Bluenotes 3-4-11: Cole Recalled & Strachan Sent Down | A Logical Off Season Move?

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Shuttling to St. Louis & Packing for Peoria

The Blues announced today that defenseman Ian Cole has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. Conversely, Tyson Strachan has been demoted to Peoria.

A couple of inferences.

1. Nikita Nikitin may not be ready to play Saturday in New York against the Islanders.
2. Tyson Strachan has not performed well enough to warrant a NHL roster spot.

I mean no offense to Strachan when I say this, but he has not progressed as expected over the last few seasons. He came up due to injuries (go figure) in 2008-09 season and looked like a diamond in the rough find. A Matt Walker replacement who can play hockey. Big, physical, gritty defenseman who can kill penalties and eat 3rd pairing minutes. He never developed past a #7 option. With the growth of Nikitin, Cole, Alex Pietrangelo and even Nathan Oystrick puts Strachansaydeutch at #8 or #9 on the depth chart. Hopefully the Bules can sign him to a deal next year that keeps him around for occasional NHL filler, but a steady player in Peoria.

Off Season Deal?

Seeing quite a bit of banter regarding the Blues and obtaining a big time left handed defenseman to pair with Pietrangelo or a top flight left winger (or center) to take charge of the offensive workload. Given Doug Armstrong’s moves, adding a marquee player is a possibility for the first time in a long time.

The question is if he has the money, will he and who?

There appears to be a growing infatuation with Zach Parise among blue bleeders. For good reason. He is an American boy who scored big goals in the Olympics and looks to be a perennial 40+ goal scorer and not the Phil Kessel kind of goal scorer. A legitimate team carrying offensive force.

There are 29 other teams who would take him, including his current employer, the New Jersey Devils. Popular thought is that Lou Lamarillo won’t be able to re-sign Parise due to the plethora of horrific pre-lock out era relic forwards he has inked…and Ilya Kovalchuk.

I’m of the belief that Uncle Lou has ZERO intention of letting Zach go. Sign him to a long term deal or take him to arbitration and use money freed up to a long term deal after the 2011-12 season.

It would take, at least some think, a gross overpayment to pry such an asset from Lou’s grip.

That said, haven’t we seen this before?

Fans saw Jaroslav Halak become a world beater behind an experienced and stingy Montreal team. They clamored for him on message boards, blogs, radio shows. Those with “common sense” said it wouldn’t be done. Yet, Armstrong moved Lars Eller and Ian Schultz for Halak’s rights. Montreal picked Price and Army got his goalie.

Could this happen again with Armstrong driving the crazy train to playoff contention? Keep in mind that the Blues expended some prospect depth in acquiring Matt D’Agostini, Vladimir Sobotka, Halak and in allowing Jonas Junland to go back to Sweden. He added many draft picks with his payroll purge. Could he be restocking the coffers to replace depth he is about to lose in a trade?

Tell me how it won’t happen all you want. Many fans, myself included, scoffed at John Hadley’s proposal that Erik Johnson was being shopped, too. We all said, wouldn’t be surprising but no one would pay equal value for him. In realized and future potential. Armstrong flipped him for Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk. (Sorry Jay, it was effectively a two for one.) Don’t forget the addition of Brock Beukeboom in the Eric Brewer deal.

Is there anything holding him back from a two for one deal to get Parise’s rights and ink him long term?

Patrik Berglund is a fellow RFA as is Niktin. Would you flip the rights to Berglund and Nikitin over the summer for the rights to Parise? I would. In a heartbeat. Mayeb it takes a little more. That’s what those picks are for.

The Blues have $32 million in payroll committed for 2011-12. That leaves roughly $13 million to get back to this season’s rough estimate.

For arguments sake, let’s say Parise has an annual salary of $6.5 million. That would leave roughly $6.5 million to re-sign Oshie, Roman Polak, Ben Bishop, Sobotka, D’Agostini, Ryan Reaves, Chris Porter, BJ Crombeen accommodate the additions of Ian Cole and a 7th Dman.

Sure, its a young blueline, but a quick and skilled one overall. Parise is the much needed workhorse and front man. It’s a close shave to the $45 million or so budget they’re using now, but if the ownership situation is resolved, adding a million or two may be a reality to accommodate the changes.

Sorry, all I’ve written may be a little speculative, but you get my point. The table is set for this type of move. It’s happened twice. Have we all learned to expect the unexpected (compared to what we were used to with Larry Pleau) yet? If not, we should have.

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