Analyzing the Blues’ offer-sheet, Alexander Steen’s inexperience, jersey leaks: Mailbag, Part 2

St. Louis – When St. Louis Blues After announcing their training camp roster each September, things seem to move quickly.

He Roster released It was officially announced on Thursday that the first ice practice will take place on September 19 at Centene.

A total of 62 players have been invited to the camp.

Forwards (33): Nikita AlexandrovSam Bitton, Jack Bolduc, Pavel BuchnevichJack Dean, Tanner Dickinson, Antoine DorianDalibor Dvorsky, Radek Faksa, Dylan Holloway, Adam Zech, Mathew Joseph, Kasperi Kapanen, Alexander Kaskimak, Jordan KiruMatthias Laferriere, Mackenzie McEachern, Hugh McGing, Tomas Maresic, Jake’s NeighborMatthew Peca, Juraj PekarcicDylan Peterson, simon robertson, Brandon Saad, Brayden SchennJacob Stankel, Oscar Sundquist, Marcus Silvegaard, Alexandre Texier, robert thomas, Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker,

Defensemen (23): Jeremy Biakabutuka, Philip BrobergMichael Buchinger, Quinton Burns, Luke Fisher, Justin FaulkMarc-Andre Gaudette, Scott Harrington, Adam Jirisek, Samuel Johansson, Pierre-Olivier JosephMatthew Cassell, Nick LeddyLeo Lough, Anton Malmstrom, Matt Meich, Will MacIsaac, Colton Parayk, Scott Perunovich, Cory Scheunemann, Hunter Skinner, Ryan Suter, tyler tucker,

Goalkeepers (five): Jordan BinningtonWill Cranley, Colton Ellis, Joel HofferVadim Zhirenko.

This list does not include defensemen. Torey Krugwho revealed earlier this week he will go through a season-ending He underwent surgery on his left ankle.

In part 1 In our Blues mailbag earlier this week, we asked questions about the team’s playoff chances, line combinations, breakout players and more. But as always, when subscribers there are so many questionsWe have brought part 2 for you…

Note: Some questions have been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Follow me for a moment: With better planning and determination, the Blues could have gotten Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway for less. They gave up a third-round pick to get their second-rounder back from Pittsburgh. They gave up a third-round pick and a prospect Paul Fischer To call Edmonton‘This is cheating, even though subsequent reporting clearly shows the Oilers never intended to equalize. So they gave up two CBA-mandated draft picks and three more assets in addition to the salary overpayment. Do you agree they paid more than they needed to? – John A.

I look at it this way: The Blues wanted Broberg and Holloway, and when they put out the offer sheet they knew they might have to give up additional assets to get the deal done. Could general manager Doug Armstrong have acquired Broberg and Holloway without giving up Fisher and a third-round pick? Maybe. But I don’t think of it as “cheating.” He wanted the players and he felt it would be beneficial to him to acquire those assets.

Remember, Armstrong got a third-rounder from Ottawa for Mathieu Joseph, so in essence, he used the Blues’ cap space to pick up an asset. Senators And turned it over to get Broberg and Holloway. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have no problem trading second and third round picks and Fisher for those two.

Let’s take a look at this deal Pittsburgh. To freshen everyone up, the Blues made a trade Kevin Hayes and their 2025 second-round pick for “future considerations” in late June. The Blues had to sweeten the deal further with a second-round pick so Pittsburgh could take on the final two years of Hayes’ contract. Without that pick, the deal wouldn’t have been completed. But when the Blues planned to present an offer sheet to Broberg, they needed the 2025 second-round pick because it would be the necessary compensation for Edmonton if the Oilers refused to match.

So the Blues made another trade with Pittsburgh, sending their 2026 second-rounder to the Penguins to regain their 2025 second-rounder. To get the Penguins to agree to the deal, Armstrong had to swap additional picks, giving up a 2025 third-rounder for a 2026 fifth-rounder. So just two weeks after sending it to the Penguins, they lost a high pick to get their second-rounder back.

This wouldn’t have happened with better planning. Hayes would still be here, and that’s not what the Blues wanted. To get the Blues to where they are now — with Broberg and Holloway, and without Hayes — they gave the Penguins a 2026 second-rounder and a 2025 third-rounder to take Hayes, and got back a 2026 fifth-round pick. That’s it Very So there’s no need to hide this situation, but we do have to keep it separate from the Edmonton offer-sheet situation. If the Blues never make a trade Philadelphia For Hayes in the first place, then an additional third-rounder isn’t brought in.

Conclusion: Armstrong probably could have done it at a lower cost, but there is no guarantee it would have resulted in what happened.

Do you think Armstrong would have drawn up an offer sheet if he hadn’t already announced plans for his successor, Alexander Steen? And would that have affected Steen’s ability to move on? – Matt H.

Armstrong would have drawn up an offer sheet whether he stayed another 10 years or handed the job over to someone else. Stein in two yearsHe saw an opportunity to make the Blues better and wasn’t afraid to do so within the rules. Armstrong was more motivated to do so because this would soon be Stein’s team. In my conversation with Armstrong, he continued to emphasize that he wanted to leave the organization in a better position than when he arrived, and he saw the acquisitions of Broberg and Holloway as a way to accelerate the turnaround.

The offer sheet will have no impact on Stein’s ability to work with other GMs or his reputation. Armstrong isn’t even seen as a villain in the league, so Stein certainly won’t be one.

Armstrong said Stein was not involved in the decision to select Broberg and Holloway — he was just watching and learning. So how does Stein go from intern to managing the team’s hockey operations in two years? — G.R.

It’s a fair question, and for anyone who thinks Stein’s inexperience is an issue, I hear you. I don’t want to try to change your mind, but let me tell you how I feel about him coming in raw. I’ve never been around a guy who knows more hockey than Stein. He’s as knowledgeable about the X’s and O’s as he is about what people are feeling in the locker room. He may not know the daily routines and procedures of being a GM yet, but he’s extremely intelligent and that will come. So he may not have as much experience for the job as an assistant GM in the league who’s been doing it for 10 or 12 years, and he may not be 100 percent ready in two years. But it will come, and eventually, in my mind they’ll have the right guy.

Do you think the Blues are on the right track in terms of rebuilding even though they don’t have players or prospects that others consider “elite” players or prospects? Can we win the Stanley Cup if we build around a group of, at best, above-average players? – Brian K.

Take a look at the last 10 or so Cup champions: The most common factor, I think, is veteran players. But yes, a lot of them had star players as well. The Blues have to move forward through the draft, figure out who can help, and then build a team around those players through trades and free agents. It’s more difficult when you don’t have top-five picks, but the Cup isn’t guaranteed if you have stars.

with a Chicago Blackhawks Winter Classic jersey leakHave you heard or seen anything about the Blues jerseys? I’m tired of the old stuff and hoping they come out with something totally new and different. — Corey S.

I haven’t heard anything about the Blues’ jerseys, but I’ll be honest with you: I talk to a lot of people in the organization on a regular basis, and I don’t ask them about that. That’s their surprise. If it leaks. Chicago‘Okay then – I’ll report on it. But I’m not going to go out of my way to find out what the jersey looks like.

As far as the Blues’ jersey design goes, once it’s officially announced, keep in mind that with the Winter Classic and, really, all outdoor sports, the jerseys are a collaboration between nhl And the team. The league has a theme or vibe it wants to present with the game, and both teams’ jerseys will reflect that. So while I don’t know what the Blues’ jersey will look like, I’m confident it will look great because they’ve done a good job with it over the last few years. And the vibe will likely be similar to the jerseys worn by the Blackhawks.

The rumors are true! #BlackHawks #WinterClassic The picture of the jersey that is circulating is real.

I have a new video covering all the details. Will be on the channel soon!

For now, here are some more detailed photos. (Photo via ig/95takengive) pic.twitter.com/e7IPKS0OSS

— Icethetics (@icethetics) August 17, 2024

How likely are we to see Dvorsky play in the Winter Classic? I know it all depends on how well he plays, but it would be a huge deal with him and Connor Bedard On posters. — Maxwell H.

I don’t know if Dvorsky will be on the Blues’ team on Opening Night in Seattle on October 8, and you want me to guess if he’ll be at the Winter Classic on December 31? Ha, I’m kidding! If you find someone you know who will be in the NHL, let me know so I can start writing some great stories about him – and add him to my fantasy team, too.

With all the great alumni in St. Louis, can you do a story every two weeks on former players? What are they doing? Why did they stay? – Jim M.

Over the past few years, a lot of Blues fans have asked about this, so I know you’re not the only one who’s interested. I don’t know if I can write a lot of them because covering the current team is a pretty time-consuming job. Maybe I could write a few alumni stories each season, or do one story and feature several former players in it. How about this: Write a few names of guys you’d like to read about in the comments section below, and I’ll see what I can do from there.

Is there any chance the Blues could get rid of Diamond and start their own network or streaming service, like some of these other clubs are doing? – Scott C.

I’ll be having a conversation with the Blues on this topic soon. The tricky part is that this is all still fluid, and most clubs are waiting to see what happens with the diamond before beginning any contingency planning. So again, my hope is to get some insight into the Blues’ plans/options that are still on hold.

How much money did you lose in Vegas covering the draft? – Scott F.

Funny you’re asking: I went to Vegas for a Blues game during the regular season and lost $200 at the roulette table. My wife was very happy (not really). Luckily, while I was in town for the draft, I was able to win $200 at roulette. I look at it as them keeping my money for me, but without any interest.

(Top photo of Doug Armstrong: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)