Actually I feel the opposite. I think you can safely leave him unprotected and use that protection on someone else and risk little chance of him being taken.

His contract is too high and his game is rapidly declining.

I don't think there's any way a building expansion team would want him.
- Fizbo

Rapidly declining is a bit much. There are a lot of teams out there that need help on D and any experienced guy like J bo coming from a really good team like the Blues would be very attractive to a team like Edmonton for instance. You're not going to get a huge haul for him but you could certainly get more than nothing.

I didn't like the idea of bringing in Yeo at first but hearing his comments about playing the speed game is refreshing. I didn't realize he had such a good track record either. He's had success at the AHL as well as winning the cup with Pitt in '09.

Yeah, I don't think so either. But from the Blues side, I couldn't say no to that.
- carcus

I'd make that move too. If you had to sweeten the pot too much though, you start to get more concerned about him slowing down as the injuries pile up.

Rapidly declining is a bit much. There are a lot of teams out there that need help on D and any experienced guy like J bo coming from a really good team like the Blues would be very attractive to a team like Edmonton for instance. You're not going to get a huge haul for him but you could certainly get more than nothing.

I didn't like the idea of bringing in Yeo at first but hearing his comments about playing the speed game is refreshing. I didn't realize he had such a good track record either. He's had success at the AHL as well as winning the cup with Pitt in '09.
- fattyboubatty

I've gone back and forth on that one. But honestly I think he was a bit screwed in Minnesota in that I think there were locker room issues being talked about. You have two $100 million players who should be leaders. The over reach in signing Vanek to so much money. A lot of dmen that looked promising and then bottomed out a bit.

So how much of that is him and how much of that was a GM too quick to pay for young players without a longer proven track record? Some of the veterans he got were once good but lost their speed. But he seemed to have issues with getting players like Hula and Zucker to play at their best and they both have speed to burn.

This is a tough one. He knows the game to be sure. He out coached Hitch once already.

I think you downplay Malkin.

That would be a good trade. And I really like both Shattenkirk and Lehtera. (the last two jerseys I have owned)

Malkin and Tarasenko on the same line would be fun to watch. A team like the Sharks couldn't key in on Tarasenko the way they did, or they would be burned by the other guy.

A player of his caliber automatically frees up space for Tarasenko.

I would do that trade without thinking twice.
- carcus

Those are all valid points and I might be down playing Malkin.

When was his last healthy season? We got a lot of players who seem to not make it to the play offs healthy as it is.

Yes him and Tarasenko could do damage. They wpuld make sense because neither of them is all that fast, but they can change the speed of their play and slow the game down to their speed. So yes they would be great together.

But that cap hit. For that cap hit you could just about sign Backes and Brouwer.

I have a hard time weighing the impact of super stars and huge cap hits.

Malkin versus Stastny Malkin is worth over $2 million more a year to be sure.

Better for a snake to shed its old skin than to keep it. Get younger with the new core.

Those are all valid points and I might be down playing Malkin.

When was his last healthy season? We got a lot of players who seem to not make it to the play offs healthy as it is.

Yes him and Tarasenko could do damage. They wpuld make sense because neither of them is all that fast, but they can change the speed of their play and slow the game down to their speed. So yes they would be great together.

But that cap hit. For that cap hit you could just about sign Backes and Brouwer.

I have a hard time weighing the impact of super stars and huge cap hits.

Malkin versus Stastny Malkin is worth over $2 million more a year to be sure.

Better for a snake to shed its old skin than to keep it. Get younger with the new core.
- BluemanGuruu

Cant sign both brouwer and backs if you don't move salary out

So we are trading Shatty for a draft pick?

I was being an EA GM right there

I think the blues have pieces the Penguins would want but the money probably doesn't work

Money is not that far off either

Malkin 9.5
pouliot .86

Lehtera 4.7
Shatty 4.2

Just a thought

Rapidly declining is a bit much. There are a lot of teams out there that need help on D and any experienced guy like J bo coming from a really good team like the Blues would be very attractive to a team like Edmonton for instance. You're not going to get a huge haul for him but you could certainly get more than nothing.

I didn't like the idea of bringing in Yeo at first but hearing his comments about playing the speed game is refreshing. I didn't realize he had such a good track record either. He's had success at the AHL as well as winning the cup with Pitt in '09.
- fattyboubatty

The problem will be dollars, the Blues will have to retain salary in a deal or deal him in a trade to a team with tons of cap room and get little to nothing of value in return.

He's at best a second pairing defenseman, if he were given that slot here, I would have less of an issue. As a top pair guy he's becoming a liability.

He's not asked to contribute offensively here, which has always been a strength of his. But his defensive game isn't where the Blues need it to be and he provides no physical presence. There's not much left for him to do. San Jose torched him again and again.

I also think Pietrangelo would be better without him as his partner.

Those are all valid points and I might be down playing Malkin.

When was his last healthy season? We got a lot of players who seem to not make it to the play offs healthy as it is.

Yes him and Tarasenko could do damage. They wpuld make sense because neither of them is all that fast, but they can change the speed of their play and slow the game down to their speed. So yes they would be great together.

But that cap hit. For that cap hit you could just about sign Backes and Brouwer.

I have a hard time weighing the impact of super stars and huge cap hits.

Malkin versus Stastny Malkin is worth over $2 million more a year to be sure.

Better for a snake to shed its old skin than to keep it. Get younger with the new core.
- BluemanGuruu

A lot depends on what version of Malkin one is expecting.

A deal for him at this stage of his game - He'll be 30 in a few weeks.

You'll be getting a 25 goal scoring Malkin, not 35-40 goals and 60 points, not 85 points.

A 9.5 Million cap hit for the next five years - am I reading that right???

No forking way. Pass.

Cant sign both brouwer and backs if you don't move salary out

So we are trading Shatty for a draft pick?

I was being an EA GM right there

I think the blues have pieces the Penguins would want but the money probably doesn't work

Money is not that far off either

Malkin 9.5
pouliot .86

Lehtera 4.7
Shatty 4.2

Just a thought
- sycsam

That is closer than I realized. For some reason I was inking Lehtera was lower. But it would probably cost more.
But still I am never sure about paying a guy what it costs for about two goos players.

And yes, assuming you moved those players you could bring back both B's.

A lot depends on what version of Malkin one is expecting.

A deal for him at this stage of his game - He'll be 30 in a few weeks.

You'll be getting a 25 goal scoring Malkin, not 35-40 goals and 60 points, not 85 points.

A 9.5 Million cap hit for the next five years - am I reading that right???

No forking way. Pass.
- bcallaway

That is my concern and his issues with staying healthy the past few seasons.

The problem will be dollars, the Blues will have to retain salary in a deal or deal him in a trade to a team with tons of cap room and get little to nothing of value in return.

He's at best a second pairing defenseman, if he were given that slot here, I would have less of an issue. As a top pair guy he's becoming a liability.

He's not asked to contribute offensively here, which has always been a strength of his. But his defensive game isn't where the Blues need it to be and he provides no physical presence. There's not much left for him to do. San Jose torched him again and again.

I also think Pietrangelo would be better without him as his partner.
- bcallaway

I completely agree with this assessment.

The problem will be dollars, the Blues will have to retain salary in a deal or deal him in a trade to a team with tons of cap room and get little to nothing of value in return.

He's at best a second pairing defenseman, if he were given that slot here, I would have less of an issue. As a top pair guy he's becoming a liability.

He's not asked to contribute offensively here, which has always been a strength of his. But his defensive game isn't where the Blues need it to be and he provides no physical presence. There's not much left for him to do. San Jose torched him again and again.

I also think Pietrangelo would be better without him as his partner.
- bcallaway

I actually like JBo, but he hasn't been good for Petro lately IMO and it would probably be better for both of them to not be on the same line.

I am worried that JBo is going to decline quickly, especially since he relied so much on his skating and that tends to go quickly when someone starts their decline. Those that rely so much on skating tend to have a sharp decline. So if it were me, I would look to move him if possible before he becomes an anchor to our blueline.

Maybe it is just premature and he was having issues from his injuries, and when healthy his skating will look like normal again. That would be the hope if he stays for his entire contract.

A lot depends on what version of Malkin one is expecting.

A deal for him at this stage of his game - He'll be 30 in a few weeks.

You'll be getting a 25 goal scoring Malkin, not 35-40 goals and 60 points, not 85 points.

A 9.5 Million cap hit for the next five years - am I reading that right???

No forking way. Pass.
- bcallaway

You think he would be a 25 goal, 60 point player if he was on a line with Tarasenko?

I don't think so, he would do more than that, even at 30 years old.

It is a pipe dream, so it doesn't really matter. But a big time player on the same line as Tarasenko is something I really want. I like Schwartz, but he isn't that guy that is going to open up a ton of space for Tarasenko.

And as much as I like Schwartz, I personally would be willing to move him or any other Blues forward or defenseman not named Petro if it got a legit star for his line.

You think he would be a 25 goal, 60 point player if he was on a line with Tarasenko?

I don't think so, he would do more than that, even at 30 years old.

It is a pipe dream, so it doesn't really matter. But a big time player on the same line as Tarasenko is something I really want. I like Schwartz, but he isn't that guy that is going to open up a ton of space for Tarasenko.

And as much as I like Schwartz, I personally would be willing to move him or any other Blues forward or defenseman not named Petro if it got a legit star for his line.
- carcus

Combining the JBo and Malkin thoughts into one post - its never a bad plan to move a guy before his game completely falls off, but may still have something left in the tank, you have a better shot of getting value in return.

So I'd be in favor of moving JBo off the books.

And for the same reason in reverse, I would not want to take on Malkin. You may get a good season out of him, but I don't think his salary would be worth the chance long term. I don't really think he's more than a 25 goal guy any more.

There's a reason Pittsburgh is willing to let him go. I think he and Bouwmeester are similar situations honestly.

Combining the JBo and Malkin thoughts into one post - its never a bad plan to move a guy before his game completely falls off, but may still have something left in the tank, you have a better shot of getting value in return.

So I'd be in favor of moving JBo off the books.

And for the same reason in reverse, I would not want to take on Malkin. You may get a good season out of him, but I don't think his salary would be worth the chance long term. I don't really think he's more than a 25 goal guy any more.

There's a reason Pittsburgh is willing to let him go. I think he and Bouwmeester are similar situations honestly.
- bcallaway

Good points. That is why I think you would have to be very conservative in what you are willing to give up for Malkin. You have to consider it though because how often do you get a chance to bring in a center of his caliber? For a player of his talent, his age wont become a huge factor until the last year or two of his deal. At 30, 31, 32, he will still be a force. Before he got injured this year he was on like a 2 point per game clip. My main concern with him is will he stay healthy?

I agree with most of what you said about J bo except the part about not being able to move him.

I think this is a situation where something gets repeated on the internet a few times and it is suddenly accepted as fact. The fact is, he played the second most minutes on a team that got within two wins of the finals. He has value.

You can't pin the loss to the Sharks on him either when the team was routinely out shot and our top goal scorers failed to produce.

You think he would be a 25 goal, 60 point player if he was on a line with Tarasenko?

I don't think so, he would do more than that, even at 30 years old.

It is a pipe dream, so it doesn't really matter. But a big time player on the same line as Tarasenko is something I really want. I like Schwartz, but he isn't that guy that is going to open up a ton of space for Tarasenko.

And as much as I like Schwartz, I personally would be willing to move him or any other Blues forward or defenseman not named Petro if it got a legit star for his line.
- carcus

So you've moved on from trading Petro over Shattenkirk?

So you've moved on from trading Petro over Shattenkirk?
- fattyboubatty

Yes.

Good points. That is why I think you would have to be very conservative in what you are willing to give up for Malkin. You have to consider it though because how often do you get a chance to bring in a center of his caliber? For a player of his talent, his age wont become a huge factor until the last year or two of his deal. At 30, 31, 32, he will still be a force. Before he got injured this year he was on like a 2 point per game clip. My main concern with him is will he stay healthy?

I agree with most of what you said about J bo except the part about not being able to move him.

I think this is a situation where something gets repeated on the internet a few times and it is suddenly accepted as fact. The fact is, he played the second most minutes on a team that got within two wins of the finals. He has value.

You can't pin the loss to the Sharks on him either when the team was routinely out shot and our top goal scorers failed to produce.
- fattyboubatty

Man you guys are spouting some good wisdom out here. I agree with everyone's sentiments to be sure. Everyone is makng good points.

Again my fear with Malkin would be driven by his injury issues plus salary. I am not sure say if he had a ltir the Blues would be able to afford to replace that money.

But again those huge contracts frighten me. Hell you could sign Okoposo and Brouwer for nearly that much. Is either player or both combined as good as Malkin can be? No. But, maybe it is just my instinct that having two good players means that the potential for both to be injured is lessened.

I look at Steen. He has been a tremendous player when healthy. His health has simply timed in the wrong way when thenplay offs role around. He played very well for a guy who needed shoulder surgery, but not good enough to redeem his cost and his value to the team as a deadly two way weapon. I guess that is why we did not seem him load as much for point shots.

It will be interesting to see how Parayko does in his second season. He went from not a lot of games to a ton of games and his tendencies will be ever more scouted. I think he will eventually become dominant when he fully trusts his ability and kills that split second of hesitation he sometimes had offensively, as well as his tendency as many young players do to defer to other players. I mean he has the ability to go coast to coast and finish. He made a lot of plays carrying the puck to the net and often dished, and dished well, but if he were to get more greedy and hungry around the net.

I still would be interested in what Steen would look like as a defenseman. Over the years he has looked more fluid when he has to play defense on the power play. He has the smarts and ability to do it. He could fill in the left side.

A lot of interesting things to think about with this up coming season.

Got to think Rattie is ready for NHL ice time as well. He has proven a knack for the net. He might lack speed but the puck finds him.

I read some interesting draft evaluations on players on an abc blog. The guy had some interesting picks and statements. Some of them a bit shocking, imho.

Jaskin and MPS also are on the rise. What is lacking is speed from the center and some left side dmen issues.

Man you guys are spouting some good wisdom out here. I agree with everyone's sentiments to be sure. Everyone is makng good points.

Again my fear with Malkin would be driven by his injury issues plus salary. I am not sure say if he had a ltir the Blues would be able to afford to replace that money.

But again those huge contracts frighten me. Hell you could sign Okoposo and Brouwer for nearly that much. Is either player or both combined as good as Malkin can be? No. But, maybe it is just my instinct that having two good players means that the potential for both to be injured is lessened.

I look at Steen. He has been a tremendous player when healthy. His health has simply timed in the wrong way when thenplay offs role around. He played very well for a guy who needed shoulder surgery, but not good enough to redeem his cost and his value to the team as a deadly two way weapon. I guess that is why we did not seem him load as much for point shots.

It will be interesting to see how Parayko does in his second season. He went from not a lot of games to a ton of games and his tendencies will be ever more scouted. I think he will eventually become dominant when he fully trusts his ability and kills that split second of hesitation he sometimes had offensively, as well as his tendency as many young players do to defer to other players. I mean he has the ability to go coast to coast and finish. He made a lot of plays carrying the puck to the net and often dished, and dished well, but if he were to get more greedy and hungry around the net.

I still would be interested in what Steen would look like as a defenseman. Over the years he has looked more fluid when he has to play defense on the power play. He has the smarts and ability to do it. He could fill in the left side.

A lot of interesting things to think about with this up coming season.

Got to think Rattie is ready for NHL ice time as well. He has proven a knack for the net. He might lack speed but the puck finds him.

I read some interesting draft evaluations on players on an abc blog. The guy had some interesting picks and statements. Some of them a bit shocking, imho.

Jaskin and MPS also are on the rise. What is lacking is speed from the center and some left side dmen issues.
- BluemanGuruu

I like Okposo too. I could see a bidding war breaking out and the price going up pretty high on him though. He's been on Armstrong's radar before though so I'm sure he will at least kick the tires.

I hope Toronto signs Stamkos. We don't need them throwing their money around at guys like Backes, Brouwer, and Okposo.

TT and Bickell to Carolina for a 2016 2nd and a 2017 3rd

So basically TT for a 2nd and a 3rd

TT and Bickell to Carolina for a 2016 2nd and a 2017 3rd

So basically TT for a 2nd and a 3rd
- sycsam

The cap savings for Bickell was cheap. A double help to Chicago as TT shied away from all physical contact.

I like Okposo too. I could see a bidding war breaking out and the price going up pretty high on him though. He's been on Armstrong's radar before though so I'm sure he will at least kick the tires.

I hope Toronto signs Stamkos. We don't need them throwing their money around at guys like Backes, Brouwer, and Okposo.
- fattyboubatty

Another player in this vein Hartnell has waived his no trade clause. $4.75 million cap hit and I think 34 years of age with three years remaining on the deal.

Things seem to be on the verge of getting crazy but will they? Expansion draft throws a monkey wrench into it all as well.

What needs to you guys have if you are looking to move Shattenkirk?

What needs to you guys have if you are looking to move Shattenkirk?
- Tumbleweed

Your 1st round pick We have some other players that we could sweeten the deal with a little bit

What needs to you guys have if you are looking to move Shattenkirk?
- Tumbleweed

JVR.

I like Okposo too. I could see a bidding war breaking out and the price going up pretty high on him though. He's been on Armstrong's radar before though so I'm sure he will at least kick the tires.

I hope Toronto signs Stamkos. We don't need them throwing their money around at guys like Backes, Brouwer, and Okposo.
- fattyboubatty

Toronto will be in a bidding war for Stamkos and that will hinder them in trying to sign other free agents. The longer it takes for Stamkos to sign the better off we are in terms of at least Toronto. Don't think for a minute though that other teams are interested in both players and if they are not signed/traded by july 1st, they may very well just walk away and we will get nothing in compensation. Draft day will be interesting. Army does not want to let players walk for nothing so it might be a sign and deal type thing, who knows.

Okposo will get paid. Just depends on how much people are willing to pay.

Chicago freed up some room. Who are they going for? I guess Shaw will be resigned now I hate him so much. Will they make a play for Malkin?? That would suck for us. Kane, Malkin, and Panarin. I don't even want to think about that. Or Malkin with Toews??