Reasonable predictions. However, I think the projections for Neighbours and Kyrou are a little too optimistic. I’d be thrilled if they have seasons similar to, or marginally better than, last year.
MrTuesdayNight1
Dvorsky playing less than 20 isn’t bold. I think that’s the likely expectation.
If Armstrong attaches a 1st rounder as a sweetener to trading Krug he should be fired. Zero reason to trade that kind of draft capital for a player who will be off the books in a few seasons. Terrible asset management.
Awright0820
The worst this bunch IMO is the Kyrou prediction. And I hope I am wrong.
The only way Kyrou sees a +/- is if his line just produces at such a high rate that he just finishes with that many points. His highest scoring season of 75 points he finished a +10. That was (to me) the last year that our defense (as a whole) was worth a damn. Let’s also talk about the lack of back checking and cherry picking by him and the last two seasons he has been a combined -50. Now, last years -12 was certainly better than -38 the year prior to that.
I just don’t see it improving this year without some further work on the defensive side of the puck by management. He has to commit to being a better all around player, and he hasn’t proven that he cares to be that.
SouthSTLCityHoosier
The two I think are the most unreasonable are the Kyrou +/- and Torey Krug being traded with a first round pick.
Krug only has 2 years left on the contract, and the Blues aren’t going anywhere this year and maybe next year. Why dump his salary, especially when you’d be giving up a high draft pick? The Blues either retain salary in a trade or just let the contract expire. I think he’s the least likely player to be moved out of the defensive log jam tbh.
Second, plus/minus is a flawed statistic for a lot of reasons, but overall, it’s not a great indicator of individual performance. If Kyrou has a positive plus/minus, the Blues are scoring enough even strength goals to be a playoff team, and uh…that’s not happening, no matter how improved his 2 way game is.
I’m most on board with Neighbours potting 35. If he doesn’t get there, I think he’ll be close. It’s easy to write off rookies scoring at an unsustainable pace, but the way he scores is 100 percent something he can keep doing. He is annoying as shit around the net, and he’s going to make a career out of cleaning up garbage around the net.
Awright0820
Love Neighbours. He’s great. Just hope he keeps playing with that edge, and that he can stay healthy while playing that kind of game. Old time hockey player. He is one of about three guys on our squad willing to park himself right in front of the goal and take the punishment willing to produce there.
tangosworkuser
Kyrou may never end a season positive.
DrDebacled
I like Neighbors, but I think 35 goals is just too high especially this early in his career. His game is all about net front presence, and his goal count is going to depend heavily on what the rest of the team generates around him.
I also think they would play an off side D or bring up Skinner before kicking the tires on Johannesen.
I think Kyrou is capable of positive +/- moving forward, but I don’t think this year with this team is it.
I’m not sure what the plan at LD is, but the team really shouldn’t be looking to throw in a premium asset just to move a contract. Other than the logjam there is no pressing need to move a contract right now, and the big money guys would need to approve any trade (which likely won’t happen until the trade deadline approaches). I think they will ask guys to play on their off side or attempt to move someone through waivers (likely Tucker) before looking to dump a 1st round pick.
raylankford16
Clickbait
BogOBones
I think the Blues want to nurture Dvorsky’s development and he sounds like a player who is realistic about where he is at, but I think he makes it to hard to deny him and the Blues are willing to give him every opportunity. I think we see more of him than that and he ends the season as a regular.
I’d love to see Jake get 35. He’ll pick up where he left off, but I’m thinking he just misses that mark.
Johannesson is the next Calle Rosen? Sure.
I applaud Kyrou for improving his game and being more responsible, but a +10 is far too ambitious. Lets just appreciate that he’s improving. I can see him getting more than 27 goals though.
Jeremy Rutherford is alluding to a trade coming up in his Suter stories, and he tweeted something about hearing Krug might be willing to wave his NTC from an unknown source. I’m not sure he’s the guy that gets moved to make space, though I prefer it to be him. I think Faulk’s name is out there too. Mostly, I have a tough time seeing the Blues being willing to package a first with him at this time, when there’s no urgency to their cap situation and they just sacrificed a second to dump Hayes.
UnoriginalName002
Dvorsky playing <20 isn’t a bold prediction, I think it’s to be expected. Meanwhile I don’t think Johannesson plays any NHL time this year unless our defense gets hurt more than last year.
Neighbours and Kyrou are possible, but a little too optimistic imo.
I’d like to see Krug off the books, but it’s hard to see a team taking that contract, even with a first thrown in.
scrivensB
Dvorsky will be lucky to get close to 20 games.
He’s still a teenage for another year and has zero time playing professional hockey in North America which is generally the benchmark that one needs to clear before showing real impact on an NHL roster. The cup of coffee he got playing pro in Sweden doesn’t seem to prove much.
Is it possible he’s truly ready and shows it in camp? Yes. And that would be awesome.
But it’s far more likely he shows he’s damn close but needs to play more against professional level players on North American ice for at least most of one AHL season. I would be surprised if he doesn’t get any ice time with the Blues just based on the fact that he his first OHL season shows he’s not “project.”
11 Comments
Reasonable predictions. However, I think the projections for Neighbours and Kyrou are a little too optimistic. I’d be thrilled if they have seasons similar to, or marginally better than, last year.
Dvorsky playing less than 20 isn’t bold. I think that’s the likely expectation.
If Armstrong attaches a 1st rounder as a sweetener to trading Krug he should be fired. Zero reason to trade that kind of draft capital for a player who will be off the books in a few seasons. Terrible asset management.
The worst this bunch IMO is the Kyrou prediction. And I hope I am wrong.
The only way Kyrou sees a +/- is if his line just produces at such a high rate that he just finishes with that many points. His highest scoring season of 75 points he finished a +10. That was (to me) the last year that our defense (as a whole) was worth a damn. Let’s also talk about the lack of back checking and cherry picking by him and the last two seasons he has been a combined -50. Now, last years -12 was certainly better than -38 the year prior to that.
I just don’t see it improving this year without some further work on the defensive side of the puck by management. He has to commit to being a better all around player, and he hasn’t proven that he cares to be that.
The two I think are the most unreasonable are the Kyrou +/- and Torey Krug being traded with a first round pick.
Krug only has 2 years left on the contract, and the Blues aren’t going anywhere this year and maybe next year. Why dump his salary, especially when you’d be giving up a high draft pick? The Blues either retain salary in a trade or just let the contract expire. I think he’s the least likely player to be moved out of the defensive log jam tbh.
Second, plus/minus is a flawed statistic for a lot of reasons, but overall, it’s not a great indicator of individual performance. If Kyrou has a positive plus/minus, the Blues are scoring enough even strength goals to be a playoff team, and uh…that’s not happening, no matter how improved his 2 way game is.
I’m most on board with Neighbours potting 35. If he doesn’t get there, I think he’ll be close. It’s easy to write off rookies scoring at an unsustainable pace, but the way he scores is 100 percent something he can keep doing. He is annoying as shit around the net, and he’s going to make a career out of cleaning up garbage around the net.
Love Neighbours. He’s great. Just hope he keeps playing with that edge, and that he can stay healthy while playing that kind of game. Old time hockey player. He is one of about three guys on our squad willing to park himself right in front of the goal and take the punishment willing to produce there.
Kyrou may never end a season positive.
I like Neighbors, but I think 35 goals is just too high especially this early in his career. His game is all about net front presence, and his goal count is going to depend heavily on what the rest of the team generates around him.
I also think they would play an off side D or bring up Skinner before kicking the tires on Johannesen.
I think Kyrou is capable of positive +/- moving forward, but I don’t think this year with this team is it.
I’m not sure what the plan at LD is, but the team really shouldn’t be looking to throw in a premium asset just to move a contract. Other than the logjam there is no pressing need to move a contract right now, and the big money guys would need to approve any trade (which likely won’t happen until the trade deadline approaches). I think they will ask guys to play on their off side or attempt to move someone through waivers (likely Tucker) before looking to dump a 1st round pick.
Clickbait
I think the Blues want to nurture Dvorsky’s development and he sounds like a player who is realistic about where he is at, but I think he makes it to hard to deny him and the Blues are willing to give him every opportunity. I think we see more of him than that and he ends the season as a regular.
I’d love to see Jake get 35. He’ll pick up where he left off, but I’m thinking he just misses that mark.
Johannesson is the next Calle Rosen? Sure.
I applaud Kyrou for improving his game and being more responsible, but a +10 is far too ambitious. Lets just appreciate that he’s improving. I can see him getting more than 27 goals though.
Jeremy Rutherford is alluding to a trade coming up in his Suter stories, and he tweeted something about hearing Krug might be willing to wave his NTC from an unknown source. I’m not sure he’s the guy that gets moved to make space, though I prefer it to be him. I think Faulk’s name is out there too. Mostly, I have a tough time seeing the Blues being willing to package a first with him at this time, when there’s no urgency to their cap situation and they just sacrificed a second to dump Hayes.
Dvorsky playing <20 isn’t a bold prediction, I think it’s to be expected. Meanwhile I don’t think Johannesson plays any NHL time this year unless our defense gets hurt more than last year.
Neighbours and Kyrou are possible, but a little too optimistic imo.
I’d like to see Krug off the books, but it’s hard to see a team taking that contract, even with a first thrown in.
Dvorsky will be lucky to get close to 20 games.
He’s still a teenage for another year and has zero time playing professional hockey in North America which is generally the benchmark that one needs to clear before showing real impact on an NHL roster. The cup of coffee he got playing pro in Sweden doesn’t seem to prove much.
Is it possible he’s truly ready and shows it in camp? Yes. And that would be awesome.
But it’s far more likely he shows he’s damn close but needs to play more against professional level players on North American ice for at least most of one AHL season. I would be surprised if he doesn’t get any ice time with the Blues just based on the fact that he his first OHL season shows he’s not “project.”