Optimistic

Team: 2021-22 St. Louis Blues

Initial Creation Date: Jul. 29, 2021

Published: Jul. 29, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

BuT hE wAnTs A tRaDe iF hE hAd AnY tRaDe VaLuE sEaTtLe wOuLd HaVe TaKeN hIm.

Sorry that doesn't make sense to me, but whatever. Okay so losing Vince Dunn does a few things for this blues team. Open up some spots and let's us develop an upgrade. Scott Perunovich to me is a better Vince Dunn. I like Scott Perunovich a lot and I think he would be a great match with Mikkola.

HOPES: I am hoping Marco Scandella is gone I don't see the need for him when any three of Mikkola, Walman, and Perunovich can step up. Now Perunovich being left handed has always played on the right hand side in college which might help with lineups.

Calgary is almost in a retool stage. I've talked to some Calgary fans they wouldn't mind trading Gaudreau. I think I gave them a fair deal for a Rental contract of 1 year. I think this helps them stock up for next year's draft and they get a Sanford who should play pretty solid in the Top 6/Middle 6 of a Calgary team. Hofer I think could be a solid goaltender for the future, something that can be switched up obviously, but Hofer has had some very solid showing in camp.

Tarasenko trade. Armstrong has already said if he can't get a decent deal setup he's just gonna hold onto Tarasenko. Islanders most likely best case scenario you get him cheaper and honestly this deal is probably going to be something that happens after the first month or two of the season where you see his production go back up. That is the key. That's when his value shoots back up. You've seen times when Johnathan Drouin wanting to be traded out of Tampa, they hold onto him for a year then he gets traded to Montreal. Tarasenko could be the exact same thing. I know Islanders fans want him at a fleece rate, but it's not gonna happen with Armstrong sorry but not sorry.

As for the Bortuzzo deal he could go anywhere doesn't have to be Toronto. Most likely isn't Toronto anyway. I think a 4th-6th is a good rate for him. He's a solid stay at home defenseman which is something teams need, Vancouver would have been a prime spot for him, but they just picked up a bunch of contracts a couple dumb ones as well so doubtful he goes there.

Lineups:

A bit of shuffling around is probably a need. I don't know if Saad can be called a true 1st Line Forward, I'm not sure. I would think Johnny Hockey would send him down to a very solid second line of Saad-Schenn-Buchnevich. I think Klim Kostin steps up into a Sammy Blais role, and I know a lot of people aren't sold on him it's kind of a now or never situation with him, I think Thomas and Kyrou take significant steps into a role.

Defensively wise as I have said before Scandella Bortuzzo probably need to go. I'd love to see Mikkola-Perunovich as a pair just sounds like a match made in heaven, and you get Walman-Parayko and Krug-Faulk. It just sounds amazing in my head right now hearing it. I believe we stick to our guns running with Binnington and Husso. I know Husso had a bit of a rough year feel like he gonna do well though.

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