Clayton Stoner says “I WILL FIGHT EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU!” Image via rburtzel/Flickr

To continue my remembrance of when the St. Louis Blues sucked at hockey back in the middle to late ‘00’s, back then a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks would not have been viewed as a disappointment. Now? It is a disappointment, which is a good sign of where this club is headed going forward. As for fights . . . there were two. First, BJ Crombeen and Dale Weise worked a draw (video here, and might I add that Beej made the RIGHT decision to let up on Weise after he slipped . . . I wish more fighters would do that). Then, Roman Polak went into “Berserk Mode” and wailed fists all over Maxim Lapierre for a victory (video here). Despite the two fights, the Blues stay at 18th place in the National Hockey League, albeit by themselves, with 17 fighting majors on the season. The fight record, with the draw and the win, now goes up to 7-2-8.

So hey, now we get a home game with another Western Conference playoff candidate in the Minnesota Wild. We have covered these folks twice, both for road contests (November 5th and November 19th). While this team, like the Blues, is not in the upper echelon of fighting teams, they are not afraid to drop the gloves and go at it. This is not to say that it will happen tonight, but there is a bit of a recent history between the two clubs. The Wild are tied for 13th in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets, who each have collected 18 fighting majors on the season. Their fight record stands at a stout 9-5-4.

The Wild are led in fights, unsurprisingly, by Brad Staubitz (6’1”, 215lbs, 4-2-2) with eight of the team’s 18 fights. Following him are young Twitter fiend Matt Kassian (6’4”, 232lbs, 2-0-1, currently with Houston in the AHL, follow him here) and big defenseman Clayton Stoner (6’3”, 225lbs, 2-1-0), each with three fights. The rest of the Wild players on this list have fought once each, and they are Justin Falk (6’5”, 215lbs, Win), Darroll Powe (Draw with Scott Nichol), Nick Johnson (6’1”, 183lbs, Loss) and Warren Peters (6’0”, 195lbs, Loss).

You never know . . . Nichol and Powe could go at it again with one another. But what I really want to see is a fight between Stoner and Ryan Reaves. That would be perfect . . . two heavyweights, going fist-for-fist. I would love it.

It’s time to get the bus back on the road and win some more hockey games, starting tonight.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

Alex Steen is not ready to return to the lineup.

Bluenotes is a dose of news and views from all around St. Louis Blues nation and the greater NHL beyond.

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Yes, we know… Ian Cole was suspended, words from the Twitterverse: JR and Norm…

Army on Cole “I don’t think it was a wreckless play. I think it was a hockey player that was legal 12 months ago thats not legal today (1/3)

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) January 2, 2012

I understand the sensitivity with hits to the head and we respect that, but I support Ian in the sense that it was a play that … (2/3)

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) January 2, 2012

(Abdelkader) coming across middle has to be aware & unfortunately he wasnt. We accept decision cuz we understand importance of safety” (3/3)

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) January 2, 2012

Blues GM DOug Armstrong talking about COle’s 3-game suspension: “To me, it’s a hockey play that at the end goes awry.”#stlblues

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

More Army on suspension: “The only issue I have is with the term reckless. I don’t think Ian Cole is a reckless player. ” #stlblues

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

Army:”It’s a hockey play that went awry in a difficult situation.” #stlblues

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

More Army on Cole: “There’s no sense getting upset over it, you just take it and move on.”#stlblues

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

Army: “The difficult part is I feel for Ian knowing that he had a chance to get in the lineup knowing he was going to be counted on.”

— Norm Sanders (@NormSanders) January 2, 2012

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You want injury updates, Lou Korac has injury updates…

Forward Ryan Reaves (hip) skating here this morning. He was placed on IR last week. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Andy McDonald also on the practice ice today wearing red jersey. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

T.J. Oshie skated pre-practice but left the ice & hasn’t returned. Not out here at all: Roman Polak. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Alex Steen (concussion-like symptoms) also not on the ice. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Polak & Oshie will be good to go tomorrow. Both did cardio today. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Alex Steen status quo. Not ready to skate. Don’t expect him tomorrow. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

Hitch has an idea who he’d like to call up. Waiting for management to make the call. No callup yet after Peoria played 3 in 3. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) January 2, 2012

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Chris Kerber on potential Cole replacement…

Fairchild played well on 1st recall this year. Blues need a call-up. Fairchild is a staggering +21. +15 better than next best total on team

— Chris Kerber (@chriskerber) January 2, 2012

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It comes from #stlblues…

Transparency? Check. Consistency?Not so much… Ian Cole & his brand new 3-game suspension bit.ly/vFKY4n #stlblues

— Matt Reitz (@ViewFromMySeats) January 2, 2012

@NormSanders – If Cole’s hit on Abdelkader is worth 3 games, Datsyuk’s hit on Jackman should be at least 1 game. #stlblues #nhl #redwings

— Curt Price (@curtprice) January 2, 2012

@jprutherford Seriously, Shanny can do to himself what he did to Janney’s wife. #stlblues

— Mouse in catspeak (@Meouse) January 2, 2012

I bet Ian Cole feels the same way Craig Janney did:Shanahan took away something he loved. #StLBlues

— Kent Dragonfinger (@KDragonfinger) January 2, 2012

As of this second, I predict the #StlBlues finish __ in the Western Conference. Fill in the blank.

— David Rogers (@FrozenNotes) January 2, 2012

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Links

Rutherford’s updated post on Cole’s suspension. [STLToday.com]

Norm sander’s post on the same topic. [BND.com]

Fellow blueliners Kris Russell (groin) and Kent Huskins (ankle) are still on IR which brings the Blues down to only five healthy defenders (Jackman, Colaiacovo, Pietrangelo, Polak, and Shattenkirk) who can play on Tuesday night.

Cade Fairchild (image TSNphotography)

So it’s pretty obvious that the Blues are going to have to recall a player from the Peoria Rivermen. Considering their play as of this season, the top two options for a recall, in my mind are Cade Fairchild or Danny Syvret.

Fairchild, a rookie out of the University of Minnesota has made a big impact  for the Rivermen this season already. His 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists) have helped the Rivermen to a 17-15-2-1 record this season.

He’s already had one call up this season, and he didn’t look out of place in his only game played. He finished the night with a clean score sheet, an even +/- and no penalty minutes. He’s my number one option of getting a recall in fill in for Cole.

Danny Syvret (image TSNphotography)

Syvret is not to be looked over also, as a potential call up. His 20 points (3 goals, 17 assists) leads all defensemen on the Rivermen squad and tied for fifth among AHL defensemen this season.

What Syvret brings, however, which could give him the heads up on Fairchild is his experience.  His 59 NHL games and 10 playoff games rank much higher than Fairchild’s one game, and that alone could give Syvret an edge  in his chances of being called up. He has 3 goals, 4 assists in those 59 regular season games while recording zero points in his ten playoff games.

If I was in Doug Armstrong‘s shoes, I’d go with Syvret. He gives you the experience, he plays an offensive game but isn’t inadequate defensively either. While the call up is likely only going to be for the three games, it doesn’t force the Blues to put to much pressure on the call up either.

While I could see positives for Fairchild, I’d like to see him develop a little more in the AHL this season and get his call ups next season when he’s a little bigger, stronger, and more experienced.

Yet again, however, I’m not Doug Armstrong, so the call up could eventually be between two entirely different defenders. Watch me debate Fairchild and Syvret, then Mark Cundari gets the call up.

We should find out later today on who gets the call up.

Cody McLeod is not afraid of Matt Bradley’s spit-take face. Image via clydeorama/Flickr

Ten goals, two fights and a victory are three good ways to shake out from a hard-battled, emotional road loss 24 hours previous. The St. Louis Blues also got some home-cooked enthusiasm in that 6-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. As for the two fights, they were both draws, though for different reasons I figured an edge would be given either way in both fights. First, Roman Polak FINALLY got on the fight board, and while his fight with Dane Byers (By the way, what in the bloody hell is a Dane Byers?) was adjudged a draw, I thought Polak might have been given the edge in that one because of some post-fight punching by Byers (video here). In the second bout, Ryan Reaves expectedly went at it with Jared Boll, and while Reaves started out decently, I felt Boll might have had the edge because he landed a big shot at the end of the fight (video here). Alas, both fights were called draws, and I can live with that in both instances. Also of note – Polak’s fight with Byers marked the first time a Blues player had picked up a major fighting penalty in nearly three weeks (November 29th, to be exact, was the previous time). The Blues now move into a tie for 16th in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets, each team earning 13 fighting majors on the season thus far. Adding the two draws, the Blues now hold a fight record of 5-1-7.

And the boys go back to Denver. It’s a two-game Mountain Time Zone swing that the Blues go on, first visiting “The Land of Tebow” (Yes, I am a long-time Denver Broncos football fan, sorry) and squaring off with the Colorado Avalanche. We covered this team a few weeks back (December 2nd, to be exact), and all things considered, when you take away the record and the goaltending, this is pretty much the Blues – a few studs offensively, a couple blue-line standouts and a few brawlers. But that goaltending . . . well, we’ll just leave that alone, as it’s not my area of expertise. The Avalanche have fought 14 times now this season, all alone in 15th in the NHL in that category. The Avs are a mediocre 3-6-5 in those fights.

This is about the point in the season where I forget about telling you how these teams fared in fights last year, as every team is now at least 30 games deep into the season. So let’s recap how individual Avs have fared in fights during the 2011-2012 season, shall we?

The team is led, not surprisingly, by fighter extraordinaire Cody McLeod (6’2”, 210lbs, 2-3-1) with six fights on the season. Following him are a trio of players with two fighting majors each – Shane O’Brien (6’3”, 230lbs, 1-0-1), Ryan Wilson (6’1”, 207lbs, 0-0-2, on IR with a head injury) and David Jones (6’2”, 210lbs, Day-To-Day with a groin injury). Two Avs players have fought once each, they are Ryan O’Byrne (6’5”, 234lbs, Loss) and Daniel Winnik (6’2”, 210lbs, Loss).

While McLeod may be a touch undersized for Reaves, the Manitoba native would likely not back down from a challenge by Reaves. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if McLeod challenged Reaves to a fight. But who knows what will happen, really? I’m just saying that McLeod and Reaves is the best bet.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights

Since Kent Huskins suffered an ankle injury blocking a shot back on October 28th in Calgary, the prognosis has been difficult to determine. First considered fractured and requiring a stint on IR, then not. On Tuesday this week the media reported that there is in deed a fracture.

Huskins bravery will cost him up to two months of the season and a trip to the surgeon.

The duration could be reduced if he heals like TJ Oshie…

The Blues announced via Twitter Wednesday that the surgery was performed successfully and reevaluation will come in roughly eight weeks.

In 9 games this season Huskins has tallied 2 goals, 4 points with a Plus-6 rating while averaging 16:55 ATOI. He was utilized as Alex Pietrangelo’s primary even strength pairing partner.

Impacts on the Blues Blueline

With Taylor Chorney already shipped back to Edmonton after his rental via waivers, Ian Cole’s time in St. Louis has been extended. His assumption of the seventh defenseman role says that the Blues believe he’s hit NHL readiness and sticking with the big club is more important than icet in Peoria. The move could be taken as an odd change of direction following Doug Armstrong’s comments this summer regarding first and second year pros playing in Peoria rather than sitting in the Scottrade press box, but is likely more indicitive of Cole’s improved level of play and the need to have quality options given situation and performance.

On a related side note, the absence of Cole from the Rivermen lineup has increased the workload on Mark Cundari, Cade Fairchild and Brett Poinch. Three young defensemen jostling for position in the organization who will take all of the playtime they can earn. Danny Syvert, a “forogtten” depth addition this summer, has stepped up his play. For example, he logged over 30 minutes in last Friday’s epic 7-6 comeback win over Rockford when Jake Gannon, an AHL contract defensemen playing very well for Peoria, left the game due to injury.

Cundari is having sophomore struggles while Fairchild is pleasantly surprising in his first pro campaign. I will have more on these two, Ponich and others in my AHL Road Trip wrapup post coming later this week.

For those clamoring for the benching (or trading) of Carlo Colaiacovo in favor of Cole following the Kris Russel trade, don’t expect it anytime soon. In the four games under Ken Hitchcock Colaiacovo has three assists with a Plus-1 rating paired up Pietrangelo.

Russell will remain in the lineup, at least through Thursday’s game against Florida, but he could easily sit for Cole is the situation warrants going forward. Russell has averaged just 14:24 ATOI in the two games since the trade and his role on the power play is already being filled by Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Colaiacovo.

Translation: Since Cole fills a different role being a “left handed Roman Polak” the two could easily be interchangeable.

A final thought. Is it a coincidence that Barret Jackman’s ATOI is down over a minute and a half compared to last season and he is playing some of his best hockey since late in 2009? I don’t think so. There is a lot of tread on Jackman and decreasing his workload maximizes output. It is also worth noting that the exceptional play of Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk are allowing old number 5 to do more with less.

On the last game of their first road trip of the season, the St. Louis Blues matched up with the Los Angeles Kings. The Blues dominated the Kings in L.A. lately, but the power shifted back to the home team beating St. Louis 5-0.

Jaroslav Halak started the game for the Blues, but Brian Elliott finished it. Allowing 4 goals on 18 shots will get a goalie yanked in almost any game. Halak is having a rough start for the season with only one win four games. He alone cannot take the heat as the guys in front of him played just as poorly and the Kings took full advantage.

Ryan Reaves put a bad pass into Scott Nichol’s skates which caused a turnover in the neutral zone. Willie Mitchell waltzed untouched into the Blues zone dropping a pass for Simon Gagne. Kevin Shattenkirk broke up Gagne’s pass, but an unlucky bounce found the puck right back on Gagne’s stick who buried it for the first goal of the game.

The Kings notched a second goal midway through the second with more lackadaisical play. Patrik Berglund dumped the puck into the L.A. zone and it was pursued by TJ Oshie and Chris Stewart. With his stick barely in his hands on a weak forecheck, Oshie watched as the Kings cleared the zone. Dustin Brown made easy work of Kent Huskins who, along with fellow defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, found himself below the red line when a quick feed in front gave Jarret Stoll a point blank shot that beat Halak high glove side.

A few minutes later with Stewart in the box for roughing, the Blues took another penalty when Anze Kopitar drew a hooking call against Pietrangelo. Five on three’s are hard for most teams to defend, but with an already less than desirable penalty kill, the Blues found themselves in a tough spot. It did not take long for Mike Richards to slip a pass around Roman Polak right to Brown who casually stood in front of Halak. The first shot was stopped but with no contention from Barret Jackman, Brown put in the rebound.

Not even a half minute into the third, the Kings took a 4-0 lead when Kopitar worked the puck in on Huskins who barely tried to prevent, deflect, or block the shot. Kopitar’s quick wrister from the top of circle was touched by Halak but he did not get enough of it for another bad goal against. Brian Elliott was then called in to finish out the game stopping 5 of 6 shots against. More feeble passing and more broken down defensive coverage let Gagne skate in with ease to beat Elliott for the last tally of the game.

The Blues special teams were hapless again allowing one goal on three penalty kills. But matters are much worse with the power play going 0 for 4. Special team failures are making wins tough to get for St. Louis who are now 2-4-0 on the young season.

Up Next: Friday the Carolina Hurricanes visit St. Louis.

In what was largely an irrelevant game from the most of St. Louis sports fans with the Cardinals about to clinch a World Series berth, the St. Louis Blues fell to the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Sunday night.

The Ducks’ Bobby Ryan kicked the scoring off early in the first shooting in a juicy rebound. While it was an even strength goal, Nikita Nikitin had just stepped out of the penalty box. Ryan scored again in the third after accepting a long pass from Ryan Getzlaf, who had two assists on the night. Splitting Nikitin and Roman Polak, Ryan walked in on Halak who got a piece but not enough to prevent the goal which put the Ducks up 4-1.

The Blues had the lone goal of the second period which was supplied by Patrik Berglund. The big Swede’s second of the season came from a nice tip in the circle off an Alex Pietrangelo shot which beat Jonas Hiller to tie the game 1-1. Hiller finished the game stopping 28 of 30 St. Louis shots.

Starting the third period tied, the Ducks turned up the heat. Francois Beauchemin sent a rocket to the net which ricocheted off of Nikitin to beat Halak. There was not much Halak could do to stop the shot that came seconds after another Ducks power play had ended.

Moments later, the Blues found themselves shorthanded again with a Matt D’Agostini tripping call. Alex Steen quickly replaced his broken stick only to have another break. Berglund had already broken his stick and the Blues were in trouble killing a penalty minus two sticks. Halak made a great save on Lubomir Visnovsky before Corey Perry found the net for a 3-1 lead.

Only one power play goal was credited to Anaheim which is misleading since two Ducks goals came seconds after an expiration of a penalty. St. Louis is struggling short handed being dead last in this category which they have been exceptional at in the past. To make matters worse for the Blues special teams, they failed again with the man advantage going 0-4.

Midway through the third, the Blues got one back to cut the lead in half. Barret Jackman sent a pass off the boards behind the net which Jason Arnott picked up and slid over to Steen. Almost parallel with the goal line, Steen banked his shot off the inside of Hiller’s pads to make it 4-2 and to finish off the scoring for the night.

Up Next: St. Louis travels to Los Angeles to face the Kings.

Today we head in below the defensive blueline to talk defensive pairings. For the sake of argument I will label the pairings 1 through 3. Clarifications and caveats will be detailed.

Defensive Pairings Left Defense – Right Defense

Pair 1: Barret Jackman – Alex Pietrangelo

- Before you go off the deepend about Jackman not being a top pairing defenseman and how he is too old and broken, ask yourself: Can anyone else complement Petro? All other options are unproven (Nikitin), unreliable (Colaiacovo) or a larger stretch for 20+minutes a night (Huskins).

While SirJaxx is pront to losing his cool and improperly reading a play from time to time, not one else offers the general reliability he does. Allowing Pietrangelo to be free and able to roam. An important factor in his success.

Don’t forget he was half of the top pairing that took the Blues to the playoffs in 2009. Polak being the other half. So why not Polak? He is stronger, more reliable, a better skater. True, but he is right handed. Forcing one of the two righties to play on their off side is far from optimal. Since were still in the off season and talking about what should be, optimal wins.

Mind you this duo played against as many top units as the Erik Brewer – Erik Johnson pairing and faired much better (in my opinion)

Pair 2: Carlo Colaiacovo – Roman Polak

- In the interest of balance (and cost justification) Colaiacovo makes the right partner for Polak. One offensive minded blueliner combined with a defensive minded counterpart. The OStrava Muscle can clean up Cola’s messes while Carlo moves the puck. Not to say Polak can’t, because he can with his skating ability, but Colaiacovo is far and away the better passer.

Important: Colaicovo is a UFA come July 1st, 2012. He should be motivated in a contract year to post big numbers and display solid two way play. That’s the only way he will get a contract of significance next summer. Motivation + Skill = Results… assuming he can stay healthy

Pair 3: Kent Huskins – Kevin Shattenkirk

- To me this is the biggest no brainer pairing. Huskins is a (relatively) rock steady vet who can allow Dueces to use his offensive flair and exploit matchups against weaker lines at even strength.

Daryl Sydor comparisons can be left at the door. Huskins is only 32 where the last to wear #44 was 37 when he was brought in.

For those who want to see more of Kirk, be patient. His defensive game is not good enough to be paired with Colaiacovo at even strength. He shouldn’t be on Polak’s left. As the third pairing defenseman the coaching staff can better manage his ice time against stronger lines and use him as a power play threat. Which as of this early stage in his career, is where he is best suited. Insulation is not a bad thing.

Extra(s): Nikita Niktin (and maybe Ian Cole)

N64′s one way contract status and minimal payout makes him the obvious choice to be the 7th defenseman. Cole could make a big statement at camp and in the preseason, but the Blues won’t risk losing Nikitin trying to send him to Peoria. IN reality Cole has to outshine Huskins and Nikitin to start the season in St. Louis. He needs to be playing, not sitting. Taking a turn as the #1 in Peoria will greatly further his development. More so than just practicing and watching games from the box.

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What say you? Be back with netminders later this weekend.

]]> http://bluenotezone.com/2011/08/12/what-should-the-opening-night-defensive-pairings-look-like/feed/ 3 http://bluenotezone.com/2011/06/02/blues-sign-polak-to-5-year-deal-sobotka-3-year-deal-coming-soon/ http://bluenotezone.com/2011/06/02/blues-sign-polak-to-5-year-deal-sobotka-3-year-deal-coming-soon/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:00:45 +0000 Jeff Quirin http://bluenotezone.com/?p=6208 The St. Louis Blues announced that they have signed defenseman Roman Polak. The five year deal is worth a total of $13.75 million ($2.75 million AAV).

In terms of yearly salary, the breakdown is $2.2, $2.4, $3.1, $3.1, $3.1.

The Czech Republic native was drafted 180th overall (6th Round) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. In 227 career games with the Blues he has amassed 49 points and 143 penalty minutes.

According to the Blues official website, General Manager Doug Armstrong had this to say regarding Polak:

“We believe Roman is one of the top defensive defensemen in the league who plays against the opposing teams best players night after night,” said Armstrong. “He’s one of our top penalty killers who is just reaching the prime of his career and we’re happy to have him in the fold for the next five years.”

Hear more thoughts from Armstrong in an audio clip on the Blues website.

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In other Restricted Free Agent news, reports indicate forward Vladimir Sobotka has agreed to, but is yet to sign, a three year deal worth an expected $3.9 million ($1.3 million AAV).

Sobotka was acquired from the Boston Bruins for prospect defenseman David Warsofsky last summer. In his first season with the Blues, the Czech Republic native registered 7 goals and posted 29 points in 65 games.

BNZ POV

Some will scoff at the extended term given to Polak, but let’s be real. This is a slick move by Armstrong. Getting an overpriced commodity on the open market locked up for well below market value in the prime years of the assets use.

Sheer genius. Drink the Kool-Aid freely on this signing. It’s really is as good as a homer could puff it up to be.

As far as Sobe goes, the argument against a longer term is stronger. At least untill salary is taken in to account. If the AAV figure truly will be $1.3 million, then even if Sobotka regressed from a super sub to just an effective role player, there is no overpayment. It’s roughly the same amount that Jay McClement was paid.

Keep an eye out for the next signing as it could give an indication to the Blues off season plans.

If Matt D’Agostini signs before TJ Oshie, rumors will fly till the he is signed or moved.

If Oshie signs, D’Agostini could be gone (at least his rights) in a package deal for an upgrade elsewhere in the lineup.

If Bishop takes a minimal salary for a one way deal, expect money to be spent deepening the pool in front of the netminder. If a veteran is signed, expect additions on the cheap.

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Thanks for reading. As always, you’re welcome to follow me on Twitter: @618_STLBlues & @BlueNoteZone.

]]> http://bluenotezone.com/2011/06/02/blues-sign-polak-to-5-year-deal-sobotka-3-year-deal-coming-soon/feed/ 0 http://bluenotezone.com/2011/05/31/throwdown-colaiacovo-or-polak/ http://bluenotezone.com/2011/05/31/throwdown-colaiacovo-or-polak/#comments Tue, 31 May 2011 10:59:02 +0000 Jeff Quirin http://bluenotezone.com/?p=6200 Ready for another Throwdown?!

FYI – Winner of yesterday’s Throwdown was both Nikita Nitkin and Ian Cole. Both making the team lead with 18 votes followed by Nikitin with 6, Cole with 4, and one being traded each with 1. There were 30 Votes total.

Depending on how St. Louis Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong constructs his team inthe off season, the Blues may be forced to make a decision between Carlo Colaiacovo and Roman Polak. Who do you keep?

Trade Colaiacovo and re-sign Polak.
Trade Polak’s RFA rights and keep Colaiacovo.
Armstrong will spend a little extra money and keep both.
Total blue line restructure and both are gone.

Make your pick, head on over to Facebook and vote!

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