i don't mean to offend you, but this may be the stupidest take I've ever heard on this website. Brett Hull literally won two cups *on different teams* after leaving St. Louis. People had no problem winning with him. This whole "he didn't play the right way" is just flatly, undeniably wrong. And you know it. He was not the problem, the problem was the mismanagement of the rest of the team. Not every player has to be a 200 foot player to be competitive. Every cup winner has had a dynamic scoring talent on it. No one wins on just heavy D and forcheck. Cale Makar. Miko Rantanen. Nikita Kucherov. Alexander Ovechkin. Patrick Kane. Even the Blues had incredible runs from Tarasenko and Pietrangelo. Justin Faulk doesn't score that second goal in game 7. You need elite talent to build a sustainable contender. Which is what I want.

I don't disagree that the Blues have problems. But Jordan Kyrou isn't one of them. He's not a perfect player, but he's being payed like a player who can create plays out of nothing, which he does. And that's valuable. You can't win a cup just on that. This is why the Edmonton Oilers haven't won with Connor McDavid. The Blues have other work to do. But you can't win a cup without that.

Berube is a good coach. Berube can't put the puck in the net.

Oh I see what happened. I meant "after Yeo left, after Berube took over", ie when the team turned around.

Holy crap. It may be time for therapy, man.

1 - Hull and Kyrou are nothing alike as players. Kyrou carries the puck and can act as playmaker. Hull liked to arrive late for one-timers. Seriously, nothing alike.

2 - You keep going on about unwillingness to backcheck and all sorts of other things he has been doing quite well since November. The guy has like 220 NHL games and is headed for a second straight PPG season. AND he delivered goals in the playoffs. I'm honestly not sure what you're on about.

I deeply appreciate your heartfelt concern, but I'm not the one who is delusional. If you think you can win anything without defense, and that's what this is about, you're . . . confused. Furthermore, as we all know, you eave to give to get. Picture trading Shanahan for Pronger sans somebody banging a teammate's wife. And yes, I know, we're not talking Shanahan and pronger here, but you are trading an elite forward for an elite defenseman.

I have no earthly clue where you imagine I said or implied anything like that.

No worries. It's all good. Although I disagree with some of your opinions, I appreciate your passion for the sport.

I'm older, retired, don't play or coach anymore, but still officiate. I love the sport. I love watching the highlight reels as much as anyone, but I feel that the real human experience is epitomized by the playoffs. To me, not going deep into the playoffs is failure and the Blues have only been to the conference finals once in the last 50 years. Anyway, my opinions have evolved over the years and, although few may agree with me, I think that history is on my side. But it really doesn't matter. This conjecture is fun and I'm lucky to have the time to do it. Stay well.