sources confirm GM Larry Pleau has contacted multiple Restricted Free Agent’s he and the rest of the Blues organization are looking to lock up to multi year contracts.
One of these players is Jay McClement who will be looking for a three year deal in the neighborhood of $1.1- $1.4 million per season. After having a career year in which he was handed more responsibility the Blues should feel rather comfortable making this investment. The Blues respect the fact that McClement is one of the more professional and conditioned athletes they have in the organization. After learning from quality pros such as Dallas Drake, Ryan Johnson, and Jamal Mayers, McClement has learned how to take care of his body playing the demanding role that comes with being a quality penalty killer/shutdown player in the NHL. It’s not too much for the Blues to ask McClement to give 25-30 points a year either.
Roman Polak is another player the Blues are looking to lock up to a multi-year deal. This guy is proof that when you have time to groom your game in the AHL it only makes the adjustment to the NHL pace that much easier. Polak is an absolute beast who really impressed at the recent World Championships representing his native Czech Republic. His performance may allow him to already punch his ticket to the upcoming 2010 Olympics.
Look for the Blues to submit a qualifying offer to forward BJ Crombeen as well.
The Blues have had countless meetings over the last several weeks and have narrowed down their search for a goaltender to backup goaltender Chris Mason.
For those who are hoping Ben Bishop will compete for the backup job I wouldn’t suggest holding your breath very long. Bishop needs to play and not very often in the NHL do teams go to camp without two goaltenders already solidified. With this being said the Blues still feel Bishop has a chance to be a very good NHL goalie and without question remains in the organization's plans moving forward.
Obviously the Blues will needs to wait until July first to talk to unrestricted free agents but you can expect the Blues to show significant interest in several goaltenders including New Jersey’s Scott Clemmensen as well as Detroit’s Ty Conklin.
The Blues need a goalie that is capable of playing at least once a week, so you can figure in the range of 25 games or so. When you’re looking at potential candidates to backup Chris Mason I would highly recommend focusing on guys with above .500 records over the last few seasons.
The Blues will wisely shy away from goaltenders that don’t have a winning track record.
Several teams will be interested in Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson including Toronto and Vancouver. Expect the Blues to offer the World Championships standout a one-year entry level deal.
One player Blues fans can officially cross off the list is former Blue Hannu Toivonen who will stay in Finland where he recently signed a two year extension. The Blues continue to hold his rights but have little interest in bringing him back at this time.
even though Tkachuk is not as big of a star player as he use to be. He definely should be a great influence on the young and bright players of next year's Blues team.
I'm afraid I'm not up on the St.Louis Blues at this time. I do however remember when they first entered the league in 67 and had some great players including Goalies Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante.
Leafsfan, doesn't matter how closely you follow, all fans are welcome and I will try to do everything i can to help everyone stay up with whatever is going on with the blues.
Let's Go Blues!!!
It's hard to keep up with all the new players. You're talking to a guy who remembers when the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 teams.
I even have a framed picture of "The Goal" from Bobby Orr from the 1970 Stanley Cup game where he's flying through the air. I'll do my research and see what I can come up with though, and thanks for the warm welcome.
St. Louis Blues President John Davidson announced Tuesday the club has given qualifying offers to B.J. Crombeen, Jonathan Filewich, Chris Holt, Roman Polak, Danny Richmond and Steve Wagner.
ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues President John Davidson announced Wednesday the club has signed free agent goaltender Ty Conklin.
“By signing Ty, we have deepened our goaltending position,” said Davidson. “Ty had a solid year last season and along with the job Chris (Mason) did for us, we look forward to having two solid goaltenders next season.”
Conklin, 33, played in 40 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, posting a 25-11-2 record along with a 2.51 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. He recorded career-highs last season in games played (40), wins (25) and shutouts (6), which tied for sixth in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Anchorage, Alaska native has backstopped 149 career NHL games, registering a 73-43-14 record, a 2.58 goals against average and a .909 save percentage.
Conklin was originally signed by Edmonton as an undrafted free agent on April 18, 2001.
I really think this is a great step in the right direction, signing a proven 1B and could actually push Mason the way mason did legace last year. Also, it should give Ben Bishop the full season in the AHL for seasoning. So, we can get a better idea if Bishop will be the future savor in goal for the note. I don't know how much busier we will be this free agency, but definely great first day.
09/10 Offseason Thread
09/10 Offseason Thread
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