Latest news with #StLouisBlues
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How the Blues' offseason could turn into a nightmare, if these 5 things happen
ST. LOUIS — On Thursday, The Athletic wrote about the perfect offseason for the St. Louis Blues. Now it's time for what a nightmare offseason would look like. Reading the reaction to the first article, there wasn't a lot of agreement among subscribers on signing Florida Panthers' free-agent forward Sam Bennett. In fact, knowing Bennett's projected cost ($10 million AAV?) and age (28), some of you strongly suggested that it would be a nightmare. And you're probably right, but it was just meant to be some summer speculation about the perfect offseason. Advertisement So what would a nightmarish couple of months look like for the Blues? Well, it could just be the reverse of what fans hope will go perfectly. For example, if you want the team to re-sign Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg a year before their contracts expire, then not re-signing them would be an unwanted outcome. I'll try and dig a little deeper than that. In the end, we can all agree — if you're the Blues, you don't want any of the items on this list to unfold this way. Thanks to their second-half run to the playoffs, the Blues have the No. 19 pick in the first round. If they choose to make that selection, they should come away with a good player from Corey Pronman's list of the top 125 prospects. But if forwards Cole Reschny (Victoria), Braeden Cootes (Seattle) and Jack Nesbitt (Windsor) are off the board, and defensemen Cameron Reid (Kitchener) and Logan Hensler (Wisconsin) are gone too, is there another player the amateur scouting staff likes in that spot, or would the team trade down? There's nothing wrong with the Blues moving back and acquiring, say, a third-round pick in return. They've had four first-round picks in the past two years, so there's a lot of top-end talent in the system. But with last year's first-round pick (Adam Jiricek) off to an injury-riddled start to his career, it could become a situation where the club looks back in a few years and sees that it missed out on some quality players. Forget about Bennett for a moment. What if the Blues not only can't make a big splash for a center, but can't find any centers in free agency who fit their need and price range? And what if GM Doug Armstrong also has trouble in the trade market? With the Dallas Stars signing pending UFA Matt Duchene on Thursday, and the Edmonton Oilers possibly having a deal for Trent Frederic, a few of the names are already coming off the board. There are others, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs' John Tavares and the Vancouver Canucks' Pius Suter, but what if they're re-signed by their current clubs, too? Advertisement As far as the trade market for a center, that looks bleak, as well. There weren't many to begin with on The Athletic's offseason trade board, so unless Armstrong is able to pluck away a player who isn't widely known to be available, then the Blues could have a tough time filling their hole. In May, I responded to a mailbag question about Blues goalie Joel Hofer getting an offer sheet this summer, and said, in my opinion, I don't think it's too much of a concern. That's not to say it can't happen, but I wouldn't be worried about the Blues matching, or even having to overpay him. Hofer, 24, will be a restricted free agent if he's still unsigned by the Blues on July 1. Granted that's 12 days away, and he doesn't have a contract. But the reason I don't think an offer sheet will come to fruition is because a team would have to give him a contract with a $4.6 million cap hit in order for the Blues to consider not matching. If it's between $2.3-$4.6 million, the compensation is just a second-round pick for the Blues, and they would match that. But as we saw with Armstrong signing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to dual offer sheets last season, and prying them away from the Edmonton Oilers, anything can happen. And if it did somehow happen to the Blues with Hofer, it would send them searching for a new partner for Jordan Binnington and a netminder for the future. In the final months of the regular season and in the playoffs, Blues coach Jim Montgomery could've flipped a coin when deciding whether to put either Mathieu Joseph or Alexandre Texier. Neither was overly impressive, nor did it appear that Montgomery trusted them. Joseph has one season ($2.95 million AAV) remaining on the contract that the Blues inherited when they acquired him from the Ottawa Senators in a trade last summer. With the NHL buyout window opening 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Final, The Athletic has put together a list of potential candidates that includes Joseph. It would save the Blues $2.2 million on their cap in 2025-26 and cost them $1.1 million against it in 2026-27. Advertisement Meanwhile, Texier has one more season ($2.1 million AAV) left on the deal that he signed when the Blues got him from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has some skill and doesn't make much money, so he doesn't seem like a buyout candidate. It's not that Armstrong can't keep one of them around, but keeping both is a different story, and Joseph seems the most likely to go. Give credit to the Blues' defensive personnel, who clamped down after Montgomery took over and made the team much improved overall five-on-five. But that said, there wouldn't be too much excitement if training camp begins and Justin Faulk and Nick Leddy are both back, and Armstrong has re-signed Ryan Suter. There are a lot of players on the blue line who can skate and move the puck, but they're just not hard to play against. You can have Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler and Broberg, but if so, you have to accent them with players who are a bit more intimidating. Tyler Tucker is certainly that, and he helps, but whether it's boxing out five-on-five or on the penalty kill, there has to be more of a presence back there. Armstrong has long known that the Blues need to move on from one or more of those defensemen, but hasn't been able to because of the full no-trade clauses that he included in their contracts. But this summer, some of those full NTCs turn into modified NTCs, which will give the team some flexibility to move them. It'll be interesting to see if the GM follows through. (Top photo of Joel Hofer: Jeff Curry / Imagn Images)
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How the Blues can pull off a perfect offseason, in 5 steps
ST. LOUIS — With the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, it's time for the St. Louis Blues to become more than spectators. The NHL Draft is just more than a week away (June 27 and 28), and free agency and development camp will be the following week. The Blues have the No. 19 pick in the first round, and when I was asked by The Athletic recently to project who the club might pick, I chose University of Wisconsin right-shot defenseman Logan Hensler. Advertisement As far as free agency, the Blues have approximately $5.5 million in salary-cap space for the 2025-26 season, according to PuckPedia, but that number will grow when they place injured defenseman Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). And if we're talking trades, few can predict what general manager Doug Armstrong will have up his sleeve this summer. But that's what makes it fun: imagining the scenarios. Let's start by laying out what a perfect Blues offseason looks like — but before you get too excited, just know that the nightmare version is coming Friday. Wanting to make moves for the future and remain competitive now, it makes sense that the Blues wind up in the middle of the first round — and for the second consecutive year, that's where they are. In 2024, the Blues had the No. 16 pick and went with defenseman Adam Jiricek, who's had an injury-riddled couple of seasons. This year, they have the No. 19 pick, and as I mentioned, I went with Hensler in The Athletic's beat writer mock draft. I debated taking Kitchener Rangers defenseman Cameron Reid, who colleague Corey Pronman selected for the Blues when he did his mock draft. But even though Pronman and I both have the Blues calling out the name of a defenseman with their first-round pick, that doesn't mean it's their biggest need. Pronman has the center position more pressing. So don't rule out the possibility of centers Jack Nesbitt (Windsor), Cole Reschny (Victoria) or Braeden Cootes (Seattle). And Nesbitt, especially, at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, would be a nice land. The winner of the Conn Smythe Award as the NHL's playoff MVP, Sam Bennett is going to be able to write his own price tag in free agency, and by many accounts, he wants to return to the Panthers. Some Blues fans may not be too upset by that, because Bennett will turn 29 years old Friday, and after scoring 15 goals in 23 playoff games, he could get a long-term deal with a cap hit of $9 million-plus. That may be an overpayment for a player who's certainly contributed to the Panthers' success but also benefited from the talent around him. Advertisement This article is part constructive and part fantasyland, though, so if we're going to wish for the Blues to come away this summer with the best available player at the position they need the most help, it probably has to be Bennett. To be clear, Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg each have one more season left on the two-year deals they signed with the Blues when the team lured them away from the Edmonton Oilers with a pair of shocking offer sheets last summer. They are eligible to sign extensions on July 1, though, and while it's not imperative that they're signed this summer, it sure would make fans more comfortable to know they're locked up long-term. Both are 23 years old and will be restricted free agents next summer, so the team would still retain their rights. I was a bit surprised when The Athletic conducted its Blues fan survey recently and a majority of the 1,800 responses wanted four-year extensions for both Holloway and Broberg. Perhaps I'm too excited about what I saw, but I'd be willing to give them each eight years, and I'd do it this summer before the possibility of them increasing their value in 2025-26. Cam Fowler, 33, has one more season left on his contract, and like Broberg and Holloway, is eligible to sign an extension on July 1. He's been a perfect fit on the top pair with Colton Parayko, which is perhaps why Parayko had a career year in 2024-25. A two-year extension for Fowler may be more ideal, but for a couple of reasons, I agree with 47.3 percent of those in the survey who selected a three-year deal. The Blues may be able to get a lower cap hit by giving him more term, and even if he drops off by the third year, his skating ability makes it hard to believe that he won't be able to contribute, even if it's not in the top four. The Blues have some defensive prospects in the system like Jiricek, Lukas Fischer and Theo Lindstein, who have promising futures, but that future is a few years away. So in the meantime, a player with Fowler's experience is extremely valuable. I don't want to pile on Leddy, and I know there are many fans who would trade Justin Faulk before him. But Leddy is down to just one more year left on his contract, and with a $4 million cap hit, that may be more feasible to move than the remaining two years and $6.5 million cap hit for Faulk. Either way, the Blues need to clear out a defenseman and add more toughness to a blue line that's been severely lacking it for years. Tyler Tucker needs to be a regular in the top six — not sitting at the expense of a vanilla veteran. While the Blues may not be in the market for Florida's Aaron Ekblad in free agency, there are a few defensemen available who could fit the description of what they need, and they could also look for one in a trade. (Top photo of Brayden Schenn and Sam Bennett: Jasen Vinlove / USA Today)
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Q&A with Blues chairman Tom Stillman: State of the team, ‘McDavid deal,' rising cap and more
ST. LOUIS — It's become a tradition every offseason for The Athletic to sit down for a Q&A with St. Louis Blues chairman Tom Stillman. A year ago, Stillman spoke with us about how difficult the decision was to fire coach Craig Berube and teased us on how interesting the summer might be with general manager Doug Armstrong making moves to improve the team. Advertisement This year, after a surprising trip to the NHL playoffs, there were new topics to discuss: Armstrong's final year as GM, the transition to Alexander Steen and more. In a phone call Monday, Stillman joked that he had his own surprise. He was in his car with wife, Mary, and said, laughing, 'I've suggested that she answer the questions.' 'I'm primed and ready,' Mary said. 'I just think it's time for her …' Stillman said. 'To weigh in,' she finished. Instead, however, Mary got out of the car after a few minutes. 'She took off with our new puppy,' Stillman said of the couple's female Welsh Springer Spaniel, named Patty. 'She's a cute little dog, and it's nice having her as I'm licking my wounds because she always wants to come up and cuddle.' Stillman's wounds are a reference to the Blues' agonizing, last-second loss to the Winnipeg Jets in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs. But months removed from that defeat, Patty is helping him turn his attention to the future. Here's what Stillman had to say this year. Note: This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. How much did the second-half surge and making the playoffs change your view of where you are in the retool, and because of it, where are you now? We took a very big step forward this year — a bigger step than we thought it might be a few months earlier. That goes back further than how well we played in the later part of the season. It goes back to the three big moves that Doug (Armstrong) made: the acquisitions of (Philip) Broberg, (Dylan) Holloway and Cam (Fowler), along with the hiring of (Jim Montgomery). When you look at that all together, Monty and the players moved us toward a different approach and different culture in the way we play, and in the end, that was a big step forward. What was your initial reaction to Armstrong wanting to bring back Jim Montgomery, and what is it about him that makes the hiring so promising? My initial reaction was, 'Yeah, that's the right thing to do, and let's do it right now.' Usually with something that big, we let it percolate, but that's not how it was. It was, 'What a great coach, and if he's available, we've got to do it.' At the same time, I have to admit that I felt bad for (former coach Drew Bannister). He was improving and that was what we expected of him, and he was doing fine. So that part is tough. But you have to remember that our job is to do the best thing we can by the Blues franchise, so then we moved ahead. Advertisement With Monty, he's got such a great combination of accountability and making sure people know their job in detail. Like, that player isn't supposed to be over there — he's supposed to be nine inches over here. At the same time, he keeps everything light. You know right away, he's one of those guys who you want to be around. He's funny, he's able to talk to anybody, and he's just one of those magnetic people. So he's able to combine being demanding with positive reinforcement, and you want to be around him. It's a unique combination in my view. A year ago, you teased us when you said it'll be an interesting offseason — 'It already is.' Did you have an inkling about the offer sheets for Broberg and Holloway at that time? If not, what were you teasing? That was last May when we spoke, and I didn't know about the offer sheets yet, but I'll say it again. I used to hear GMs say, 'We're always trying to improve the club,' and think that's a bunch of BS and they're just giving lip service to the fans. But that is actually 100 percent true. There are GMs, especially Doug, they think about doing this and doing that all of the time and they're actively being talked about. So I don't know what it was I was referring to last year when I said it was already an interesting offseason, but there's always stuff like that flying around, especially in May when the season is over way too early and people are wondering how we're going to get better. There's a lot of intrigue again this offseason within the fan base, so are there any more hints you want to drop on us? Do you think Armstrong has a big trade up his sleeve in free agency, trades, offer sheets? (Laughing) Well, I think the (Connor) McDavid deal is looking pretty good. When we deal with Edmonton, we go for two, so I think it would be (Leon) Draisaitl, too. But just keep that under wraps. Nah, I'd love to tease you with something, but I'm not going to. Speaking of the roster, the NHL salary cap is jumping to $95.5 million next season, $104 million in 2026-27 and $113.5 million in 2027-28. What is your take on the dramatic rise, and will Blues ownership continue spending to the cap? First, on the rise of the cap, we certainly understand it because it was artificially held down under the CBA that was entered into during COVID. We knew that it was going to rise. At the same time, that's not easy for a smaller middle-market team like us, so it does present challenges in developing the revenue we need to keep up and remain competitive. Will we spend to the cap? We will spend to the cap if that's what makes sense. We're not going to spend to the cap just so we can say that we spent to the cap. We will be looking at the actual facts and circumstances: where we think we are as a team, who's available, what's best in the short term and long term, and just what makes sense. Advertisement In your 13 seasons as chairman, you've worked hand-in-hand with one man: Armstrong. What are your thoughts on that relationship entering his final year as the GM before Steen takes over? We are really lucky, really blessed to have the person who I think is the best GM in the league managing the St. Louis Blues. That relationship remains solid and full of respect. While we are changing the GM next year and Steen will take that seat, we will still have Doug here. He is going to be active in doing a lot of work as president. He's not going to be somebody who suddenly, his mind goes slack, right? By the same token, Alex's process of learning how to be a great general manager doesn't end when he is designated GM. That was all part of this plan as we laid it all out. We still have a great GM there to bring Alex along and even handle some things that Alex doesn't have to take over for a while. I mean, does Alex have to be in charge of every scout's contract in his first year as GM? Does he have to be involved in our charter plane arrangements? I want Alex to learn everything in order and be learning from the best as he does it. How better have you gotten to know Steen over the past year, and what's your comfort level in him taking over compared to where it might have been when the transition was announced? He's much better prepared than he was a year ago, and he'll be a lot better prepared with another year of work like this under his belt. He's working really closely with Doug and also learning from everybody else: Peter (Chiarelli), Al (MacInnis), Keith (Tkachuk), Scott (Mellanby). He's taking it all in from all angles, plus he comes in with his views about what makes a good team and what makes a player the kind of player that we want, that puts the team first. So yeah, I'm very comfortable with the way that he's progressing. During the Stanley Cup Final, the NHL and NHLPA both made comments that they're having positive dialogue about a CBA extension before it expires in September 2026. Do you feel good about the situation, and are there any specifics you'd like to see addressed — playoff salary-cap loophole, etc.? Well, I'm going to start with something I've read from the NHL 30-40 times over my time: 'We ask that you not comment on the CBA.' There may be discipline, so I would just say we've gotten updates from the league and things seem to be moving along well, and I'm happy to hear that. In our recent Blues fan survey, 76 percent of them gave Blues ownership an A and 88 percent gave them a B or higher. It's been seen as a stable group since the day it took over in 2012, but where are you at today? Can fans expect the same leader, same group, same stability for years to come? I don't see any real changes. I don't see anything that's going to change our approach. We do have to pump up our revenue. That's really the big imperative. We talked earlier about the cap going up and that creates challenges, but that doesn't mean that we're going to start running the club differently, or we're going to have a crisis in ownership or anything like that. We're stable. (Top photo of Tom Stillman and Doug Armstrong: Scott Rovak / NHLI via Getty Images)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Myles Straw's RBI single
Blues Have Clear Free-Agent Defenseman To Target One area the St. Louis Blues should be looking to improve this off-season is the right side of their defense. Bringing in a top-four right-shot defenseman would certainly give their roster a boost as they look take another step forward in 2025-26. 4:17 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
National Post
11-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
T.J. Oshie, Capitals Stanley Cup champion, retires at 38
Article content WASHINGTON — T.J. Oshie, who scored four shootout goals for the U.S. to beat host Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, announced Monday he is retiring after playing 16 NHL seasons. Article content Oshie shared his news in front of hundreds of fans gathered at the fountains at Washington Harbour in Georgetown, seven years to the day of one of the most memorable Cup celebrations in hockey history when he and several teammates jumped into the fountains and took a dip. Article content Article content Article content President of hockey operations Brian MacLellan, general manager Chris Patrick, coach Spencer Carbery and longtime teammates Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson came out to support Oshie as he called it a career. Article content 'My only contribution was that this could be a good day and place to have (the ceremony),' Oshie said, adding, 'I can't thank the Caps enough. Another first-class move by them to have my retirement here, invite all the people out. It really made this day special.' Article content This is my last time hanging up my skates. What an amazing journey it has been. Thank you to my family, friends, @StLouisBlues, @Capitals, fans and everyone that helped me along the way. I'm so grateful for what the game of hockey has given me and I look forward to the next… — TJ Oshie (@TJOshie77) June 11, 2025 Article content Article content The announcement had been expected for quite some time, with Oshie's contract expiring. The 38-year-old did not play this past season because of a nagging back injury that sidelined him off and on, going on long-term injured reserve instead. Article content Oshie said in the spring of 2024 he would only return to the Capitals if he found a permanent solution or fix to the issue. His final game was at home on April 28 last year against the New York Rangers, a 4-2 loss in the first round that eliminated Washington in a sweep. Article content 'I was fully prepared that could be my last game: I got the pictures taken of me taking off the skates to prove it,' Oshie said. 'I hadn't thought too much about (the end), honestly, besides that moment. Even before that moment, knowing how tough it was on really the whole team with me, what I was going through, actually saying the words out loud at the podium with my family in front of me and the Caps organization, my teammates, all my close friends, it was emotional.'
