One Of The Worst Defenses In The NHL Could Get Worse

One Of The Worst Defenses In The NHL Could Get Worse

worst case scenario the St Louis Blues don’t do anything to fix their defense and I’m a little concerned that might happen I’m going to talk more about it coming up here on locked on Blues you’re locked on Blues your daily podcast on the St Louis Blues part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day hello hello and welcome back to lockdown Blues I am your host of lockdown Blues Haley Taylor Simon talking to you all things about our St Louis Blues here a part of the lockdown podcast Network your team every day today on lockdown Blues I’m going to be bringing up a topic that might make you a little bit annoyed because it makes me annoyed and that is what if the defense stays the same I don’t want this to happen I doubt it will happen but there is that possibility so we need to talk about it how important is this draft class this year and I know everyone says oh this isn’t a good draft class but it’s still important it’s still NHL draft CFT and then of course and this pains me how many years left do we have one of the best goalie tatums in the NHL with Jan bins and Joel Hofer I was trying to make a nickname for Jordan Bennington and that did not work but how many years left do we have with that goalie Tatum a lot to get into on today’s episode but I want to let you know that today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 150 bucks with any winning $5 bet visit fel.com locked on to get started I hope everybody is having a great Tuesday it is June 4th and we’re inching closer and closer to the NHL draft and we’re also inching closer and closer to free agency so there is so much that we need to discuss but I’m going to keep it simple today what if the blues’ defense stays the same now I’ve talked about how problematic the blues defense was this past season the season prior and basically I’m watching it kind of crumble in front of me and it’s like a really bad accident that you can’t look away from but you’re still kind of watching that’s the blues’ defense and you know for whatever reason I went into a rabbit hole today where I was watching Doug Armstrong interviews like dating way back and I’m thinking to myself male why am I watching this man in my free time my very limited free time I am watching Doug arm strong and I think it’s because I’m trying to get a sense as to what’s going to happen this off seon I think anybody with a brain cell anybody that doesn’t even like hockey just somebody that just is thinking how would you fix a team that basically struggled when it came to their defense would you focus on the forwards would you focus on the goalie Tatum which you don’t need to or would you focus on the defense you would focus on the defense and that’s what the blues need to do now I am not saying that they’re going to get rid of every player I I’m not saying that again I told you how I feel about guys like a Matthew kessle I like him you know obviously Colton pero without a doubt is our best defender but there’s other guys that do concern me on defense right like Jay folk concerns me um Tor Krug obviously and I think that’s also the worst contract that we have on the blues is also Tory Krug and it’s her horrible absolutely horrendous and horrible but I think about the defense as a whole and it’s not strong and I am so concerned that if no moves are made then this is just gonna tear the blues down even more and then I’m going to think that Doug is going to purposely be tanking I don’t want that to be the case because there’s a lot of teams in the NHL that have purposely tanked for high draft picks you know who I’m talking about not needing to say the names of the teams but you know who I’m talking about and we’ve seen that more and more recently as the years’s gone on the teams will purposely you know not change up anything or they’ll sign like really mediocre players like you you can tell what a team is doing one thing about St Louis is that we have not done that our defense isn’t bad because we want to tank it’s bad because I don’t think they even know how to fix it and that’s the reality and I have told you Solutions on players that we should sign like a Brandon Montour I like him a lot but besides you know mour hypothetically again older I get it but like super good in the finals um you also have Marsha like you have players that are so good but a little bit older you also need to take in consideration that maybe the St Louis Blues could be on a deine and here’s why last off season you essentially sand Pat essentially I know you got back Sunny you got Kevin hayen one of the worst trades that ever went down in like history of the NHL like that that was awful remember how hyped up that trade was awful you do that you don’t make any moves at the deadline is Doug Armstrong kind of quietly trying to start a tank or is it that he just doesn’t know what he’s doing I mean I know that he knows what he’s doing in a sense right but it’s just so hard for me to process that you knew the defense was an issue and I can say that a million times on this podcast hey douge a you knew the blues’ defense was going to be a problem so why didn’t you do anything and I question that a lot especially when it comes to that TR deadline you’re telling me that there was nothing like nothing at all that you could have done that no team sent in any offer that was good it just blows my mind besides the blues I know there’s 32 total teams in the NHL you’ve 31 other teams and none of them made any kind of offer to you none of them reached out to you and said hey we would love to do this trade I am sure that any and you can bet you can really bet on this because I’m telling you it’s the truth that there is at least one other team in the NHL that reached out to Doug Armstrong during the trade deadline time and offered them a defenseman and Doug probably said no now I don’t know why I am afraid that the defense will stay the same because for whatever reason I feel like maybe it’s because I’m just used to negativity that’s hockey right but for whatever reason I just don’t feel confident that we’re going to sign a superstar defenseman when we already have Colton Paro and I know there’s rumors circulating all the time oh Paro to the leaves no no I I I want Colton pero to stay pero led the NHL and block shots he has proven time and time again that he is one of the best defensemen to wear the blue note in recent years and it would be silly to let him go if you let Paro go essentially you’re tanking that’s the truth because even with a strong goalie Tatum which I will talk about later on in this episode you can’t be a successful NHL team without defense without good defense period Point Blank look at all of the teams that did not make the playoffs this year where do they struggle in deep defense because and I’m not saying any given guy can score but I mean and I know scoring is hard so take this lightly I guess but the whole point of defense is to prevent the opponent the forward opponent from scoring on your team you’re the basically the one of the most important positions besides the goalie yes scoring is important but if you don’t have good defense you’re done if you don’t have good offense but you have a good defense you still have hope right because you can always work on that go if that makes any sense when I think about the St Louis Blues I think a lot about Robert Thomas’s exit interview when Thomas basically said hey there’s a lot of positives about the season and when listening to the positives that Thomas listed it was really about the offense I don’t think anybody could look at the St Louis Blues and say yeah this team is really strong defensively maybe in the past definitely in the past but now no and you know this goes back to the point I know what everyone’s going to say you know hey The Season’s done don’t dwell but we lost to the Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks like we lost to some really bad hockey teams who was to blame well the defense never showed up and that’s been something that you know after all my post game you know episodes that I would do I would always say this defense is like swiss cheese besides Colton pero Matthew Kastle stepping up but we don’t have a strong defense and I know Tory Krug is like a power play specialist well where was he this year what I need from dog Armstrong what I need from management what I need from the front office is for them to take a serious evaluation and just think hey if we have the same defense we had this season hit the ice next season we’re tanking you know and next year’s draft class again it’s I know we’re getting ahead of ourselves here it’s not special it’s not like last year’s draft class you know this upcoming draft class good players but there was something so special about this previous draft class that we had in 2023 is it worth tanking for a draft pick I’m sorry but no I think it’s worth making some trades I think it’s worth you know signing guys during free agency I do not however think that it’s worth basically self-sabotage that’s what this defense is on the Z Louis Blues we were self-sabotaging by allowing this defense to hit the ice again and I feel bad I do because you put guys like a Tyler Tucker and a Scott perunovich and just awful positions I mean with being sent down to the te- birds again to being brought up and back and forth there was no consistency and these are guys I know they were a little bit older but again are they nhlers sure yes they have played in the NHL but mainly they were in the AHL I I just feel like the whole you know sending players up and down like it just was a lot it was a lot of it’s like a seesaw usually you want the balance so the Seesaw stays balanced it just would go up and down up and down and there was no consistency and the offense if the offense stayed the same the forwards nothing Chang changes I wouldn’t be upset I don’t think that you would be upset because they’re not bad like I know the third line needs Improvement the fourth line that’s with all teams however with the defense you cannot send that defense back in again in its entity maybe make some trades maybe and I know it’s like all the contracts suck okay and I get that I know no trade clause I listen I know but I’m just saying maybe again Tory Krug is open-minded and he wants to go to another team because he wants to help out the blues you know hey there’s always the possibility of retirement too I’m just saying that at the end of the day I think that that’s my number one concern right now is the defense saying the same is it for you and I could go on and on about this because I had a whole whole season worth of games and I look back on all the time and it just infuriates me actually two whole Seasons it’s been two whole seasons of this defense annoying me so it’s unbelievable how bad this defense is I mean they got better but it’s not like their better was any good so again let me know what you think about that all right I’m G to tell you about my friends over at FanDuel it’s winner take all time in the NBA and NHL and fanduel’s giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 150 bucks to bet on spreads money lines player props and more visit fel.com lockon and make every playoff shot count FanDuel America’s number one sports book when it comes to this draft and the importance of this draft right it’s important it’s a good draft class I think that there are some good guys early second round even um I think that short it’s not as good as last year but it’s a good draft class I’m not gonna say it’s okay it’s good I’ll give it the good I’ve talked about players again I’ll do player profiles but the importance of this draft is significant for the blues I mean I think it’s going to be huge for the blues to get a second first rounder I really do I don’t know if that’s going to happen I know time ticking but we have the 16th overall and nothing else in the first round and I think it would be absolutely foolish for Doug not to try to get another first round draft pick do you think he’s gonna do that do you think Doug Armstrong is gonna get the St Louis Blues another first round draft pick personally last year we got lucky with three I’ll admit it it was beautiful it really was I felt like we were on the clock the entire time and it just felt aggressive I felt very you know we want to become a better team going forward this is what we’re going to do and I think that in the first round and I did say there’s good players in the second round early on especially but the first round sets the tone right it sets the tone for the future it doesn’t set the tone for today it sets the tone for a couple years down the road when you have these prospects that are developing and then all of a sudden they get brought over and you’re like oh my goodness remember this guy that we drafted like a couple years ago he is ready he is legit and he’s to make this team so much better and that’s why I think personally that you know when they drafted a guy like a Robert Thomas I know I know he was like I think 26 overall but again 26 overall we have 16 right now why not try to be aggressive and get a late first round draft pick you can still get Stars later on in the first round they don’t have to be the first or second overall I’m sorry but at the end of the day you don’t know if these players are going to pan out I mean I cannot tell you just you know I’m a little hockey Guru here and I could do a whole episode on this if you wanted me to on players that got drafted like the top five draft picks that didn’t work out I mean there are so many hockey players like Nolan Patrick who ended up retiring as a golden Knight he was drafted second overall but the reason why I say this is because there are just so many different players that have potential that look great statistically that might be playing so well in the OHL or their college team or wherever they’re playing they go to the NHL and then it’s like just a quick downfall and it’s just it’s not good so at the end of the day yes the importance of the draft matters right 16 is still valuable and I want to say that again being 16th overall is still valuable okay I know it sucks being the best worst team in the NHL at least the blues like kind of went at something in a way but no I understand the frustration I do I get it okay I sympathize with you I understand where you’re coming from but again you need to take a look at this optimistically you need to be a little bit more positive because at the end of the day here’s the thing St Louis and um this is why I think I’m so hopeful a lot of our guys seriously that we ended up having be our little superstar so to say in blues land we’re not like the first overall pick so that does give me hope okay and if I’m looking at this right and this is where I’m saying anything could happen maybe I know there’s a lot of talk with the blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs because I know baru’s there and then they’re rumoring to have some players go to the leafes I it’s a whole thing I’m seeing online like on Reddit especially well the leaves they have the 23rd overall pick so I’m just saying there’s that but at the same time is this giraffe class worth it I mean you don’t know it’s always a gamble right you you truly don’t know but I do think however that when I am evaluating a draft class I think about a couple of things potential right potential and a player and I know everyone’s get so annoyed with me is Sam Dickinson and I know left-handed defenseman Haley like that’s who you want yes that is who I want do I think that’s going to happen no way but again he adds value to the giraffe class because I mean I was watching him he’s playing on the London nights and obviously like I’m bored so I watch like random hockey games and again I’m like he he’s so controlling of the defense and that’s what the blues need okay and it’s just so frustrating sometimes watching a player that you see so much potential in and just knowing hey you know we may not get them right um there’s also Trevor Connelly who I like a lot too he’s a left Winger but a lot of potential right and he’s a guy that could go a little bit later on here’s the thing you have players even later on in the like an Andrew Bosa right he’s a left Winger too I a lot of these left Wingers are just so good but here’s the thing if they go later in the draft right they could always fall to the second round and that’s what I’m thinking of right now is who is going to fall to the second round and who are we going to get I mean Charlie ell right he’s a player you may not know okay literally he’s a right-handed defenseman I like him a lot WHL he’s going to probably follow the second round there is so many good defenseman in this draft especially I mean it is actually insane um you also have Adam C oh my gosh if I can even speak kber who was a right-handed defenseman too and again why am I mentioning all these right-handed defensemen well for various reasons I I just think at the end of the day that I really want the BL to get a right-handed defenseman or a left-handed defenseman like you have a Lucas fiser left-handed defenseman who’s in probably fall you have Ben Danford again a right-handed defenseman there are so many defensemen that I told you this was a defense heavy draft class and I think for all of you that are like oh well does that have value for the blues it does I just talked to you in the last segment about the defense and the problems that the defense had I am coming to you now telling you that this is a defense heavy draft class I’ve said that from day one yes defenseman usually don’t go number one overall we know that okay but however for us that should be the focus again I’m somewhat of a betting person it depends I use FanDuel though uh locked on NHL obviously but if I were to bet on what the St Louis Blues would do for their first round draft pick the 16th overall defenseman I don’t I know there’s a lot of defenseman but definitely defense and I’ve said that since day one okay so again let me know what you think 16th overall what position do you think the blues are going to end up drafting let me know down in the comments before I talk to you about my two favorite people on the St Louis Blues I just want to let you know that we are under 30 subscribers away from hitting 1,000 which is actually insane when I think about it uh listen I love the blues I love talking about the blues I love everything about the blues everybody that knows me knows that I Bleed Blue and that’s like literally all I talk about is the St Louis Blues so for me to do a podcast talking about the blues it feels natural and right and I love talking to you especially my every dayers about the blues so join the fun you know subscribe here on YouTube follow on Twitter at lockon Blues um actually where was the Tweet so on Twitter at locked on blues and then I’ll go back to my main point I feel like I just love tweeting honestly because Twitter is fun I asked you guys on Twitter I name the most random blues player you can think of and it was really fun I got like over like 50 replies and uh it was Madness but any who I posted on Twitter and my friend JD that does locked on Cardinals post a picture of pronger’s Jersey and Chris Pronger the legend himself ended up replying and said awesome yeah so that was cool like Pronger is one of my favorite players we all know that here and I talk about it all the time what an icon uh so yeah that was really cool so join Twitter we have a lot of fun okay anyways how many years left of the Bennington and hoer goalie Tatum do we have okay this is a valid question because I feel like this was the first year and like I love Jake Allen and like he will always be forever an icon to me like Allan for life but I feel like this goie Tatum just has so much potential and you know there’s no denying it you know hoer I’m not worried about him and his longevity because like he’s young and he’ll be fine but when it comes to Bennington sometimes I do wonder about you know his future here in St Louis right so Bennington signed a sixy year 36 million contract of the St Louis Blues in March of 2021 so that is six years for binner and honestly it makes me a little bit nervous because I’ll tell you why I thought to myself I’m like oh 2021 like that was this last year right no that was almost three and a half years ago think about it it sucks I know so here’s the nice thing though bner this past season had a no trade clause now he has a no move clause and he has a no trade clause so essentially what that means that he is staying now this is good up until 2026 2027 at that time right because right now it’s me the 2024 25 season he’s 30 so by the time it hits that it’s he’s going to be 323 depending on like the time of the year right he still has years on him right I don’t think that 30 is like old necessarily I think that at the end of the day yeah 30 is older but for a goalie it’s different okay and hope for just so you know about his contract and I say this lightly it’s up at the end of the season he did sign a to your contract um and it’s up at the end of this upcoming season I think there might be an extension though so like I’m not like too worried about it but yep listen at the end of the day Doug Armstrong needs to be smart so we know for sure we have at least one more year of the gooie Tatum listen like and I don’t think that this will be a problem I don’t think that hor for and saying this lightly I don’t think he will try to go to another team if he has the same kind of scenario he has here in St Louis but right now he is the backup to uh bner and what if he wants to just be the starting goalie but then realistically what other team would pick him up like I’m not trying to be mean but at the end of the day goalies takes a little bit longer than that it’s so stressful it really is and I think that you know when it comes to where the blues are at now there is concern okay there’s concerned about the contracts there’s concerned about everything there’s there’s just so many things that concern me and that’s why I think you and I need to take a deep deep breath I mean I’m sure that’s about Snuggie because he must sign by August of 2026 like that also freaks me out you also then have Noah Beck um this August like you you have players or prospects that need to make moves happen and some of them are just not panning out some of them I there’s just so many questions about this team honestly but I’m going to stay positive and I’m going to stay calm that’s what we’re going to do here in lockdown Blues we’re not going to overreact except the contracts through FR meia because we just have like it’s so bad our space right now like we need to make more room how is it though seriously that the golden kns and I think about this a lot and I know they got out in the first round but I think about this how are the golden knights so successful with being able to sign all these players that are big name players big contracts and yet we have a problem make it make sense all right I will talk to you tomorrow uh breaking down some more of the draft talk some other questions about going forward and again this is just you and I having a conversation about the team that we love so I will talk to you tomorrow and like always let’s go Blues

We all know that the weakest part of the St. Louis Blues is the defense… however, it could get worse. What if the Blues aka Doug Armstrong “stand pat” during this off-season with the defense. There is a possibility that it could happen, while unlikely the Blues also have limited space to sign a high profile player on the blue line. Haley talks about the importance of the 2024 NHL Entry Level Draft class, and finally, how long will we have the duo in net together?

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