All means are good to motivate the troops. The general manager of the Blues, Doug Armstrong, has just found a new one: to threaten the group of reconstruction!
Posted at 9:14 a.m.
Armstrong addressed the players on Tuesday after a fifth straight loss, a streak in which they scored 8 goals and allowed 21.
“If it’s not about underperformance and our players just don’t have the skills, then maybe we’ll try the operation I don’t want, trading players and acquiring assets. to rebuild,” the DG told reporters after his meeting with his troops.
“But take the clubs that have had success in the past before entering this phase, rebuilding, resetting, it’s painful. I don’t want to “re” anything. I believe in these players. They have done a lot for my career and I want to return the favor. But we have to do it together. »
It would be amazing to see Armstrong follow through on his threat if things don’t turn around. This team, after all, had 109 points last season and reached the second round of the playoffs.
Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko will be entitled to full autonomy at the end of the season, but the former is 31 and the latter 30. We are not talking about athletes in their late thirties.
Otherwise, the top four defenders, Justin Faulk, Torey Krug, Colton Parayko and Nick Leddy are under contract for at least three more years, four in the case of the top three, and none of the quartet are over 31.
On offense, two of the top four scorers last year, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, aren’t 25 years old. Pavel Buchnevich has 27.
PHOTO JEFF ROBERSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Justin Faulk, Jordan Kyrou and Ryan O’Reilly
On the other hand, the GM is right to ask more of some of his players. Ryan O’Reilly probably misses David Perron. He has one point in eight games this season.
Jordan Kyrou, a revelation last winter with 27 goals and 75 points in 74 games, has three points, all goals, in eight games after signing an eight-year, $65 million contract extension this summer.
“He looks like a 2.9 million player right now,” Armstrong said of his youngster, whose raise will only take effect next year. But he is one of nine players who can give more. »
Armstrong reiterated his confidence in coach Craig Berube. Difficult to say otherwise when we have just granted him a three-year contract extension in February.
However, there are several things to settle in St. Louis. Blues rank 30e NHL rank in goals scored per game (2.38) and 26e rank for goals against (3.75). They are 24e for shots per game (28.9). Only the numerical superiority game works with a success rate of almost 24%.
By December 2018, Armstrong had come close to carrying out similar threats. Brayden Schenn, among others, believed he was traded to the Boston Bruins. Alex Pietrangelo, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jay Bouwmeester and Pat Maroon were also at the heart of the trade rumors.
Six months later, this almost intact team surprised the hockey world by winning the Stanley Cup. Armstrong nevertheless admitted to having thought about dissolving its core, but that he had not found the right partners to carry out exchanges.
In the circumstances, bet that the DG will remember the lesson of 2018-2019 and will advocate patience, despite the threats of this week…
Slafkovsky learns the hard way
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Juraj Slafkovsky
An 18-year-old has a lot to learn on an NHL rink; not only the game system, the speed of the game, the correct way to play, but also to avoid injury. Juraj Slafkovsky was lucky to escape unscathed on Tuesday night. His shoulder took the shock from a check from Marco Rossi late in the game. The gesture wasn’t elegant, but Slafkovsky didn’t protect himself either.
Martin St-Louis explained the situation well after the meeting. ” slaf was out of attendance. He was burned. He wanted to make the right play by reaching the red line before clearing, but sometimes it’s better to protect yourself. You have to be alert until the end. It’s an end of presence, an end of the match, he didn’t have the same strength. There are guys who struggle to keep their place in the League. They try to impress in every way. You should never let your guard down because you can get caught. »
Curiously, Wild coach Dean Evason sent Rossi back on the ice with just over a minute to go. The robust Arber Xhekaj tried to trouble him, but the worst was avoided for the little Austrian.
Do not miss
- Simon-Olivier Lorange was right in his analysis, in addition to the trio of young Suzuki, Caufield and Dach, the others, made up of veterans, were rather quiet.
- Dominate in the junior ranks or learn in the American League. All roads lead to Rome, as Guillaume Lefrançois explains, citing the examples of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cole Perfetti, of the Winnipeg Jets, the next opponents of the Canadian, Thursday.
- Former Montreal Impact David Choinière once again distinguished himself in the big moments and allowed the Hamilton Forge to win another championship in the Canadian Premier League (PLC) on Sunday in front of a crowd of 15,000 supporters in Ottawa. Jean-François Téotonio spoke to him.