LA Robbie Posted April 12, 2012 Report Share Posted April 12, 2012 ST. LOUIS BLUES - BLITZ 07 B LEAGUE COACH: ICEGUY94 TEAM LINK: http://www.blitz94.com/draftab/rosterinfo.asp?team=STL TEAM OVERVIEW Following the team's relegation to the B league St. Louis have managed to keep hold of a solid looking group of players to form the basis of a good looking roster for Blitz 07. This has meant that draft picks could be used to add real quality, including the addition of one of the very best that should make the Blues one of the B league favourites this season. St. Louis' trading during the draft could sometimes be described as "Interesting", and they've made some which on the face of it make them stronger, some which may make them weaker, and were also on the receiving end of a controversial league decision to veto one particular trade which could make or break their season. A look at the roster suggests they have a team that's going to dominate on D, have strength in possession of the puck and have that special player that could tip the balance between a B championship & being one of the also-rans in Blitz 07. TEAM MAKE-UP After winning just 14 games in Blitz 06 it was clear that the Blues' roster wasn't strong enough, but it could be suggested that they suffered more from a lack of a match winner than a lack of strength in depth. They have kept hold of a group of players from last season that any coach would be happy with and form a really solid looking base on which to build success in Blitz 07. Returning from last season are goaltender Sean Burke and his understudy Rob Stauber, enforcer Peter Zezel, solid backup forward Bob Kudelski and talented Dman Jamie Macoun. Burke is one of the better goalkeepers in the league, his 67 overall rating perhaps artificially deflated by his 2 offensive & defensive awareness. His stick handling and glove skills are comparable to the league's best and he'll be a valuable asset. Stauber on the other hand has average skills but his 5 offensive & defensive awareness may inflate his overall rating slightly. He's still a solid backup & could be relied upon to play a few minutes if Burke's having a bad day at the office. Macoun is a dependable defenseman who is a great partner to a more senior player. With his 3/3 skating he's no slouch and his 4 passing ensures he can contribute to the Blues' possession game. Add to that a big 4/1 shot and the fact he's a big hitter despite his 8 weight and you have a great all round player who can add something at both ends of the ice. Zezel is one of the league's more skilled enforcers, hitting like a train to win the puck before using his 4 passing to move the puck on to the more creative players. He gives St. Louis a great option on PKs or to toughen up and protect a slim lead. In Kudelski they have a guy with good skills without being exceptional, but with his 9 weight he won't be knocked off the puck easily and he'll finish chances with his 3/4 shot. Unlikely to start but he wont let anyone down when called upon to cover an injury. With the guys described above it's pretty obvious St. Louis were off to a solid start before the draft began. They also kept hold of star Dman Chris Chelios and added Tomas Sandstrom as a 1st round pick, and it was these 2 that were allowed to leave when they were offered Dman Eric Weinrich and superstar forward Alexandr Mogilny from Washington. Admittedly Washington coach Gretzkyonacold actually thought St. Louis were still in the A league, and he could really regret allowing one of the game's best forwards go to a direct rival this season! With 6/6 skating, 6 Off awareness, 5 Stick handling and shot accuracy as well as 5 passing Mogilny is truly exceptional and his points per game average is just 0.080 short of 3 points per game in his Blitz career, which is slightly better than the man himself Mario Lemieux. He may be the best forward in the game. St. Louis truly have an exceptional talent for this season. They nearly didn't though! The defining moment of the whole Blitz 07 draft was when Iceguy actually agreed to allow Mogilny to leave, along with bruising winger Ron Francis in return for Jimmy Carson and Brendan Shanahan from Buffalo. It was immediately flagged up by many other members of the league as a very lopsided looking trade and it was soon vetoed by the league.........have to say it, I think St. Louis got very, very lucky indeed! So yes, you did read correctly. St. Louis also had Ron Francis. A pretty good support player and provider for Mogilny right? Wrong. At least Iceguy thought so. Francis and Weinrich were shipped out to San Jose in return for Vincent Damphousse and dominating Dman Dave Ellett. Did this deal help St. Louis though? I really rate Ron Francis for his 2-way play, but perhaps Damphousse does add more offensively? He's coming of a 103 point season with San Jose's B championship team but before that he has little history of big point scoring. His 4/4 skating is better than Francis, but his 3/3 shot and 4 passing doesn't really benefit the team and maybe more importantly the defensive benefits of Francis' huge hits are gone. If Damphousse reproduces his Blitz 06 form it looks a good trade. If he reproduces his Blitz career form he may not contribute much at all. The Ellett trade definitely improves St. Louis' D though. 4/4 skating go with his 4 passing, huge 5/1 shot and big hits to make him one of 94's most desirable Dmen, and he may just have been worth letting Francis go for. He'll be the dominant leader at the back for St. Louis and will contribute assists and a few goals at the other end too. St. Louis have one of the best G+D cominations in the B league this season in my opinion. With Peter Zezel playing the enforcer on offence losing Francis may not be too badly missed in the end either. The foward line is completed by Peter Stastny and Bob Probert. Not the quickest but Stastny will score some goals with his 3/4 shot and add some assists with his 4 passing. Probert is one of the more sought after enforcers in the league too. A huge hitter and with sufficient skills to play a bit too. Bringing on him and Zezel to protect a lead in the 3rd is a great option to have and makes St. Louis one of the league's biggest hitting teams. The final spot at D is filled by Rob Ramage. His 3/2 skating makes him a little slow but he has 3 passing to play his part in keeping possession and he's another massive hitter who can be relied on in the event of penalties and injuries without worry. The whole roster is strong. There's no weak link here. It has balance with speed, muscle, great D and goal tending. That St. Louis have been able to put this group together even with the players they've let go like Chelios & Francis is testement to the solid base they started with. The only question is if it will be over reliant on Mogilny? STARS With Francis & Chelios gone St. Louis are a touch light on genuine stars, but Mogilny is one of the greatest players in Blitz history. He has over 100 points every season of his Blitz career and almost 3 per game. Guaranteed points on the board! At D Ellett is dominant and any team built around these 2 superstars is on it's way to a successful season. WEAKNESSES This is an awesome looking team at B league level without question. The only possible question mark I can raise is can the supporting forwards contribute enough points to take the pressure off Mogilny? If Damphousse can reproduce his 103 point Blitz 06 season yes, but he was part of an incredibly offensive San Jose team last season. His career record suggests it's not a sure thing by any means. Peter Stastny hit 57 points for Hartford last season & will also be expected to reproduce & Bob Kudelski has only 8 career Blitz appearences to his name. An unknown quantity. PRE-SEASON PREDICTION - B CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER Mogilny puts them over the top, but I absolutely love the balance this team has. They need Damphousse and Stastny to produce big seasons to help him out, but behind that front 3 they have 2 awesome enforcers, 4 solid Dmen, including a star in Dave Ellett and a class goalie. The team has it all providing Mogilny's not required to score 90% of the points this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smozoma Posted April 12, 2012 Report Share Posted April 12, 2012 waaiit, Francis is a genuine star? On Mogilny, " and almost 2 per game" should be "almost 3 per game" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA Robbie Posted April 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2012 waaiit, Francis is a genuine star? On Mogilny, " and almost 2 per game" should be "almost 3 per game" Thanks for the corrections The "star" thing is not necessarily saying the guy is a star in terms of the whole game, but rather that they will be the important players for that team i.e. Jimmy Carson & Pat Verbeek were the stars for Detroit last season, but you wouldn't describe them as that against the Yzermans & Mogilnys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedWingDevil Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 Pretty much a good note on how my team was built up. I hope I can fulfill your predictions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Houli Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 Pretty much a good note on how my team was built up. I hope I can fulfill your predictions! im agree , i think you are a serious contender to the B cup with this team! Mogilny is a beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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