JR just retweeted a reporter saying his contract has been mutually terminated. JR added that the contract went through April 30th, so that Sobotka has to have something going on for it to be terminated early.

Would he even be eligible to play in the postseason for us? I thought players had to be on the roster by the trade deadline...

Not sure how that works with him being our property, so I don't think he'd need to go through waivers like other players who might sign late in the year.

Personally, don't let him play this year, and then trade him in the off-season if he wants to return to the NHL.

If he comes back and plays one game for the Blues this year, that would fulfill his contract and he'd head into the off-season as a UFA.

You don't let him play this year.

I agree with you guys. But if he wasn't planning on playing this year, there'd be no reason to get his contract terminated early, right? So there has to be something going on with this season.

I heard somewhere that Army was negotiating to trade Sobotka's NHL rights to Washington, so he could get Shatty back for the playoffs.

I agree you don't play him this year. Would be nice to trade him in the summer time in a package for a bigger piece.

Maybe, I sure hope not, Army wants more depth at center for the playoffs. Maybe Army thinks just as much of Lehtera as the rest of us.

This post season, getting the Wild in the first round, and then the Hawks in the second round is not the time to spend the one year remaining on his contract.

He just won't go away

Can't wait till the blues aren't associated with him anymore.
Hope he's not on this roster next year.

Doug Glatt wrote:He just won't go away

Unbelievable but true

I think he'd make a great 2nd-3rd line center in Las Vegas next year...

RAFritchey wrote:I think he'd make a great 2nd-3rd line center in Las Vegas next year...

Anywhere but here

If it were possible to bring Sobotka back for the playoff this year then I'm all for it. With Stastny currently injured, to be able to bring in Sobotka who's a playmaking center and a beast on faceoffs would be a significant add for the Blues for a playoff run.

Who cares if by playing in the playoffs for the Blues it burns Sobie's 1 year contract with us, the team won't need him next season with the emergence of our cheap younger players, also if Vegas takes Sobotka in the expansion draft we wouldn't have to worry about losing any of our current players.

Of course Army couldn't package him in a trade during the summer in this scenario, I wonder what the Blues staff is considering doing.

shpongle falls wrote:If it were possible to bring Sobotka back for the playoff this year then I'm all for it. With Stastny currently injured, to be able to bring in Sobotka who's a playmaking center and a beast on faceoffs would be a significant add for the Blues for a playoff run.

Who cares if by playing in the playoffs for the Blues it burns Sobie's 1 year contract with us, the team won't need him next season with the emergence of our cheap younger players, also if Vegas takes Sobotka in the expansion draft we wouldn't have to worry about losing any of our current players.

Of course Army couldn't package him in a trade during the summer in this scenario, I wonder what the Blues staff is considering doing.

Hey vladi,

We blues fans all appreciate what you've done for this team in the past.

We mean no disrespect to you or ill will towards you.

Thank you for joining this forum to chat with us, however i hope to never see you in a blues sweater again.

Take care in russia and avoid flights. (too soon?)

Thanks again mr sobotka

Elliotte Friedman‏Verified account @FriedgeHNIC 6h6 hours ago
Elliotte Friedman Retweeted Igor Eronko
An interesting one...word from Russian sources there were talks on him rejoining STL with an extension. We've heard it before. We'll see.

So...if he agrees to a year or two extension, would you guys be okay with burning the one year he owes us in the playoffs this year?

With Stastny out...I think I'd do it.

UMSLBlues12 wrote:Elliotte Friedman‏Verified account @FriedgeHNIC 6h6 hours ago
Elliotte Friedman Retweeted Igor Eronko
An interesting one...word from Russian sources there were talks on him rejoining STL with an extension. We've heard it before. We'll see.

So...if he agrees to a year or two extension, would you guys be okay with burning the one year he owes us in the playoffs this year?

With Stastny out...I think I'd do it.

I'd rather bring up Megan

i'd extend the sobi that left as many years as he wanted. however, we are several years removed from that player. given the bullshit on top of that, he gets year to year (or month to month, if possible).

T.C. wrote:i'd extend the sobi that left as many years as he wanted. however, we are several years removed from that player. given the bullshit on top of that, he gets year to year (or month to month, if possible).

This is my biggest hangup as well. Does anybody really know if he can still play?

Just my outlook. I've never been as pissed at Sobi as most Blues fans seem to be. I don't see much difference from his situation and Shatty's. Each had an option available to them, and took it. The nhl clubs use the same sort of leverage against the players before they reach the point of free agency. It's just business.
I really liked Sobi as a player. That said, unless the Blues scouting staff has reason to think he hasn't regressed, I wouldn't be in a rush to bring him back.

Dave's a mess wrote:

T.C. wrote:i'd extend the sobi that left as many years as he wanted. however, we are several years removed from that player. given the bullshit on top of that, he gets year to year (or month to month, if possible).

This is my biggest hangup as well. Does anybody really know if he can still play?

30 points in 41 (.73 ppg) KHL games this season, 16 points in 12 KHL playoff games.

For comparison, Lehtera's last season for Sibir he put up 44 points in 48 (.92 ppg) games and 6 points in 10 playoff games.

Maybe Radulov is a better comparison though (he's I think the last guy to leave KHL midseason and go to the NHL). He had 63 points in 50 KHL games before putting up 7 points in 9 NHL games for the Preds, and then 6 points in 8 playoff games for the Preds.

So. I'd say he can probably still play, he's probably just going to be the same 3rd-4th line physical/faceoff specialist/occasianally chip in kind of player as we was before. Which, I'd take that over Lehtera anyday personally, and it rids us of the distraction of will he ever come back.

Sobotka-Barbashev-Sanford would be a pretty fun line IMO.

I think that it's too much of a distraction to bring him back this year. This team has great chemistry right now...I don't know how they would respond to what is basically an outsider coming on board and taking someone's spot. He only played in two playoff games last year because of a bad back. His situation and Shatty's are miles apart, and Shatty handled his as professionally and responsibly as possible. Sobie fired a string of agents until he found one who would play the KHL card, and after screwing up his contract extension he fired him too. He tried to circumvent the NHLPA/NHL RFA agreement, and it didn't work, and I only want to see him used as a trade piece at this point.

barnburner wrote:Just my outlook. I've never been as pissed at Sobi as most Blues fans seem to be. I don't see much difference from his situation and Shatty's. Each had an option available to them, and took it. The nhl clubs use the same sort of leverage against the players before they reach the point of free agency. It's just business.
I really liked Sobi as a player. That said, unless the Blues scouting staff has reason to think he hasn't regressed, I wouldn't be in a rush to bring him back.

Now that I think on it.... I've always blasted Oates for holding out and refusing to honor his contract with the Blues. I suppose, casting his options aside, Sobi also signed a contract and refused to honor it, so in the name of consistency....
Fuck Sobi!

barnburner wrote:

barnburner wrote:Just my outlook. I've never been as pissed at Sobi as most Blues fans seem to be. I don't see much difference from his situation and Shatty's. Each had an option available to them, and took it. The nhl clubs use the same sort of leverage against the players before they reach the point of free agency. It's just business.
I really liked Sobi as a player. That said, unless the Blues scouting staff has reason to think he hasn't regressed, I wouldn't be in a rush to bring him back.

Now that I think on it.... I've always blasted Oates for holding out and refusing to honor his contract with the Blues. I suppose, casting his options aside, Sobi also signed a contract and refused to honor it, so in the name of consistency....
Fuck Sobi!

Entirely possible I have some of this wrong, but I think the key difference between the two situations was that Sobotka didn't really "sign" his deal per se. As an RFA at the time he was issued a qualifying offer and they never came to terms on salary. He'd signed his KHL deal by the time arbitration came around so he didn't even attend the hearing. Oates meanwhile was threatening to sit out mid-season for a new deal six months after signing a 4 year extension.

Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, that's just the top of my head recollection.

Ozzies09tc wrote:

shpongle falls wrote:If it were possible to bring Sobotka back for the playoff this year then I'm all for it. With Stastny currently injured, to be able to bring in Sobotka who's a playmaking center and a beast on faceoffs would be a significant add for the Blues for a playoff run.

Who cares if by playing in the playoffs for the Blues it burns Sobie's 1 year contract with us, the team won't need him next season with the emergence of our cheap younger players, also if Vegas takes Sobotka in the expansion draft we wouldn't have to worry about losing any of our current players.

Of course Army couldn't package him in a trade during the summer in this scenario, I wonder what the Blues staff is considering doing.

Hey vladi,

We blues fans all appreciate what you've done for this team in the past.

We mean no disrespect to you or ill will towards you.

Thank you for joining this forum to chat with us, however i hope to never see you in a blues sweater again.

Take care in russia and avoid flights. (too soon?)

Thanks again mr sobotka

This gave me a good laugh

barnburner wrote:

barnburner wrote:Just my outlook. I've never been as pissed at Sobi as most Blues fans seem to be. I don't see much difference from his situation and Shatty's. Each had an option available to them, and took it. The nhl clubs use the same sort of leverage against the players before they reach the point of free agency. It's just business.
I really liked Sobi as a player. That said, unless the Blues scouting staff has reason to think he hasn't regressed, I wouldn't be in a rush to bring him back.

Now that I think on it.... I've always blasted Oates for holding out and refusing to honor his contract with the Blues. I suppose, casting his options aside, Sobi also signed a contract and refused to honor it, so in the name of consistency....
Fuck Sobi!

Lol. Way to see the light. Shatty honored his contract. I have no qualms with Shatty, and I hope to see the Blues play the Caps in the finals. Sobie is just too much drama for me at this point.

shpongle falls wrote:

Ozzies09tc wrote:

shpongle falls wrote:If it were possible to bring Sobotka back for the playoff this year then I'm all for it. With Stastny currently injured, to be able to bring in Sobotka who's a playmaking center and a beast on faceoffs would be a significant add for the Blues for a playoff run.

Who cares if by playing in the playoffs for the Blues it burns Sobie's 1 year contract with us, the team won't need him next season with the emergence of our cheap younger players, also if Vegas takes Sobotka in the expansion draft we wouldn't have to worry about losing any of our current players.

Of course Army couldn't package him in a trade during the summer in this scenario, I wonder what the Blues staff is considering doing.

Hey vladi,

We blues fans all appreciate what you've done for this team in the past.

We mean no disrespect to you or ill will towards you.

Thank you for joining this forum to chat with us, however i hope to never see you in a blues sweater again.

Take care in russia and avoid flights. (too soon?)

Thanks again mr sobotka

This gave me a good laugh

Nice. I saw the black sabbath avatar, so i knew you were cool \m/