I was reading an article on TSN that posed the question of "How is Brad Boyes still available"

It included what I found to be an interesting stat..

There are 45 forwards who have had a positive scoring chance impact on their teams in five consecutive years. The names that populate that list run the gauntlet of elite talent. Alex Ovechkin, Anze Kopitar, Claude Giroux, Corey Perry, the Sedin twins, John Tavares, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Mikko Koivu, Taylor Hall – I think you get my point. In total, 44 of our 45 names have contracts signed for next year, and only one of those 44-players is set to make less than $3-million AAV next season. (The average cap hit of this group is $5.8-million).

The 45th forward on this list, as you might have guessed, is Brad Boyes.

Alexander Steen was the only Blue on that list.

This is kind of one of those new "advanced" stats that you don't come across pretty often but I think it helps speak to his overall value and started to make me appreciate his overall game even more.

However, I then looked up and noticed he only has 6 goals and 14 points in 31 career playoff games. Geezus...I don't get how an ENTIRE team can just fall way off of their standard consistent production from regular season to post-season.

I mean, how can you be so damn consistent during the regular season and so damn poorly consistent in the post-season?

I guess that's the teams million dollar question though.

Also, I am suprised Brad Boyes hasn't found work yet, he did pot 18 goals last year.

I've always considered Steen one of the top players on our team. His back-to-back 60 points seasons the past two years mark the only time any player on the current team hit 60 points twice in their career.

Oddly enough, I believe the last Blues player to get 60+ back-to-back was Brad Boyes. I'm not sure if that hurts my stance....

I like Steen a lot...but he seems to fade out when the play gets physical in the playoffs.

Of the old core, Steen is by far my favorite. Unfortunately, he has the same problem all of the old core have when it comes to scoring in the playoffs. To a slightly lesser extent though.

Steen might be a victim of others falling off in the playoffs. He's shown enough big game mentality to give you hope anyway.

Despite the aforementioned 6 goals in his playoff career, I seem to remember at least two of them being OT winners (Game 1 in 2013 and 2014) and I believe one other gave the team a 1-0 lead in Game 1 against the Kings in 2013. Not sure about the other 3, but even if he doesn't score a lot of goals he has scored some big ones.

Man in the box wrote:Steen might be a victim of others falling off in the playoffs. He's shown enough big game mentality to give you hope anyway.

I feel the same. Steen has been a noticeable player during the playoffs but the points just aren't there.

I don't think it helps that Steen plays against the other teams top line every night, as well.

To me Steen is the most reliable forward of the 'old core'. He's more of a top line offensive player than Backes, though not as much of a physical force. He's better in most respects than Oshie was for us, not by a huge degree, but he is better. Definitely a more reliable goal scorer.

The playoff points aren't there to the degree you'd like, but he has scored some BIG goals at key times, like the OT goals mentioned above. He's one of the few players on the Blues that you can say that about.

It's the same old story, but Steen is in that "a step below elite" range relative to the rest of the league. It's where every forward on our team sits other than Tarasenko and potentially Schwartz (and Stastny when he was younger).

Also yeah... he always has gotten the toughest defensive assignments, which likely hurts his scoring potential a bit. The same can be / could have been said about Backes and Oshie though.

Steen's short handed goal at the beginning of OT in Game One against the Kings is a St Louis Blues Playoff HOF Goal, IMO.

Steen pre-concussion seemed unstoppable...post concussion Steen doesn't have the same steam.

the last three posts are right where i'm sitting. pre-concussion, he was my favorite blues player by a mile most nights. he played himself up to "untouchable" status when discussing trades for me. post-concussion, he hasn't been the same guy. but, i also believe he is susceptible to the attitudes around him (which is why he's not captain material) so i wonder how much the morale of his linemates affected him too. i'm anxious to see how he comes back next season.

Agreed. Special teams can play a big part of how a team advances in the playoffs. The Blues PP has been horrendous during the playoffs.

He is a skilled guy...with the new recklessness scheme maybe he will catch fire.

Even if you subscribe to the theory that Steen is on the downhill side of his career, which I don't, the question is, how do you find someone better this season?

As for Boyes, I'm amazed that any nhl team would sign him to a contract, 18 goals or not. He is the softest, most non involved player in the league. I would sign Porter ahead of Boyes.

umslbirdie wrote:Steen's short handed goal at the beginning of OT in Game One against the Kings is a St Louis Blues Playoff HOF Goal, IMO.

Yeah, that goal tops my list. I thought the Kings were gonna win that game on that power play. They'd been taking it to us for awhile. Then Steen made Quick look like an idiot to win the game. Good memory. Too bad it didn't end up meaning much.

zilch wrote:

umslbirdie wrote:Steen's short handed goal at the beginning of OT in Game One against the Kings is a St Louis Blues Playoff HOF Goal, IMO.

Yeah, that goal tops my list. I thought the Kings were gonna win that game on that power play. They'd been taking it to us for awhile. Then Steen made Quick look like an idiot to win the game. Good memory. Too bad it didn't end up meaning much.

It was miraculous. We blew the lead with 51 seconds in the third, Came out swinging in the first five minutes of OT. LA calls a timeout and outshoots us 7 to zip over the next 7 minutes and Shatty takes a DOUBLE MINOR.

Hero- scored both goals that game.

holdem wrote:I don't think it helps that Steen plays against the other teams top line every night, as well.

I don't think it helps that he plays with two playoff no-shows AND against the other teams top line ever night. Poor bastard.

I agree Steen has never been a problem on this team. He's probably the most complete and versalite forward they have, and he seems to be a true professional with a good compete level at least judging from his interviews. The fact that he is the son of an NHL player with the same type of values only helps him in his approach to coaches, mgt., in the locker room, etc.

Having said that he's been playing top-line minutes and just like Backes and Oshie he doesn't seem to be able to raise his level of play in the playoffs, at least from a production standpoint.

I hope that Hitch either uses Alex as more of a complimentary player with his versatility (2nd or 3rd line minutes), or else use him in a more defined role (offensive catalyst or shut-down instead of a hybrid). I just think given the opportunity he's a guy who could raise his level of play in the playoffs if he weren't over-utilized.

I suppose another alternative ideally would be if the new "fast and reckless" style doesn't wear down players as much as the old system. Wouldn't that be nice?