Edited Jan. 16 at 7:54 a.m.
Philly really handled stl last night. Such a solid game. Maybe pushed me into acknowledging that perhaps stl is not a bubble team, and is firmly on the outside looking in.
Assuming that stl sells, I think somebody will get a Buchnevich.
It seems wasteful to retain him into his final season if the team has no chance at improving its roster, and I don’t see the team filling the holes that Vrana and Kapanen will open up during the off-season without some pain. I’d suggest Vrana and Kapanen are available, but Vrana isn’t nhl talent and Kapanen wouldn’t maintain a roster slot on many teams, altho is nhl level talent, I’m not sure you can expect a return for his rights.
Thinking the blues can ask for a young skater to replace Buchnevich, given his extra year of term. It seems like the last 4 or so years that Doug Armstrong has routinely “been ahead of it”, whether that be offloading 5 roster skaters before the final week of last years trade deadline, or just the fact that any trade he’s made for an expiring contract always comes with the announcement of an extension (Buchnevich, Faulk, etc). He acts when he’s decided. Due to that, I’d expect him to shift sooner than later, as it’s kinda that time of the season where the choices have to start being made.
Is a shame. I feel the team is closer than it looks, but it doesn’t look like there’s ways to make adjustments due to what exists.