Just wondering what everyone would like to see the Blues do with the remainder of the cap space.
Capfriendly has the Blues with just over 3 mil in space:
https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/blues
To me, there are 3 options:
1) Sign an additional player under that amount
2) Move another salary and sign a more significant player (if one is available via trade/FA
3) Hang on to the cap space for more flexibility at the trade deadline

Personally, I am hoping they are leaning towards option 3. That will let you see what they have in some of the young players, plus give you the ability to trade for a piece at the deadline. But, I will definitely take option 2 if they think it is the player that can put them over the top.

What are your thoughts?

Tough call.

If the cap stays at 3M all year, my only concern is what can the Blues really do with that at the trade deadline in terms of bolstering the team? Is that enough?

Almost assuredly to make a big deadline deal will require moving someone like Gunnarson for a draft pick. Then the team will have close to 6M in cap space to make a significant deal during the season.

At the same time, I'm still drawn to signing Doan/Iginla/Jagr at a bargain rate. The way things are going for them, the current 3M is enough to sign these guys. And IMO, can the Blues really do better than this at the trade deadline? I mean these are quality guys.

I think it's safe to say that Army is moving forward into the season with the current roster he has and will keep his options open for both #2 & #3.

Armstrong has said he wants to be about 5% under the cap, which is about $3.75 million. Given that, I don't expect them to do anything until the team finds itself and he can identify needs. There's not really anyone available on the free agent market that interests me anyway. Sure, Jagr would be fun, but I doubt he'd come here for less than $4 million anyway. Doan and Iginla could be had for much less, but I have 0 interest in them.

The figure is realistically more like $2M under the cap. The capfriendly website doesn't list a #7 d-man. Regardless of whether that will be Dunn, Walman, or Butler, those guys all make around $900K. That really doesn't leave room for a UFA, and I'm not real interested in who might be available on a PTO. But it does leave room for a rental around the trade deadline, especially considering Berglund's injury absence will be off the books by then I think.

blueslifer wrote:The figure is realistically more like $2M under the cap. The capfriendly website doesn't list a #7 d-man. Regardless of whether that will be Dunn, Walman, or Butler, those guys all make around $900K. That really doesn't leave room for a UFA, and I'm not real interested in who might be available on a PTO. But it does leave room for a rental around the trade deadline, especially considering Berglund's injury absence will be off the books by then I think.

Good info... I didn't realize that about capfriendly's number. Thanks

BillP wrote:Tough call.

If the cap stays at 3M all year, my only concern is what can the Blues really do with that at the trade deadline in terms of bolstering the team? Is that enough?

Almost assuredly to make a big deadline deal will require moving someone like Gunnarson for a draft pick. Then the team will have close to 6M in cap space to make a significant deal during the season.

At the same time, I'm still drawn to signing Doan/Iginla/Jagr at a bargain rate. The way things are going for them, the current 3M is enough to sign these guys. And IMO, can the Blues really do better than this at the trade deadline? I mean these are quality guys.

I think it's safe to say that Army is moving forward into the season with the current roster he has and will keep his options open for both #2 & #3.

Keep in mind that "cap space" is not the same as "deadline cap space." Everyday that we have 3M of cap space, that space gets banked and can be used later in the year at the trade deadline. You can see on CapFriendly that the 3M cap space projects to 14M of deadline space, which is obviously plenty to acquire whoever we want at the deadline.

I'd like to see the Stasny situation resolved asap. No way do I want to see a replay of the Shattenkirk distraction.

Turk Sanderson wrote:I'd like to see the Stasny situation resolved asap. No way do I want to see a replay of the Shattenkirk distraction.

I don't think there will be any Stastny situation, unless we play wayyyyy under expectations and are out of the playoff picture come deadline day. Stastny will be on the team all year and then leave in FA like Backes.

Save the money, and see which of our young forwards has a great camp.

I don't think we'll see anything else before camp. Hoping to see Kostin bust out in a Laine-esque fashion and make us figure out where to slot him. Factor in the absence of Fabbri for 25 games and the addition of Schenn and I'm OK where we are to start the season.

We've still got a bunch of unknowns right now:

How will Fabbri rebound from his season-ending injury last year?

When/how well will Berglund return from his surgery?

How will Schenn fit in with the team? Center? Better off at wing?

What kind of role will Barbashev play? Top 6? Bottom 6? Better off getting more time in Chicago?

Ditto for Sanford, Thorburn, and some of our other new guys?

Where will Sobotka fit back in?

Who will be our 5-6-7 defensemen?

Any other younger players ready to make the jump?

How much longer will the Jaskin and Paajarvi experiments continue?

Many of these questions will be cleared up in time, but until then, I think maintaining flexibility is most important.

I would wait until at least 30-35 games in, until we see what Schmaltz, Dunn, Walman, Kostin, Thompson, Bennett, and Sundqvist do. If another scoring forward is needed, use the extra money to get one. If it's necessary to trade Gunnarsson to obtain a very good player for more than one year, do that.

I'd like to see them dump Gunnarsson and let one of Dunn, Walman, or Lindbohm take his place and double the space they have available from just over $2M to just over $4M. Then sit on it. If an offer presents itself later in the year for an impact pickup, you don't have to worry about making the cap fit. We'll give back some of that space putting Berglund on IR (if we replace him on the roster and carry 14 healthy forwards) but $4M at the start of the season gives you $8M to work with at the midway point and over $12M at the TDL. There just isn't anyone out there right now that is worth spending it on unless you're looking at bringing in Jagr to sell tickets and jerseys.

MissouriMook wrote:I'd like to see them dump Gunnarsson and let one of Dunn, Walman, or Lindbohm take his place and double the space they have available from just over $2M to just over $4M. Then sit on it. If an offer presents itself later in the year for an impact pickup, you don't have to worry about making the cap fit. We'll give back some of that space putting Berglund on IR (if we replace him on the roster and carry 14 healthy forwards) but $4M at the start of the season gives you $8M to work with at the midway point and over $12M at the TDL. There just isn't anyone out there right now that is worth spending it on unless you're looking at bringing in Jagr to sell tickets and jerseys.

Gunnarsson is a reliable #5/6 veteran. I think he is ok staying. I would like to see one of Dunn, Walman, or Lindbohm push to move him off the bottom pairing. If Schmaltz and maybe Dunn play up to or exceeding expectations, I could see them trying to move Gunnarsson. I know you can never have too much depth but with Prosser, Butler, Bortuzzo, Walman, Dunn, and Lindbohm, I think they have plenty of depth.

A bottom pairing of Dunn and Schmaltz would add a lot of mobility and possibly some offensive jump. I know it's a little dangerous having two essential rookies, but we did it two years ago with Edmundson and Parayko and by all accounts, those two (Dunn and Schmaltz) proved what they needed to in AHL last year.

Defensively, you're not going to get rid of Gunnarsson until you have a logical replacement for him.

Bouwmeester / Pietrangelo
Edmundson / Parayko

Gunnarsson and either Walman / Dunn will be rotated on the left side, and I would think one of Bortuzzo / Prosser would make the right side - in addition, this might be Schmaltz's last good shot to make the team as well.

Once they feel comfortable with one of those kids taking a spot, then I can see them letting a veteran go, but not until they feel that way.

SpacemanSpiff wrote:Defensively, you're not going to get rid of Gunnarsson until you have a logical replacement for him.

Bouwmeester / Pietrangelo
Edmundson / Parayko

Gunnarsson and either Walman / Dunn will be rotated on the left side, and I would think one of Bortuzzo / Prosser would make the right side - in addition, this might be Schmaltz's last good shot to make the team as well.

Once they feel comfortable with one of those kids taking a spot, then I can see them letting a veteran go, but not until they feel that way.

If Gunnarson is still on the roster come playoff time, then that's not good news for the St. Louis Blues.

If this team is going to have a special season, kids will have to rise up and Gunny will have to be dealt for a draft pick, and IMO a legit player acquisition will need to be made at the deadline to push this team to the Cup.

BillP wrote:

SpacemanSpiff wrote:Defensively, you're not going to get rid of Gunnarsson until you have a logical replacement for him.

Bouwmeester / Pietrangelo
Edmundson / Parayko

Gunnarsson and either Walman / Dunn will be rotated on the left side, and I would think one of Bortuzzo / Prosser would make the right side - in addition, this might be Schmaltz's last good shot to make the team as well.

Once they feel comfortable with one of those kids taking a spot, then I can see them letting a veteran go, but not until they feel that way.

If Gunnarson is still on the roster come playoff time, then that's not good news for the St. Louis Blues.

If this team is going to have a special season, kids will have to rise up and Gunny will have to be dealt for a draft pick, and IMO a legit player acquisition will need to be made at the deadline to push this team to the Cup.

Even if the kids do rise up, and push Gunnar to the bench, I think they'd still keep him around for insurance.

But I agree - someone from the Walman/Dunn/Schmaltz pack has to come in and take a job.