It seems a bit awkward to be here before you to make the following announcements given that I am just today being formally introduced as the new General Manager, but I have spent the better part of the last several days active in this new role and have the unprecedented (and highly illogical, I might add
) opportunity to announce several transactions I have been able to make over the course of the last few days behind the scenes. Without further delay, I’d like to formally announce these transactions.First, I’d like to start by announcing that we have hired Todd McLellan to be the head coach of the St. Louis Blues. We feel Todd will bring an exciting brand of hockey to the Scottrade Center each night, and we are very committed to working together to build they type of team we feel can be most successful in today’s NHL. We will have a more up-tempo offense than we have had in some time, but we will still be mindful of the need for responsible defensive play. We will play faster and more physical, and rest assured that youth will be served.
Next, I’d like to pass along details regarding the first of three player transactions I have been able to complete over the last several days. We have traded David Backes and Carl Gunnarsson to the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for D Jack Johnson, C Boone Jenner, and RW prospect Oliver Bjorkstrand. I think we can all appreciate the hard work and dedication David brought to the role of Captain of this team for the last several years, but we felt we needed to change the tone at the top in the locker room and JD and Jarmo offered a package of players that was simply too good to pass up.
Next, I’d like to announce the details regarding the second player transaction that was completed literally just a few hours ago. We have traded Alex Pietrangelo, TJ Oshie and Brian Elliott to the Edmonton Oilers, in exchange for LW Taylor Hall, G Ben Scrivens, and D prospect Darnell Nurse. With the Oilers expected to select Connor McDavid with the first overall pick in 2015, they felt they needed to surround Connor and some of their other young stars with some experienced NHL talent and make a move to shore up their blueline right now. Obviously we get a bonafide superstar in Hall, as well as an exceptionally talented player in Nurse, a player that we think can step in and help our hockey club right away.
Finally, we have traded Patrik Berglund and our 2nd round selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for their 1st round selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Obviously we need to wait and see how things go during training camp, but here is the lineup we expect to have on opening night as we do everything in our power to start down the path of giving our fans the championship season they have so long deserved.
Hall-Stastny-Jaskin
Schwartz-Lehtera-Tarasenko
Steen-Jenner-Fabbri
Ott-Sobotka-Reaves
Johnson-Shattenkirk
Lindbohm-Bouwmeester
Nurse-Bortuzzo
Jake Allen will be in net, backed up by Ben Scrivens. Chris Porter, Ty Rattie and Barret Jackman will round out our 23 man roster. Vladimir Tarasenko, fresh off signing his new 8 year, $56M contract extension (did I forget to mention that?
), will assume the Captaincy, with Alternates Jaden Schwartz, Kevin Shattenkirk and Alexander Steen.OK, obviously none of this is going to happen. Arguably, some of it absolutely should not happen. Some it could not happen because of player values in the trades. This is just one guy’s idea on how to transform this franchise into a more exciting, and hopefully more (post-season) competitive team. So, whaddaya think?
