The NHL All-Star Game here has come and gone, and by all accounts, it was a huge success for St. Louis. But now the focus is back on the Blues, who have split their first two games following the long break, falling 3-1 in Vancouver on Monday and grabbing a 5-4 shootout win in Calgary on Tuesday.
They’ll have another set of back-to-back games Friday in Edmonton and Saturday in Winnipeg before returning to St. Louis. We figured with the NHL trade deadline now less than a month away, it would be a good time to ask about anything on the ice, or any odds and ends you might have.
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As expected, we received a variety of questions from our subscribers, so let’s get to this week’s mailbag …
I’ve been thinking, especially with everything that went on during All-Star weekend, are the Blues going to retire any more numbers in the near future? Chris Pronger and Keith Tkachuk seem to be deserving of this, but curious if you’ve heard anything? — Derek
I’ve been wondering about Pronger myself for a couple of years. I have asked around, and here’s what I’ve learned: Pronger’s No. 44 will be retired. When? That hasn’t been decided.
It seems fair to wonder what has taken so long, but let’s keep a couple of things in mind here and consider the likely reason for the delay. First off, even though Pronger’s last NHL game was Nov. 19, 2011, his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers went through the 2016-17 season, so he wasn’t officially retired until 2017. Secondly, the Blues retired Bobby Plager’s No. 5 on Feb. 2, 2017, and it wouldn’t have made sense to have those two ceremonies too close to each other.
So why not put Pronger’s number in the rafters in 2018-19 or this season? Well, with the understanding that those events are planned months in advance, last season started off pretty depressing. Honestly, I’m glad the Blues didn’t do it then. If we go back to 2006, when Brett Hull’s No. 16 and Al MacInnis’ No. 2 were retired, those ceremonies were magnificent and well-deserved, but they felt a little forced by previous ownership to create some buzz and sell some seats.
Back to 2018-19, we all know what happened in the second half, culminating in the Blues winning the Stanley Cup. That had everybody’s attention all summer long, and it carried over to this season. Meanwhile, the club was preparing to host the All-Star Game. So I think the Blues have held off on Pronger’s ceremony, in part, because they want to wait until the dust settles and direct their full attention to Pronger. He’s a Hart Trophy winner, a Hockey Hall of Famer and one of the most beloved Blues in team history. They’re going to retire No. 44, they’re just waiting for the right time.
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As for Tkachuk, while also deserving, I don’t think we’ll see No. 7 retired on his behalf. You may remember that in 2011, the Blues “honored” Tkachuk, Joey Mullen, Red Berenson and Garry Unger, who all wore the number when they played for the club. Unless something were to change, and I haven’t heard anything along those lines, I think that’s going to be the end of that conversation.
I understand the desire to get Vladimir Tarasenko as healthy as possible and back contributing, but based on how his production was hampered once he got back from past shoulder surgeries, do you think GM Doug Armstrong is counting on his production as a bonus? Might that alter when they allow him back on the ice and whether they need to replace his production before the deadline? — Ryan
I wouldn’t say Tarasenko’s production was hampered after his shoulder surgery in 2018. The injury happened in the regular-season finale against Colorado and he had the surgery a week later. After rehabbing for five months, he opened the 2018-19 season with 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in the first 17 games. He’ll have at least a five-month rehab this time, too, but nobody, not even Armstrong, can forecast when he’ll be ready and how he’ll perform. But what Armstrong has said recently is that they’ll get Tarasenko “on our team as quick as possible.”
I think it’s all going to come down to his re-evaluation, which is scheduled for mid-February. If the Blues believe he’ll be back before the playoffs, I don’t think they’ll add much at the deadline.
Any concerns with Jordan Binnington’s numbers this year? Save percentage? Goals-against average? — John
I’m a little concerned, yes. Not alarmed, just a little concerned. Binnington set the bar extremely high in 2019, so perhaps it’s a little unfair to him, but we must be honest here: While he has played the eighth-most games of any goalie in the league (36), last year’s .927 save percentage was elite and this year’s .911 save percentage is just average (22nd).
I’ll give Binnington credit, as he appears to be battling hard to win games this season. Last year it seemed to be so ho-hum and routine, and now it’s like he’s really working and keeping the Blues in games with some big-time saves. Tuesday’s game in Calgary was a good example. He gave up four goals (three on the power play), but the Blues don’t beat the Flames without him.
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That’s what you really want to see, so I think Binnington will be fine. But it’s hard to ignore the fact that he has allowed four goals in each of his last three starts and four-plus goals in five of his last nine appearances. He’s certainly capable of getting it back at any moment, but he just doesn’t seem to possess that invincibility that he had last season.
What are you looking to see from the Blues in the second half? Things that would make you feel confident and things that would make you feel worried? — Rick
I’ll be looking at a few things … Can they play consistently and keep their mojo heading into the playoffs? Can their top-six forwards finish scoring plays, and if they don’t, what will Armstrong do at the trade deadline? And as we just touched on, can Binnington give them the quality goaltending they need to make another long run?
I realize there have been hiccups like the occasional blown lead or an off-night for the penalty-kill, but there haven’t been enough bad trends to warrant being overly concerned. I’m pretty confident in their lineup and the way that they play on most nights, but that can never be taken for granted, so you just want to see them continue to play consistently.
What is your take on Ville Husso this year? Could he be ready to fill the backup role if we have to move Jake Allen? — Dante
Husso has been OK this season for the San Antonio Rampage, though his numbers lately haven’t been very good. He’s 2-7-4 in his last 13 starts for the AHL club, but he has made 30-plus saves in four of those starts and gone 0-2-2 in those games. The Rampage are averaging 2.9 goals per game in Husso’s starts this year, but just 2.15 goals per game in his losses. Furthermore, in five of his defeats, the opposing goalie has made 40-plus saves. So he hasn’t been great, but the margin for error has been pretty slim.
More than likely, a deal for Alex Pietrangelo probably doesn’t get done unless one or both of Jake Allen and Alexander Steen get moved. With the great play of Allen this year and not-so-great play of Husso, the front office can’t feel that confident in moving Allen and calling up Husso. What could or should happen in order to get a deal with Pietrangelo done, or do they have enough cap space/creativity to get a deal done and not lose Allen or Steen? — Trevor
There are a lot of ways to answer this question, but I’ll keep it simple for now and say that I think the Blues can get creative. I don’t think they’ll try to move Steen, but perhaps they’ll trade Allen, and don’t forget about the possibility of Jay Bouwmeester ($3.25 million) not coming back. There’s a good chance he will, but we don’t know that yet. I’ll say this: I used to get really caught up in trying to figure out how they’ll keep specific players and stay under the cap, but over the years I’ve learned that if Armstrong wants to keep a guy like Pietrangelo, he’ll figure out a way.
Can you talk a little about Jaden Schwartz? I feel like, along with Steen, he’s an underappreciated, underestimated player on the Blues. — Caitlyn
Schwartz has been great, in my book. He wasn’t scoring early in the year, but I still thought he looked good. I realize there were still going to be questions surrounding him even after his terrific playoff performance last year, but I think he has now put those to rest. It’s interesting to me that he and Steen are good buddies. The two of them think and play the game pretty similarly, and both of them have been kind of underappreciated.
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There has been pretty much a lack of scoring recently, so do the Blues even look down at San Antonio? If so, they should know that Klim Kostin is on fire there recently and recovered after his injury. Why are they ignoring him this time? — S.K.
First off, Kostin is playing really well in San Antonio. His call-up earlier this season did wonders for his confidence, proving that he was on the Blues’ radar. He has gone back and produced, especially lately, with six goals in his last 12 games. He’s currently a plus-3, whereas last year he was a minus-28, leading to some trust in him to play late in close games.
This is all good news for Kostin, but unfortunately for him, the Blues are entering a critical point in their season where it’s all about experience. I understand why you want him to get another chance soon, but the honest answer is they’re not going to give a guy who’s played just four NHL games what he needs — top-nine minutes — in the second half of the season.
When do Matthew and Brady Tkachuk wear the Blue Note at the same time? — Brandon
They have to come home, right? How cool would that be? I remember being in the Edmonton locker room when Pat Maroon was playing with the Oilers, thinking he’d be a Blue one day. I remember saying to myself, ‘He’ll probably score in double-overtime to beat Dallas in the second round of the playoffs!’ OK, that last part is a lie, but I did think he’d be a Blue.
In light of the alumni game, I’m curious how retired players go about choosing an alumni association? Obviously where one chooses to live after their playing days factors into the decision, but it’s interesting to see someone like Paul Bissonnette actively involved with Blues Alumni activities or Bob Bassen, who played most of his career with the Blues, go on to be the director of the Stars’ Alumni Association. — Nick
Bissonnette did come to training camp with the Blues a few years ago, but I think him playing in the alumni game had more to do with him being in town for the All-Star Game and being a marquee name. As far as Bassen, he played in both St. Louis and Dallas, and with the Blues already have people running their alumni association, he has found a home with the Stars. I did speak with him at the alumni game last week, though, and he was tickled to be wearing the Blue Note again!
Would you say there’s any significant concern from the Blues regarding Sammy Blais’ injury history (five times in two-plus years)? And do you think that uncertainty will make the Blues more likely to bring in a top-six player? — Aaron
I don’t think there’s any concern about Blais being injury-prone. I remember thinking earlier in his career that he better keep his head up or he’s going to get concussed a lot, but he has gotten better about that. But this last injury to his wrist, requiring surgery, was fluky and no fault of his own. So I don’t think the Blues’ decision to acquire a top-six forward will be based on whether they think Blais can stay healthy; it’ll more about how soon he starts producing and whether he and Tarasenko can be counted on for the playoffs.
How impactful does the success of All-Star weekend have on potential free agents down the road considering St. Louis as a potential option? (Also, my family was one of the many who spent five hours in line to spend a few seconds with the Stanley Cup, and the experience was amazing!) — Rhonda
Hey Rhonda, thanks for your question, love hearing from you! It’s a fair question, but unfortunately, I don’t think the All-Star Game has much of an effect on free agents. I guess it could, but really the only thing All-Stars are getting a gauge on is the atmosphere in the host city, and they already know St. Louis has a good building and passionate fans. They don’t drive to the suburbs and see what it’s like to live here, they don’t see the practice facility, etc. Those things probably do have some influence on players if they do make a “recruiting visit” during free agency, but realistically their decision where to sign is going to be based on their role with the club and their contract.
P.S. Glad you got to see the Cup!
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I was trying to think of the best comparison for Robert Thomas. I think Andy McDonald is pretty close. What’s your opinion? — Ryan
I thought of a few comparisons, but in order to give you a better answer, I sent a text to my podcast partner, Barret Jackman. And without me even telling him who you suggested, he replied, “Andy McDonald.” As you probably agree after making the comparison yourself, Jackman pointed out that Thomas’ skating and vision are what make him similar to McDonald.
Is Robert Thomas ready for a bigger role? No one is talking about it, but he is leading the team in five-on-five points despite significantly less time on ice than the top-six forwards. — Nate
The best answer is probably “yes, but …” Yes, Thomas has been terrific this season, and I’m not sure Blues fans couldn’t be any more giddy than they are. But if you want Thomas playing center, are you giving him more 5-on-5 ice time than Ryan O’Reilly and Brayden Schenn? I suppose you could move Schenn to wing and give Thomas second-line minutes, but Blues coach Craig Berube likes the Schwartz-Schenn and Thomas-Tyler Bozak combos.
Athletic subscribers: Robert Thomas is off to a terrific start at center. So Sean Tierney @ChartingHockey took a look at Thomas' underlying numbers this season and explains why … https://t.co/TEIeh83Vcq November 22, 2019
So really, the fact that Thomas is getting less even-strength ice time than O’Reilly and Schenn is circumstantial, based on who they play with and against. O’Reilly is averaging 15:34 of even-strength ice time per game, followed by Schenn (15:16) and Thomas (12:45). That’s not too far apart, and you also have to consider that perhaps Thomas’ production is coming as a result of a little less ice time and he’s not always facing the opponent’s best checking line. He’ll definitely get that ice time in the future.
When was the last time Doug Armstrong dipped into the rental market to make a trade? Ryan Miller? Having that experience, I just can’t see him going after a rental like Chris Kreider, unless the cost wasn’t outrageous. Your thoughts? — Gregg
Well, it depends if we’re counting Zbynek Michalek and Olli Jokinen in 2015? No? OK.
You’re right, Armstrong’s trade history hasn’t included many deals bringing rental players to St. Louis, and it’s probably the main reason his track record has been so good. Rental acquisitions can work, but only one team can win the Stanley Cup, so a majority of them don’t pay off, as we saw with Miller.
As for Kreider, here’s the thing: He could really help the Blues, but any other year, he’s probably not going to fetch a first-round pick and a prospect. This year, however, Kreider might attract one because he’s going to be one of the top available guys on the market. If dealing a first-round pick and a prospect like Jordan Kyrou or Klim Kostin guarantees you another Stanley Cup, you obviously make the deal, but there are no such guarantees.
What Armstrong must weigh is this: Is now the best chance to win another Stanley Cup in the next 3-4 years? What will the Blues look like when Kyrou/Kostin and that high draft pick are finally ready to contribute? Is Pietrangelo still here then? If now is the best chance, then Armstrong must make the deal.
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When’s the father’s trip this season? — Caroline
It’s good to be the father of a Blues player this season. That’s because the annual father’s trip will be in Anaheim and Las Vegas (Feb. 11-13). That’ll bode well for the team because it has played well with the players’ dads in the stands, and they’ll need it in Vegas, where the Blues blew a three-goal lead on their last trip. I suppose, however, that it only bodes well if their dads actually make it inside the arena. Perhaps the club will have to do a curfew check on them the night before.
This may be too soon to ask, but if Scott Perunovich signs with the Blues, do you see him going to the AHL or NHL first? — Sam
I think Perunovich, the Blues’ second-round pick in 2018, will start in the AHL. The Blues really wanted the defenseman to turn pro this year and play in San Antonio, but he opted to stay at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. That’s certainly his right, but in the NHL, if you’re not taking that next step, you can get put on the back-burner quickly. He still has plenty of time to impress the Blues, but I think he’s going to have to prove himself a bit before he gets that chance.
I love that you allowed us to ask David Perron questions. Any chance you could set something up with John Kelly and/or Darren Pang? I think that would be another fun one. — Joe R.
I’m glad that you enjoyed the Perron piece, which was a lot of fun to put together. I had intended to line up another player or two down the stretch, but it’s not always easy schedule-wise, so I’ll see if Kelly or Pang — or both — are available. If they don’t agree to do it, I’ll tell them you guys are going to turn down the TV and turn up the radio. LOL.
Thank you for your questions today!
(Top photo: Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)