Snuggerud playing with Dach while Snuggerud gets to play with a 1C who is a distributor, it's should raise questions on why he was dealt.

I think Snuggerud was demoted yesterday right before Jake scored and the team started playing. They mentioned it on the broadcast.

Snuggerud is still very young and Neighbours is a stud still very early and judgements of the LM trade and Snuggerud are premature

[Old_Goat]

On LW the team valued Jake, Holloway and Buch more than Bolduc. Just a guess but I’d say they probably project Stenberg to be the better overall player in a few years.
RW Snuggy and Kyrou are already in the top 2 RW slots and the team just drafted Carbonneau who I’m assuming they are projecting to exceed what they already had in Bolduc.

Good summary of reality.

[dhsux]

I've been a critic of the Bolduc v Mailloux trade since it happened, but what doesn't make sense to me is the Snuggerud vs Bolduc treatment.

Bolduc last season scored 19 goals playing on the 3rd line. He played a gritty 2 way game and couldn't didn't even receive an average of 13 minutes per night. He is a former 1st round pick, 17th overall.

Snuggerud comes up and immediately gets 1st line playing time with our most talented C, Robert Thomas. This equates to him scoring 1 goal in 7 regular season games and getting 15+ minutes per night. He doesn't appear to play NHL defense and doesn't seem to have any physicality to his game. He is also a former 1st round pick, 23rd overall.

Just wondering why. Is it overvaluing Snuggerud while devaluing Bolduc? It just didn't make sense to me.

I assume it’s because Snuggerud was the more complete player. Bolduc had lots of holes in his defensive game still, even at season’s end and quite honestly was probably their worst forward in the playoffs. I give him credit for adding the grittiness to his game, but his overall game wasn’t close to what Snuggerud showed IMO.

It's a fair question to raise.

I don't have a strong opinion on the evaluation of these two players future (the one with a season under his belt has the advantage here) so I will yield to the Blues evaluation and hope it's right.

And do keep in mind the people making this decision are looking at TEAM results of such trades. What side they play, cap considerations, 200 foot game......it's not necessarily a cut and dried decision.

Bolduc now seems to be in the middle of 2 outcomes of his trade....Snugger and Mailloux. Not sure I buy into that all the way but I see how some might.

[TruBlueFan_1970]

No way to look at this for a couple seasons. I for one, was a huge Bolduc fan and hated to see him go. I think that we will be a perennial 25-30 goal scorer out of him. He’s gone though, so we move on. I think Snuggy will see top line duties the first half of games, and third line/bench in the latter parts of games, specifically where we have a 1-goal lead. He’s not ready to be on the top line in crunch time, so he’ll get the Bolduc treatment.

[Cahokanut]

I watched a lot of Snuggs in Minny. And he was a different player in the playoffs. I was hoping that was him.

But this year. He is back to playing that Bergland style I remember watching in Minny.


As for Valuing forwards.
It's whatever is best for Schenn.
Steen accepted his new role and we became champs.
Cheddar. Wants to be a center and he gets our two best forwards to help him get his.

The same way Neighbours got into the lineup to begin with.
Schenn wanted him there

[Harry S Deals]

I watched a lot of Snuggs in Minny. And he was a different player in the playoffs. I was hoping that was him.

But this year. He is back to playing that Bergland style I remember watching in Minny.


As for Valuing forwards.
It's whatever is best for Schenn.
Steen accepted his new role and we became champs.
Cheddar. Wants to be a center and he gets our two best forwards to help him get his.

The same way Neighbours got into the lineup to begin with.
Schenn wanted him there

Snuggerud has less than 20 NHL games again, hes 21 give him some run way. Like it or not the Blues staff know more about these guys than you do and the Blues dont often miss on kids

[son_of_foolsgold]

Snuggerud not only has a superior shot (elite NHL shot), his passing/vision is on the same level. His two set-ups last night (Thomas who scored) and Buch (who didn't) were prime helpers. Not only deserves first line minutes, will be a mainstay there for years.

Not sure what happened with Bolduc, but clearly something was a sticking point here. Really liked him though.

Army probably soured on Bolduc because of the playoffs, but he should have been given a pass since it was his first playoff series.