five stars, sure why not dream a little dream.

if they got Lafreniere, I don't think he's playing at 18.
You got to put up some serious points to convince me other wise. McDavid put in 120 in 47 games, and 99 in 56 games his last two years of the CHL. That's kind of the bar you really looking for to make that jump. To be frank that's kind of a low bar too. Crosby was putting up 168 in 62 games. Dude putting up 80 points in 60 games probably not making that jump right away. He'll be down there still developing. This year he got 54 in 31. Its good but not good enough to make me think he's heads above everyone else he's skating with. You want to be on that next level at 18 and you got to show you are heads above everyone else.

Buffalo will get the mid 20s pick they were supposed to, only a year later.

Sure that's one opinion, but far from a fact (especially if the blues trade parakyo or taransenko).

The blues w a coach and a goalie are a playoffs team.

Well if that's all it takes why haven't they fixed it already?

Why has it taken Buffalo so long to become a playoff team? Which team is trading there starting goalie in season? Q is taking the year off, and who else is a sure fire guy to bring in to try and save a lost year?

Well the short answer is it's taken Buffalo so long because they have had a lot of pieces to fix (its starting to look like the blues do to).

Q is a legit coach sure, but you don't know he is going to sign with the blues. For all you know he could end up at the flyers because they have a younger and soon to be more talented core then the blues (who are already slow and aging). Maybe he does end up the Blues coach, no one actually knows, you're just guessing and hoping.

Also, you left out the part of finding a goalie. Stanley cup goaltenders don't just grow on trees. Maybe you guys sign BOB and are all set, but again that's not a certainty at this point either. The blues are not the only guys who are in dire need of an upgrade between the pipes.

1. Game effect of coaching is the hardest thing to quantify and therefore the hardest thing to acquire
2. Goaltending is voodoo.

Didn't say we were getting Q. But I'm not signing a guy till I know we're not. Blues dont have that many problems to fix and aren't that old. Jbow n Gunn are gone. Move Steen or buy him out and we don't have many old/bad contracts left. Philly's core isn't younger or better they're almost exactly the same.

Also Bob and Tarasenko are close so that helps. Or who knows Husso could steal the show at some point. All I'm telling u is the Blues will be closer to the playoffs then a #1 pick. The problem w the team isn't whether they're good or not, it's if they'll show up or not any given night

That is not a fair comparison. McDavid's last 3 OHL pts were 66/63, 99/56 and 120/47 let's compare Lafreniere (since he will not be drafted until 2020) first 2 years with McDavid's first 2 years and the difference melts away. 80/60 and 54/31 which is actually a bit better than McDavid, and this year is not over. If the Blues' draft pick were to win the lottery, most first over all players do play in the NHL the year after they were drafted. BTW McDavid's last year he goals were 4th, his assists were 3rd and his total pts were 3rd so OHL pts do not tell the entire story either.

Simple answer why it took Buffalo so long to be good. Two words. Tim Murray. Check out the difference. In one year Betterall made Rochester a playoff team, second year he makes Buffalo a playoff team.

And fleecing Carolina blind.... That helped turn it around

Those are all fair points. It's just with the players that the Blues are rumored to be shopping (parakyo, Tarasenko, etc.) I don't see how the Blues move players like that and then get better next year. Maybe they do, I honestly don't know, but that's the point of this thread. I stated that its not likely that the Blues pick ends up #1 overall, but there is a real scenario were it could happen.

The blues made all these moves (ROR, Bozak, etc.) because they thought they could win right now. Allen is trash and the team is underachieving. Maybe they turn it around next year, but maybe they don't. Its starting to look similar to Ottawa's situation last year, where they went all in (Duchene) and it obviously didn't work.

But ya mainly this post was just day dreaming tbh.

1) you’re comparing him to McDavid & Crosby
Obviously he isn’t THAT good

2) however, as a 17yr old, he’s on pace for over 100pts this year- that’s REALLY good

Lafreniere will play in the NHL right away
And be pretty good
Just has to add some weight & strength,
but every kid that age does
And he’s got a year & a half to do it

It would be amazing if we got Lefreniere from the StL pick
That’ll be as good as Colorado getting Hughes from the Sens pick! ???

No Thompson at Center though
He can’t even play well on the wing yet

Davidsson could end up being our 3C
Good defensively, and more offense to his game than Asplund

I feel ya there. Anything can happen as well.

I have faith in the ownership that they'll push to win. I doubt we move the big names unless it's a absolute steal for us, and that would make us better (in theory). I just don't see any scenario where we let Allen ruin another season, so it's only up from the goaltending basement lol

Honestly all our talking and typing is just a waste. It's clear what will happen here......

The blues will finish at the bottom of the standings and the pick will still end up being 11-15. Screwing us both ?

Like 1/2 the NHL had 100 pts in the CHL. That doesn't mean anything. Go ask any number of teams that have a CHL level player that was a 100 pt player that is no where near NHL ready. A good example would be Jordan Kyrou.

You are asking an awful lot of a guy who is putting up some very average numbers currently. Please realize I don't mean average for the CHL but for CHL players who came to the NHL. At this rate he will probably spend at least 1 year in the AHL, which he can't do due to his age which means he'll be returning back to the CHL.

as I said. He has to show more. At this rate I don't see him playing in the NHL at 18 the numbers aren't there. McDavids 18 year old year is when he really made the jump. He went from 1.7 ppg to a 2.5+ ppg. All the stats show that. That's a big jump to take. I never said it wasn't impossible. I said he needs to put up the points to convince me of it.

He’s gonna be the number 1 pick in the draft
And bc he isn’t McDavid or Crosby, then he’s Kyrou
Ok... ???

you don't know he'll be number 1. Hell everyone thought Huges was rock solid as #1 this year but there are a lot of people who view him as the 2nd or 3rd best player.
He's got another season to play. Don't assume he'll make the jump. There are many players who haven't.

In that same respect,
Can’t i say that YOU DONT KNOW he won’t play in the NHL right away?

The title of this is “2020 draft lotto winners”
So the supposition is that Lefreniere does continue to do what’s necessary (including improving his numbers next year) to become the 1st overall pick

And who are these ppl?
Links please

Everything i see still has Hughes #1

It's called research man. You know use the internet. Hell there have been people on this board who think Kaapo is the better player. He's just as smooth and he's playing well in a much harder league.
Hughes while you simply want to make him number 1 he has some knocks against him. Mainly his size. He's 5'10 at best. Probably been given an inch or two on that.
I'm not saying Hughes won't be picked number 1, he could. He has his fans. But don't be surprised if he's not. Kaapo is a hell of a player and people have noticed.

https://www.secondcityhockey.com/2018/12/25/18155569/2019-world-junior-hockey-championship-preview-nhl-draft-jack-hughes-kaapo-kakko-analysis-blackhawks

go read the comments. Just one example. I'm not just talking here. People who watched them both play are saying this often.