ST. LOUIS – When the St. Louis Blues announce their coaching roster every September, it seems like things are starting to pop up quickly.
That list was released Thursday with the official announcement that the first on-ice practice will be Sept. 19 at Centene.
A total of 62 players were invited to camp.
Attackers (33): Nikita Alexandrov, Sam Bitten, Zack Bolduc, Pavel Buchnevich, Zach Dean, Tanner Dickinson, Antoine Dorion, Dalibor Dvorsky, Radek Faksa, Dylan Holloway, Adam Jecho, Mathieu Joseph, Kasperi Kapanen, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Jordan Kyrou, Mathias Laferriere, Mackenzie MacEachern , Hugh McGing, Tomas Mrsic, Jake Neighbors, Matthew Peca, Juraj Pekarcik, Dylan Peterson, Simon Robertsson, Brandon Saad, Brayden Schenn, Jakub Stancl, Oskar Sundqvist, Marcus Sylvegard, Alexandre Texier, Robert Thomas, Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker.
Defenders (23): Jeremie Biakabutuka, Philip Broberg, Michael Buchinger, Quinton Burns, Lukas Fischer, Justin Faulk, Marc-Andre Gaudet, Scott Harrington, Adam Jiricek, Samuel Johannesson, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Matthew Kessel, Nick Leddy, Leo Loof, Anton Malmstrom, Matt Mayich, Will McIsaac, Colton Parayko, Scott Perunovich, Corey Schueneman, Hunter Skinner, Ryan Suter, Tyler Tucker.
Goalkeepers (five): Jordan Binnington, Will Cranley, Colten Ellis, Joel Hofer, Vadim Zherenko.
The list does not include defenseman Torey Krug, who revealed earlier this week that he will undergo season-ending surgery on his left ankle.
In Part 1 of our Blues mailbag earlier this week, we took questions about the team’s playoff chances, line combinations, breakout players and more. But as always, when subscribers have so many questions, we bring you Part 2…
Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Follow me for a moment: With better planning and steelier nerves, 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 prospect Paul Fischer to call Edmonton’s bluff, even though subsequent reporting strongly suggests the Oilers never intended to match. So they gave up three more assets in addition to the two CBA-mandated draft picks and the salary cap hit. Do you agree that they paid a price higher than necessary? —John A.
Here’s how I see it: The Blues wanted Broberg and Holloway, and they knew when they handed out the offer sheets that they might have to give up additional assets to complete the deal. Could general manager Doug Armstrong hold out and acquire Broberg and Holloway without surrendering Fischer and a third-round pick? Maybe. But I don’t think of it as “calling a bluff”. He wanted the players and felt it was worth those assets to make sure he got them.
Remember, Armstrong got a third-rounder from Ottawa in the trade for Mathieu Joseph, so basically, he used the Blues’ cap to pick up an asset from the Senators and flipped that to get Broberg and Holloway. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have no problem trading second and third round picks and Fischer for those two.
Let’s look at the deal with Pittsburgh. To refresh everyone, the Blues traded Kevin Hayes and their 2025 second-round pick for “future considerations” in late June. The Blues had to sweeten the deal with the second-round pick so Pittsburgh would accept the final two years of Hayes’ contract. Without that choice, the deal is not done. But when the Blues came up with the plan to present the offer to Broberg, they needed that 2025 second-round pick back because that would be the required compensation for Edmonton if the Oilers declined to match.
So the Blues made another trade with Pittsburgh, getting their 2025 second-rounder back while sending the Penguins their 2026 second-rounder. To get the Penguins to agree to the deal, Armstrong had to trade additional picks, giving up a 2025 third-rounder for a 2026 fifth-rounder. So they lost a higher pick to get their second-rounder back just two weeks after sending it to the Penguins.
Better planning would not have prevented this. Hayes would still be here, and that’s not what the Blues wanted. For the Blues to be where they are now – with Broberg and Holloway, and without Hayes – they gave a 2026 second-rounder and a 2025 third-rounder to the Penguins to take Hayes, and got a 2026 fifth-round pick back. That is a lot! So there’s no sugarcoating that situation, but we have to keep it separate from the Edmonton bid situation. If the Blues never make the trade with Philadelphia for Hayes in the first place, then the extra third-rounder is not educated.
Bottom line: Armstrong might have been able to do it for less, but there’s no guarantee it would have ended up the way it did.
Do you think Armstrong would have made the offer sheets if he hadn’t already announced plans for his successor, Alexander Steen? And does this hurt Steen’s ability to maneuver forward? – Matt H.
Armstrong would have made the offer sheets whether he stayed for 10 more years or turned the job over to Steen in two years. He saw an opportunity to improve the Blues and wasn’t afraid to do it within the rules. Armstrong was more motivated to do it because this was going to be Steen’s roster soon. In my conversations with Armstrong, he continued to emphasize that he wanted to leave the organization in a better place than when he got here, and he viewed the acquisitions of Broberg and Holloway as a way to accelerate change.
Offering sheets will not affect Steen’s ability to work with other GMs or his reputation. Armstrong isn’t even seen as a villain around the league, so Steen certainly won’t be.
Armstrong said Steen was not involved in the decision to go for Broberg and Holloway – more just watching and learning. So how will Steen go from intern to managing the team’s hockey operations in two years? — GR
It’s a fair question, and for anyone who thinks Steen’s inexperience is a problem, I hear you. I don’t want to try to change your mind, but I will tell you how I feel he comes off raw. I’ve never been around a person who dribbles hockey more than Steen. He’s as knowledgeable about the X’s and O’s as he is about what guys feel in the locker room. He may not yet know the daily routines and processes of being a GM, but he is extremely intelligent and that will come. So he might not have as much of a feel for the job as an assistant GM in the league that’s been doing it for 10 or 12 years, and he might not be 100 percent ready in two years. But it will come, and eventually, they will have the right guy in my mind.
Do you think the Blues are on the right track with the rebuild when they lack what others would consider “elite” players or prospects? Can we win a Stanley Cup if we build around a group of, at best, above-average players? – Brian K.
Look at the last 10 cup champions: The common denominator, in my opinion, is tough veteran players. But yes, many of them also had star players. The Blues need to build through the draft, find out who can help, and then build around those players with trades and free agents. It’s harder when you don’t have top picks, but Cups aren’t guaranteed if you have stars either.
With the Chicago Blackhawks winter classic jersey, have you heard or seen anything about what the Blues jersey looks like? I’m tired of throwbacks and hope they go with something completely new and different. – Cory S.
I haven’t heard anything about the Blues jersey, 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 it. It’s their surprise. If it leaks like the Chicago one, so be it — I’ll report on it. But I’m not going out to find out what the jersey looks like.
As for the Blues’ jersey design once it’s officially announced, remember that with the Winter Classic and, really, all of the outdoor games, the jerseys are a collaboration between the NHL and the team. The league has a theme or ethos it wants to project 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 sharp because they’ve done a good job with these over the years. And the atmosphere will likely be similar to what the Blackhawks will wear.
The rumors are true! The #Blackhawks #WinterClassic jersey photo floating around is the real thing.
I have a new video on all the rendering details now. Will be on the channel soon!
For now, here are some more detailed photos. (Photos via ig/95takenive) pic.twitter.com/e7IPKS0OSS
— icethetics (@icethetics) August 17, 2024
How likely are we to see Dvorsky play at the Winter Classic? I know it all depends on how well he plays, but it would be huge with him and Connor Bedard on the posts. – Maxwell H.
I don’t know if Dvorsky will be on the Blues’ roster on opening night in Seattle on October 8th, and you want me to guess if he’ll be in uniform at the Winter Classic on December 31st? Oh, I’m kidding! If you find someone who you know will be in the NHL, let me know so I can write some great stories about him – and also add him to my fantasy team.
With all the great alumni in St. Louis, can you please do a bi-weekly story on former players? What do they do? Why did they stay? – Jim M.
Over the years, many Blues fans have asked about this, so I know you’re not the only one interested. I don’t know that I can write many of them because it is quite time consuming to cover the current team. Maybe I can write a few alumni stories per season, or do one story and include several former players. How about this: Put some names of the guys you’d like to read about in the comment section below, and I’ll see what I can do from there.
Could it be that the Blues could ditch Diamond and start their own network or streaming service like some of these other clubs are doing? – Scott C.
I’m scheduled to chat with the Blues about this topic soon. The tricky part is that everything remains fluid, and most clubs are waiting to see what happens with Diamond before they initiate any contingency plans. So again, my hope is to have some information on the Blues’ plans/options that are still on hold at this time.
How much money did you lose while in Vegas covering the draft? – Scott F.
Funny you ask: I went to Vegas for a Blues game during the regular season and lost $200 at the roulette table. My wife was very thrilled (not really). Fortunately, I was able to win $200 playing roulette when I was in town for the draft. I look at it like they held my money for me, but with no interest.
(Top photo by Doug Armstrong: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
