Losing scoring when losing Brouwer?
Losing a guy who could not score twenty goals on the season with all that pp time please. He was good in the play offs, but in his career last season was an outlier for his play off production.

Losing Backes sucks in some ways. But it will only suck for a year maybe two at the most and then the remaining three years would eat up too much cap. I doubt he has more than one season of production that equals the value of his contract.
- BluemanGuruu

You can't diminish how much his playoff production helped. Plus, Brouwer brought other aspects to his game that really made you guys hard to play against. Perron might come close to replacing Brouwer's production, but he certainly doesn't make you that difficult to play against. He can be a serious ghost on the ice.

Losing Backes sucks not in some ways, but in a lot of ways. Backes' scoring ability is just a bonus on top of everything else he does so well. It doesn't matter what he does in Boston or that you lost him, it matters that you didn't sufficiently replace him.

You guys were 15th in scoring in a league that's already tough to score in, so not properly replacing the goals you've lost will have more than just a minor effect.

Having difficulty with the Blues' off season moves? Wait until we lose Shattenkirk for nothing next summer.

Steen is on the decline???

I say just rest him more down the stretch and have him be healthy finally.

Not worried about losing Backes and especially Brouwer. But i do worry about our offense. Maybe Tarasenko doesn't go dry for a month like he seemed to last year.

Mps and Rattie are what i am looking forward to seeing. How much can they bring to this team is a real question.

Schwartz needs to stand up. Berglund………………That boat has passed but a full healthy season he might get back to a 20 goal scorer.

Fabbri if he can stay healthy and not have a sophomore slump, should do fine.

Except that the last time they played in the playoffs with almost the exact same D the wild won... and that was with an inferior coach to BB in Mike Yeo.
- mnhockeyguy

The Wild have almost the exact same D. Blues is much better. And Blues D outplayed Wild D that series, it was the injuries the Blues forwards & Dubnyk playing better than he ever had before or since that decided the series.

The Wild have almost the exact same D. Blues is much better. And Blues D outplayed Wild D that series, it was the injuries the Blues forwards & Dubnyk playing better than he ever had before or since that decided the series.
- Antilles

How do you figure the Blues D is a lot better? CP is the only addition that's worth while otherwise all of the rest played in that series. Also the Wild skated circles around the Blues and beat them in 6. If it wasn't for Vlad's incredible play the Blues might have been swept! They lost their best center in DB and a proven playoff performer in TB. And are relying on a goalie that's never played more than half a season as a #1. There's a lot of question marks right now.

Jason,

Hope you have had a good summer.

As a fellow member of the goalie union, the biggest loss for you guys was Elliot. I feel like his loss wll be noticed early and often. Backes well past his prime may very well translate to addition by subtraction. Would you want to pay the contract he got from Boston?

Looks to me like every team in our division got worse. Maybe, maybe NSH shows some more life, but they need Rinne to be who he was a few years ago. I am not seeing that happen.

DAL still has no D and two goalies that can't take them to the promised land. MIN is still not deep enough to make a legit run.

CHI has perhaps the best D corps since their franchise resurrection, and a great goaltending tandem, but is missing a top six LW with any pedigree and a pretty new group of guys filling out the bottom six.

Will be a good season nonetheless. Looking forward to it and more good blogs from you.
- Return of the Roar

ROR

Been a crazy summer, better than last summer though. Thanks. Hope yours has been good.

I think most are underestimating the impact of losing Elliott as my prior blog hopefully pointed out. I understand why it happened but the blue paint for the blues has to be a concern.

I'm with you in that i think the Central all backed up a little to the rest of the league.

You will love FA - he is calm - plays the puck extremely well and moves very smoothly for a big man - he bailed the Ducks out of more than a few holes with big timely saves on some egregious turnovers - is he perfect .. no but for sure a solid upgrade from what you have been used to seeing -
- dozerD10

I've always thought Andersen seemed under appreciated but figured that was just because of me being in the midwest and him being on west coast so he wasn't covered much.

You can't diminish how much his playoff production helped. Plus, Brouwer brought other aspects to his game that really made you guys hard to play against. Perron might come close to replacing Brouwer's production, but he certainly doesn't make you that difficult to play against. He can be a serious ghost on the ice.

Losing Backes sucks not in some ways, but in a lot of ways. Backes' scoring ability is just a bonus on top of everything else he does so well. It doesn't matter what he does in Boston or that you lost him, it matters that you didn't sufficiently replace him.

You guys were 15th in scoring in a league that's already tough to score in, so not properly replacing the goals you've lost will have more than just a minor effect.
- Rinosaur

I remember there being more than a couple Pens fans who were ready to go into full tank mode after Malkin got injured last winter. Not trying to undermine your credibility but fans, especially this time of year, love to spout off whatever pops into their head before any actual games get in the way of their logic.

Looking at the top end talent on this team, Backes and Brouwer would not crack the top 6. They also happened to be two of the slowest and oldest players on the team. They're quality guys don't get me wrong but as third liners there's not a huge gap between them and Perron and Sobotka.

You can't diminish how much his playoff production helped. Plus, Brouwer brought other aspects to his game that really made you guys hard to play against. Perron might come close to replacing Brouwer's production, but he certainly doesn't make you that difficult to play against. He can be a serious ghost on the ice.

Losing Backes sucks not in some ways, but in a lot of ways. Backes' scoring ability is just a bonus on top of everything else he does so well. It doesn't matter what he does in Boston or that you lost him, it matters that you didn't sufficiently replace him.

You guys were 15th in scoring in a league that's already tough to score in, so not properly replacing the goals you've lost will have more than just a minor effect.
- Rinosaur

The fact is only because of the massive amount of injuries last season Backes saw more ice than he should have. I like his game but he is already down a step and a half. He is not getting better year after any longer. He started his decline in 14-15. He does bring a lot, but he also was starying to lose a lot of what he brought at all areas of the ice.

The fact is only because of the massive amount of injuries last season Backes saw more ice than he should have. I like his game but he is already down a step and a half. He is not getting better year after any longer. He started his decline in 14-15. He does bring a lot, but he also was starying to lose a lot of what he brought at all areas of the ice.
- BluemanGuruu

How do you guys think Allen will do as the #1? And is the plan to play Lehtara as the #2 center this season?

How do you guys think Allen will do as the #1? And is the plan to play Lehtara as the #2 center this season?
- mnhockeyguy

He will be ok

I would hope Lehtera is 1C or 2C

hitch is talking like Sobo will be 2c

hopefully not but Hitch is an odd duck

The fact is only because of the massive amount of injuries last season Backes saw more ice than he should have. I like his game but he is already down a step and a half. He is not getting better year after any longer. He started his decline in 14-15. He does bring a lot, but he also was starying to lose a lot of what he brought at all areas of the ice.
- BluemanGuruu

IMHO, his game might be on the decline but he this was the best playoff performance I have seen Backes contribute. He stopped running around and played effective hockey for the most part. He scored almost 5x as many point this playoffs as he did in the combined prior two playoffs even though he only played 2x as many games.

Regular season TOI shows that Backes 2015-16 was less than 2013-14 but more than 2014-15 though all within 1 minute per game (19:13<19:32>18:39 per game). His production though was about 20% down from the prior two years in both goals and points.

How do you guys think Allen will do as the #1? And is the plan to play Lehtara as the #2 center this season?
- mnhockeyguy

It's hard to say. We saw with Elliott that when he didn't have someone breathing down his neck for starts his play tended to drop off, he seemed to need the competition (or maybe just time off) to play his best. Is Allen in the same boat? Best case scenario, Allen thrives when he's a little more relaxed, knowing that a bad game/goal here or there isn't going to land him on the bench. He's got all the tools to be a great goalie if not at least Osgoodeian, we'll find out if he is strong enough mentally this year. (Knock on wood that he stays healthy)

As a side note, it looks like Columbus still Trusts in Jarmo, TIJ doesn't have to change his handle yet.

IMHO, his game might be on the decline but he this was the best playoff performance I have seen Backes contribute. He stopped running around and played effective hockey for the most part. He scored almost 5x as many point this playoffs as he did in the combined prior two playoffs even though he only played 2x as many games.

Regular season TOI shows that Backes 2015-16 was less than 2013-14 but more than 2014-15 though all within 1 minute per game (19:13<19:32>18:39 per game). His production though was about 20% down from the prior two years in both goals and points.
- Jason Millen

I believe his ice time was slated for less.

Yes he played great in the play offs and perhaps fgured something out because of the cnfidence he gained scoring a terrible goal, not for him, just that it went in.

But his foot speed has drastically decreased to the point for much of the seaosn we started questioning his value as a player. Perhaps he can be a play off performer. But in the cap world who can afford to tie their cap up in a physical player at that age? That contract will hamstring the Bruins, but probably will not seem like it this year.

He will be ok

I would hope Lehtera is 1C or 2C

hitch is talking like Sobo will be 2c

hopefully not but Hitch is an odd duck
- sycsam

Stastny and Lehtera will start out as 1 and 2.

Sobotka isn't a top 2 center. People complain about Lehtera as a top 2 center. He had a not so great year last year, and as good as Sobotka's best ever....

Not happening unless Sobotka magically became good offensively in Russia.

Here it is little more than a month away from the start of the regular season, and i have still not heard anything directly from Sobotka's mouth and nothing is signed. Wonder if there is any visa problems, also he has not gotten out of his KHL contract as of this point.

I know this means nothing yet but if I were a betting man I would put my money on Sobotka staying in the KHL for this year at least.

Stastny and Lehtera will start out as 1 and 2.

Sobotka isn't a top 2 center. People complain about Lehtera as a top 2 center. He had a not so great year last year, and as good as Sobotka's best ever....

Not happening unless Sobotka magically became good offensively in Russia.
- carcus

Agreed about Lehtera and Sobotka.

Stastny 1c
Lehtera 2c


Lehtera was new to the league and surprised a lot of teams his first season. They watched films on him in the off season and found a way to attack him. Now its his year to grow some more. All this while putting up more numbers than Sobotka ever has.

Haven't we seen the pairing of Stastny and Tarasenko. Didn't go over quite as planned the first go round. Wonder if Lehtera continues to play with Tarasenko.

Stastny and Lehtera will start out as 1 and 2.

Sobotka isn't a top 2 center. People complain about Lehtera as a top 2 center. He had a not so great year last year, and as good as Sobotka's best ever....

Not happening unless Sobotka magically became good offensively in Russia.
- carcus

if he did, figure out whatever he was doing, eating or how he was training and apply it to a number of our players

Here it is little more than a month away from the start of the regular season, and i have still not heard anything directly from Sobotka's mouth and nothing is signed. Wonder if there is any visa problems, also he has not gotten out of his KHL contract as of this point.

I know this means nothing yet but if I were a betting man I would put my money on Sobotka staying in the KHL for this year at least.
- BluesDroogie

Their season has already started and he isn't there. He would have been there if he was staying in the KHL. Didn't show up at all for camp/preseason/etc. Not on their roster any longer.

He is going to be playing in the World Cup. So most likely he will be officially on the roster soon now that he is here in NA.

I am not holding my breathe, but I am expecting to hear something soon. I think he can be a good add for the bottom 6. But anyone expecting big things (like top 6 player) is going to be let down IMO.

Their season has already started and he isn't there. He would have been there if he was staying in the KHL. Didn't show up at all for camp/preseason/etc. Not on their roster any longer.

He is going to be playing in the World Cup. So most likely he will be officially on the roster soon now that he is here in NA.

I am not holding my breathe, but I am expecting to hear something soon. I think he can be a good add for the bottom 6. But anyone expecting big things (like top 6 player) is going to be let down IMO.
- carcus

To play Devil's advocate - Sobotka was injured so he wouldn't have been there for camp/preseason/etc regardless. The World Cup also would keep him from being there now. I'm not saying he isn't coming but I find it very odd he hasn't said a word himself. I hope some reporters at the World Cup ask him point blank on Thursday in Russia but I am not holding my breath.

Their season has already started and he isn't there. He would have been there if he was staying in the KHL. Didn't show up at all for camp/preseason/etc. Not on their roster any longer.

He is going to be playing in the World Cup. So most likely he will be officially on the roster soon now that he is here in NA.

I am not holding my breathe, but I am expecting to hear something soon. I think he can be a good add for the bottom 6. But anyone expecting big things (like top 6 player) is going to be let down IMO.
- carcus

Heard he was still recovering from injury and they did not expect him at this time with the KHL team. I saw he was on the world cup roster but still thought he was injured. oh well. Just guess we have to wait and see whats happens. Bottom 6 player definitely

To play Devil's advocate - Sobotka was injured so he wouldn't have been there for camp/preseason/etc regardless. The World Cup also would keep him from being there now. I'm not saying he isn't coming but I find it very odd he hasn't said a word himself. I hope some reporters at the World Cup ask him point blank on Thursday in Russia but I am not holding my breath.
- Jason Millen

Should have read this post first before responding.

Would Armstrong be allowed to talk to him when USA plays Czech Republic???

That would be interesting.

I am going to Bruins Blackhawks in Boston on 1/20/17 would it be bad if I wore my Backes Blues sweater?

I am going with a group of hawks fans

I am going to Bruins Blackhawks in Boston on 1/20/17 would it be bad if I wore my Backes Blues sweater?

I am going with a group of hawks fans
- sycsam

Do it.

Do it.


- carcus

My wife already said its ok with her

I cant tell if she is joking or not