Pietrangelo Can’t Help Blues? Really?
Eric Brewer is sidelined by a short-term injury. The same goes for Blues defensive cohort Carlo Colaiacovo.
Top defensive prospect Jonas Junland is up from Peoria, getting his long-overdue taste of the NHL. That is a good thing.
Junland isn’t going to hang around the AHL forever waiting for his NHL opportunity. He’s played well in Sweden and he has put up big minor league numbers. It’s time to see what’s there.
Rookie Alex Pietrangelo remains in limbo, awaiting his assignment to the World Junior Championships and perhaps a return to major junior hockey. That is a bad thing.
Hockey Guy understands why the Blues would like to delay the start of Pietrangelo’s NHL contract clock for a year. That makes a lot of business sense.
But with the team scuffling along at .500 and struggling on the power play, how can the franchise justify taking less than its best shot at winning?
Surely Pietrangelo could help out with the man advantage, especially with Brewer and Colaiacovo out at the same time. So what if his clock starts?
If the team doesn’t get on a roll soon, major change could be in the offing. Now is not the time to hold back somebody for a long-range reason.
After all, the folks up at Canada’s Rodgers Sportsnet rank the Blues 24th in the NHL in their Nov. 30 poll.
While the Blues are happy to have great depth on the blue line, at some point coach Andy Murray needs to settle on working combinations for even strength and special teams play.
AROUND THE RINKS: In today’s live chat elsewhere on the site, fans were drooling over the prospect of prying center Eric Staal away from the rebuilding Hurricanes. Not sure he’s available, but Carolina will be shopping winger Ray Whitney and defensemen Niclas Wallin, Joe Corvo and Aaron Ward if things don’t improve . . . Old friend Manny Legace hasn’t been great filling in for Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward, who could return to action at some point in December . . . Down at Peoria, defenseman Tyson Strachan got a two-game suspension for standing up for himself and his team at the end of a 7-2 victory at San Antonio. His willingness to play tough is just one reason why Murray likes him so . . . The reeling Oilers couldn’t afford to lose highly skilled winger Alex Hemsky to a season-ending shoulder injury. This season has turned into a nightmare for that team. Former Blue Ray Ferraro had some thoughts on their season for TSN . . . Edmonton is starring in a lot of trade rumors, such was one that would fetch them Brandon Dubinsky from the Rangers . . . Although Pietrangelo hasn’t been able to escape his contractual captivity, many other NHL rookies are flourishing this season. The league’s young talent is most impressive . . . NHL GMs have been eerily patient so far this season, opting not to fire coaches at their usual rate . . . Should Murray not get the Blues rolling, the Ottawa Sun proposed Bob Hartley as a possible replacement . . . The Maple Leafs still aren’t any good, which makes you wonder if high-profile GM Brian Burke is really making any progress.
NOT Bob Hartley.
MURRAY NEEDS TO GO.
How many flat uninspired periods of dump and chase hockey does JD need to see before he will man up and let Murray go?
Grow a pair JD and eat that contract extension before the organization takes a huge step backward.
The Blues are last in Central and 2nd to last in goals scored.
Murray’s system and over-bearing defensive structure suffactes the talent on this team.
That said, the Blues are not a Cup contender as currently constructed.
JD needs to turn the roster over quickly starting with ANDY MURRAY.
I think it’s time this management team tells the truth about the mistake they made using the number 4 pick in the 2008 draft taking Pietro, between a divided management group (JD wants him here, Pleau and Armstrong do not)and Murray playing head games with all the kids. They should package him and get someone who can score, and watch him develop into another Pronger type. I bet you could take him, Bergland, another defenseman and draft pick and get Eric Staal. This team theory is 2 scoring lines and 2 grinder lines (Murray preferred,this is like old time Blues hockey under the Brian Sutter and Bob Berry administration. Funny, both Berry and Murray came from the Kings, no wonder this team is so screwed up!
I’m tired of all the talk of our great defensive depth. WE CAN’T SCORE! Maybe we should quit drafting defensemen with our first pick and draft a SCORER.
Amen Lessons!!! Murray has to go, and trading Petro at this point is nonsense. Crap or get off the pot JD. I have been a big supporter of yours and in what you are trying to do…but Murray is DESTROYING YOUR WORK! We have the talent, just not the coaching. The entire team is in a slup more or less. We need a coach to take these kids to the next level…they’re stagnating. What is Petro going to gain from playing another year in the Minors…darn little. Let Petro, Junland, and Stratchan get some playing time, dump Brewer (pure liability on the ice), package Jackman as part of a trade with a couple of youngsters and bring in a top notch forward.
Keep: Petro, Junland (we’ll see), Eller, Perron, Oshie, Berglund…maybe trade one if needed. Perron is my man…Murray is holding him back.
Poor team discipline and lack of player development points to one place and one only, THE COACH! AGGGGH, I done with the Blues until you make a move JD!!!
Ooops, I forgot…is it just me or does Murray look a lot like Skeletor from He-Man. My wife’s afraid to look at him…players must be too!
Can we just call him Skeletor for now on?
Lets get real. Eric Brewer is not being missed, Jackman cannot play at an NHL level,Kariya has had his chance to come back from his injury and is still ineffective, and Tkachuck is not making any real sustained effort. The team needs to get rid of some ineffective senior talent and look outside for new leadership. If Murray cannot make the changes then the next step is obvious. The young talent on this team needs senior leadership. They are the only ones carrying the team.