OBG's Official St. Louis Blues (NHL 11 Thread)

[onlybygrace]

I'm opening this as the other thread has just become far too long before the actual season has even started...so follow it from here.

I'm going to be copy/pasting relevant articles from the other thread to this one.

Another thing...this will be a game-by-game franchise...

Each month (of my season, not real-time) will have a top plays feature with video highlights.

Hope you guys enjoy. I think its gonna rock.

GO BLUES.

[onlybygrace]

Blues Mid-Summer Stance: Stand Still

St. Louis Blues President, John Davidson, addresses the media at a mid-summer press conference regarding moves this summer.

By Stephen Holley
St. Louis Post Disgrace

After beginning the offseason with a bang while landing last seasons most dominant 'pressure situation' goaltender Jaroslav Halak for next to nothing (Blues traded 7 games of NHL experience), the Blues seem to have come to a halt with regards to addressing the teams scoring issues.

"Well during the first half of the season we really struggled. After Davis Payne took over we averaged 2.89 goals per game, up from 2.45 under Murray. We'd like to think that with the roster we knew we had, the 2.89 is closer to what we were expecting,"said Davidson. J.D. neglected to mention that the Blues lost over 30 goals and 75 points after the retirement of Keith Tkachuk and refusing to offer Paul Kariya a contract after a dismal performance over the duration of his 3 years in St. Louis.


Davis Payne led the Blues to a 23-15-4 mark after taking over Andy Murray's job on January 2nd, 2009.

With a younger and seemingly more approachable coach the Blues would gel while players who seemed to struggle under coach Andy Murray (most noticeably Patrick Berglund) played with more confidence and purpose under Davis Payne.

The Blues, at this point, are headed toward the 2010-2011 season with the attitude that improvement must come from within.

Brad Boyes scored 14 goals last season after registering 33 and 43 the previous two seasons. If Boyes plans to stick around St. Louis after Christmas this trend must stop.

After putting up 80 points in his first 95 games as a Blue, Andy McDonald registered just 57 points in 79 games last season. He needs to find the 70 point mark 2010-2011.

David Perron, assuming he and the Blues come to terms, needs to work his way from 20 goals in his 3rd year to around 30 in 2010-2011. We need to see a breakout season from the kid with the magic hands.

TJ Oshie played well in 2009-2010 putting up 18 goals and 48 points in just his 2nd season, however he is no longer playing in a group of forwards with hall of fame careers to compete with. He finds himself at the head of the line and in position to step it up along with the aforementioned forwards.


Where's the 'C', already? David Backes is the choice of most Blues fans for the Captaincy in St. Louis if a change were to be made.

If the Blues should ever listen to their fans on anything, it should be to the overwhelming desire of many fans to personally steal David Backes' jersey only to return it with a big 'C' sewn to it's breast.

A leadership change, even if we all know leadership is more than a letter on a jersey, is still a symbolism of a 'changing of the guard'. Backes has consistently shown himself to be of not only high charachter and commitment, but also very personable and articulate. Backes is a far cry from the more reserved Eric Brewer, the Blues current Captain which many fans bemoan his spot on the roster at all, not to mention his captaincy. It's a laughable situation, really.

Someone needs to tell Patrick Berglund that if he wants to stay near his good buddy TJ Oshie, he needs to 'man up' and begin to be the player many think he can be after registering just 26 points after 21 goals and 47 points his rookie season.

At the end of the day here in mid-July, the Blues have gone from putting their eggs in a bunch of 20-year old baskets in 2009-2010 to putting their eggs in a bunch of 21-year old baskets with the help of what may be an amazing goaltender in 2010-2011.

Everything is a question waiting to be answered here in St. Louis. But with 92 and 90 points over the last two seasons, at least a winning attitude has been established.

Go Blues.
Blues Mid-Summer Stance: Stand Still

St. Louis Blues President, John Davidson, addresses the media at a mid-summer press conference regarding moves this summer.

By Stephen Holley
St. Louis Post Disgrace

After beginning the offseason with a bang while landing last seasons most dominant 'pressure situation' goaltender Jaroslav Halak for next to nothing (Blues traded 7 games of NHL experience), the Blues seem to have come to a halt with regards to addressing the teams scoring issues.

"Well during the first half of the season we really struggled. After Davis Payne took over we averaged 2.89 goals per game, up from 2.45 under Murray. We'd like to think that with the roster we knew we had, the 2.89 is closer to what we were expecting,"said Davidson. J.D. neglected to mention that the Blues lost over 30 goals and 75 points after the retirement of Keith Tkachuk and refusing to offer Paul Kariya a contract after a dismal performance over the duration of his 3 years in St. Louis.


Davis Payne led the Blues to a 23-15-4 mark after taking over Andy Murray's job on January 2nd, 2009.

With a younger and seemingly more approachable coach the Blues would gel while players who seemed to struggle under coach Andy Murray (most noticeably Patrick Berglund) played with more confidence and purpose under Davis Payne.

The Blues, at this point, are headed toward the 2010-2011 season with the attitude that improvement must come from within.

Brad Boyes scored 14 goals last season after registering 33 and 43 the previous two seasons. If Boyes plans to stick around St. Louis after Christmas this trend must stop.

After putting up 80 points in his first 95 games as a Blue, Andy McDonald registered just 57 points in 79 games last season. He needs to find the 70 point mark 2010-2011.

David Perron, assuming he and the Blues come to terms, needs to work his way from 20 goals in his 3rd year to around 30 in 2010-2011. We need to see a breakout season from the kid with the magic hands.

TJ Oshie played well in 2009-2010 putting up 18 goals and 48 points in just his 2nd season, however he is no longer playing in a group of forwards with hall of fame careers to compete with. He finds himself at the head of the line and in position to step it up along with the aforementioned forwards.


Where's the 'C', already? David Backes is the choice of most Blues fans for the Captaincy in St. Louis if a change were to be made.

If the Blues should ever listen to their fans on anything, it should be to the overwhelming desire of many fans to personally steal David Backes' jersey only to return it with a big 'C' sewn to it's breast.

A leadership change, even if we all know leadership is more than a letter on a jersey, is still a symbolism of a 'changing of the guard'. Backes has consistently shown himself to be of not only high charachter and commitment, but also very personable and articulate. Backes is a far cry from the more reserved Eric Brewer, the Blues current Captain which many fans bemoan his spot on the roster at all, not to mention his captaincy. It's a laughable situation, really.

Someone needs to tell Patrick Berglund that if he wants to stay near his good buddy TJ Oshie, he needs to 'man up' and begin to be the player many think he can be after registering just 26 points after 21 goals and 47 points his rookie season.

At the end of the day here in mid-July, the Blues have gone from putting their eggs in a bunch of 20-year old baskets in 2009-2010 to putting their eggs in a bunch of 21-year old baskets with the help of what may be an amazing goaltender in 2010-2011.

Everything is a question waiting to be answered here in St. Louis. But with 92 and 90 points over the last two seasons, at least a winning attitude has been established.

Go Blues.

[onlybygrace]

Perron Signs Two-Year Extension With St. Louis

NHL Goal of the Year finalist, David Perron, will remain in St. Louis for the next two seasons.

By Stephen Holley
Operation Sports Hockey Network (OSHN)
NHL 11 Beat Writer


St. Louis Blues Executive President John Davidson and GM Doug Armstrong announced today that the club has reached terms with young forward David Perron.

“I love playing in St. Louis and in front of our fans,” said Perron. “For the past three seasons they have treated me great and I can’t wait for the season to start.”

The 22 year old forward tallied 47 points last season and a career high 20 goals after registering 50 points and 35 assists the previous season.

The two year extension will pay Perron 4.3 million dollars, an average cap hit of 2.15 million .

[onlybygrace]

Many Find New Homes In First Three Weeks Of Free Agency


Alex Tanguay returns to the Flames after signing a one-year deal. The 30 year old forward recorded his last 20 goal season in 2006-2007 with the Flames when he also reached a career high 81 points.

Sergei Gonchar will find himself in a new home as he is headed to Ottawa in 2010-2011. The 36 year old offensive defensemen signed a 3 year deal with the Sens which will pay 5.5 million USD annually.

Zbynek Michalek has signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, giving the Pens some toughness on the blueline. The 27 year old was considered untouchable in Phoenix as he was the anchor in front of Ilya Bryzgalov...guess not. The Pens signed Michalek to a 5 year deal worth about 4 million per season.

Anterro Niittymaki will be the new face between the pipes for the San Jose Sharks after signing the 30 year old to a two year deal.

Chris Mason could not come to terms with the St. Louis Blues, who decided to move on with Jaroslav Halak. Mason would sign a multi-year deal with the Thrashers.

Paul Martin signed a 5 year deal worth 25 million dollars to play in Pittsburgh as the Pens look to stabilize their defense.

The Calgary Flames have brought back another familiar face, adding Olli Jokinen for two years at 6 million dollars.

Ray Whitney has signed a two-year deal worth 6 million to play in Pheonix. The forward had 21 goals and 37 assists this last season in 80 games.

[onlybygrace]

Top Remaining Forwards Find Homes

Welcome To The Big Apple
Alex Frolov has found a new home in New York as the winger signed a one year deal worth 3 million. Frolov regitered 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points in 81 games on the sandy shores of California.


Another Alex On The Move
Alex Ponikarovsky signed a one year deal with the Los Angeles Kings, replacing one Alex with another. This particular Alex has tallied 20 goals in a season four times, scoring 21 goals and 29 assists in 77 games in 2009-2010 splitting time suiting up for the Pens and Leafs.

Have You Heard Of: Matt Moulson???
Coming into the 2009-2010 season, Matt Moulson had registered 6 goals in 29 games over parts of two seasons with the Kings. Moulson moved up the depth charts when he moved to the Islanders and registered 30 goals in 77 games last season.

[onlybygrace]

Blues Sign Johnson to 2-year Extension

Erik Johnson played beyond his years on the Team USA blueline in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

By Stephen Holley
OSHN Beat Writer

The St. Louis Blues announced today that Erik Johnson has signed a 2-year extension worth 5.2 million USD for an average cap hit of 2.6 million.

Johnson, 22, has shown considerable potential over his first two seasons registering 10 goals and 39 points last season despite missing all of his 2nd year due to a freak golfing incident. Whats more impressive is that Johnson scored 10 goals despite going 31 games without a marker during the middle of the 2009-2010 campaign.

"I'm very happy to have signed this deal. Now its about going out and playing some good hockey", tweeted Johnson just hours after the deal was announced.

The Blues have signed some very good deals this summer and have no lingering deals to be made. The Note will enter the 2010-2011 season with the team salary right around 46 million dollars.

We'll see if the Note looks to make another move this summer given the cap room still remaining.

League Notes

The Chicago Blackhawks look to be even weaker than many thought they would be heading into 2010-2011 after announcing that Annti Niemi will not be a part of next years squad. Instead, the Hawks have opted to go with veteran Marty Turco who is definitely in the twilight of his career as the Central Division rivals become a little more vulnerable.

It looks like Mike Modano will do one more tour of service in the NHL as he and the Detroit Redwings have struck a one-year deal. The 40 year old winger tallied 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points in 59 games on a non-playoff team.

[onlybygrace]

Pray For Mandi

Mandi Schwartz is a forward for Yale University.

By Stephen Holley
Operation Sports Hockey Network
St. Louis Blues Beat Writer

Until yesterday, Mandi Schwartz was running out of time.

Earlier this year, the 22-year-old sister of Jaden Schwartz (2010 1st Rd. Pick of the St. Louis Blues), was told that her life depended on a bone marrow donor being found before September.

Sixteen hundred tests were performed on Yale Students alone prior to a donor being found approximately one month before the September ultimatum. Schwartz is currently in a Seattle hospital preparing for a stem cell transplant.

I would like to urge the community around the St. Louis Blues, the NHL, and the hockey world at large to keep Mandi in your thoughts and prayers.

[onlybygrace]

He's Called 'The Russian Tank'

Vladimir Tarasenko has been touted as the best Russian player not in the NHL. The Blues landed Tarasenko in the 1st round of the 2010 draft with the 16th overall pick.

The Following Article and Interview is from Hockey's Future:

Featured Article

2010 prospects: Vladimir Tarasenko

Written by: HF Staff on 01/11/201
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Vladimir Tarasenko, a skilled and highly touted Russian right winger, is playing his second season in the KHL. Last year he was second in voting for Rookie of the Year in the KHL right after goalie Ilya Proskuryakov and this year he's third in scoring on his team Sibir Novosibirsk. He's among top draft prospects eligible for 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Tarasenko was just ranked second among European skaters in NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings.
Tarasenko is a very good goal scorer with quick hands and lethal shot. He sees the ice well and owns playmaking skills too. He likes to play hard and is strong on his skates.
The 5'11, 202-pounder has played for national team since 2008. At the recent WJC, Tarasenko was third in scoring with four goals and one assist. He played on the second line with Alexander Burmistrov (2010) of the Barrie Colts.
Tarasenko's 18 points (10 goals, 8 assists) in 28 KHL games is the best in the KHL in his age group. He just turned 18 in December.
Andrei Tarasenko, Vladimir's father, is the head coach of Sibir Novosibirsk, so he sees him both as a coach and a father.

“Do I worry about my son’s overall draft pick number? No, not really," Mr. Tarasenko told Hockey's Future. "We don’t think about that right now. We’ve got an agent who deals with it. He knows quite a few North American scouts, plus he used to work overseas as well. But, once again, we don’t really want to get ahead of anything. I can only say that Vladimir has already accomplished a lot but in terms of his career this is just a beginning. After this season we’ll discuss everything with his grandfather and make up new goals for Vladimir. It’s time to prove all the fuss about him was worth it.”
On what he thought of Russian junior players going to the CHL to play, Tarasenko said, “I can only say that it’s complicated. There are those who achieve something and there are also those that disappear. Just think about it – you’re a 17-year-old kid who goes there on your own. Maybe deep in his heart, that’s something that Vladimir wants. But it’s very important to choose the right moment to do that. We want it to be a step forward, not a step back.
“I think it’s important for my son to stay [in Russia] for awhile, gain experience and become a respected hockey player. CHL – is a junior league. In Russia he plays against men. I think it’s better even comparing to Canadian juniors. Again it’s very difficult to be abroad without any relatives or close friends. There’s got to be someone to lend a hand or advice when he needs it. Vladimir is a kind of guy that needs somebody to support him.”

Hockey's Future spoke to Vladimir Tarasenko in his native Russian about himself as a player, looking ahead to the future.


HF: How would you describe yourself as a player?
VT: I’m very good team player. Like everyone I have strong and weak sides as a player. I play Alexander Ovechkin-style. I like very much to score goals and like the physical aspect of the game too.
HF: What are your biggest strengths?
VT: Definitely my shot and acceleration, as well as a positional attack and defense.
HF: What aspect of your game do you feel you need to work most on?
VT: I need learn a defensive aspect of the game more and read the game defensively quicker and better.
HF: Do you have a favorite player?
VT: No I don’t. It was my father when he was playing but right now I have no favorite player.
HF: Have you heard people making comparisons between you and current NHL players?
VT: Yes. They compared me with Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeny Malkin.
HF: Why do you wear #91?
VT: The answer is simple – it’s my year of birth. I wanted to wear #10 but it was not available so I took #91.
HF: What do you do in your spare time?
VT: I have no so much off time. I like to spend my spare time with my friends. But I have no time for a particular hobby.
HF: Do you have a favorite NHL team?
VT: I haven’t. When the NHL games are playing in Russia it's deep in the night so it’s very difficult to watch them. I need to sleep and have rest to be in good shape for my games and trainings. I always liked the Detroit Red Wings but as I said there’s no team in the NHL that I really like more than others.
HF: Any thoughts about upcoming NHL Entry Draft?
VT: I have to play my best and show all that I can do. It’s important to play very well at the WJC and then we will see what will happen. If I play very well at WJC I think I get high number in NHL Entry Draft. My game will show everything.
HF: Where do you see yourself in five years?
VT: I see myself in the NHL.
Andrey Osadchenko and Grigory Orekhovsky contributed to this article.