GM Meetings in Toronto: Impact on the Blues?

General Managers from around the NHL will congregate in Toronto today for this first time this season. There will be plenty to discuss even so early in the campaign. The primary focus will revolve around three topics.

- Philadelphia’s reaction to Tampa Bay’s 1-3-1 neutral zone scheme and resulting national TV coverage fallout.

- Realignment status report from Deputy Commissioner Bill Daley. According to Dan Rosen of NHL.com a Board of Governors vote will be held in their meetings on December 5th and 6th.

- A review of the changes to Rules 41 and 48 from Brenden Shanahan.

Impacts to the Blues?

Honestly, there are no real immediate impacts to the Blues.

The Note effectively demonstrated how to properly beat the “Tampa Trap” by gaining the red line and coming on the forecheck with speed. The result was a thorough 3-0 domination of the trappers. Pierre LeBrun doesn’t expect any rule changes. Nor should there be. The Flyers just needed to grow up, play hockey and not “try to make a point”. The league will make it’s point by not changing a thing. Though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Philly GM Paul Holmgren and Bolts GM Steve Yzerman take some heat from their peers.

Realignment is largely an issue surrounding the Red Wings, Blue Jackets and Jets… and the BoG. The GM’s are getting a complementary FYI of how the scenarios are shaking out, but nothing binding will come out of these meetings. If the proposals are not “binding”, they’re nothing more than a talking point. The Blues don’t want to lose games against Detroit, but they’ll survive off of the Blackhawks rivalry just fine.

Questionable hits requiring a potential Shanaban have not been issued by the Blues this season. Barrett Jackman has had a few obvious slip ups, but nothing warranting a phone call from New York. Status quo will remain in St. Louis. Play fast and hard, but play clean. If they aren’t breaking the rules and are avoiding being the receiver of such hits, the impact is nil.

Trade Talk?

A new round of Paul Stastny “rumors” have a few fans ears and eyes perked. Honestly, don’t expect Doug Armstrong to spend much time talking to Greg Sherman about a trade of this magnitude. Not because “Army fleeced him”, but because the Blues do not have a healthy enough lineup to create a logjam of personnel allowing big enough parts to be traded to get a player of Stastny’s caliber.

That said, I would expect standard homework and foundation laying conversations to take place since the GMs are all in close proximity to one another.