The Blues have recently stepped up negotiations with 2007 first round pick Lars Eller. Blues fans can expect Eller to be in training camp this fall. President John Davidson has had personal phone conversations with Eller over the last few days while the 19 year old is competing in the World Championships for his native Denmark.
An official announcement is expected soon.
Same goes with 2005 first round pick T.J. Oshie. His final exams at the University of North Dakota wrap up at the end of this week. As I reported before, expect Oshie to spend a decent chunk of this summer in St. Louis to allow himself to get familiar with the Blues off-season program.
On a side note, sources tell me Oshie’s UND teammate and former Hobey Baker winner Ryan Duncan will likely return to the Fighting Sioux for one more season. There have been four NHL clubs who have expressed interest in signing Duncan. The Blues have not decided if they will invite Duncan to their Prospects camp like they did last summer. The camp is expected to get underway right after the NHL Entry Draft in June.
Rink Rats!
The Toronto Maple Leafs are strongly considering buying out the contract of Darcy Tucker. When approached about the subject they do not deny the possibility.
My sources (very close to ESPN analyst Barry Melrose) tell me Melrose will in fact be leaveing ESPN to accept an NHL Head Coaching position. Tampa Bay appears to be the likely destination. An official announcement could come next week.
Who’s going to coach the Florida Panthers?
I’m hearing Bryan Murray is courting Pat Burns to become the next Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators. Burns is feeling great, he’s cancer free, and he wants back into coaching in the NHL. Murray really likes him and feels Burns would be a great fit for a club that is obviously in need of some structure.
Pittsburgh Penguins star Marian Hossa is telling people if he leaves Pittsburgh he will only entertain offers from teams that are in position to win right away. After having a taste with a winner in Pittsburgh, he has no desire to go through what he dealt with in Ottawa and Atlanta. Expect San Jose or Dallas to be major players.
I found it interesting that Vancouver would hire agent Mike Gillis. Will he ever step up and explain his ties with former NHLPA Certified Agent David Frost? Attention to all media in Vancouver, if you ask him about Frost or Mike Danton, be prepared to be hung up on. He may be one of the more classless agents I ever dealt with.
Did anyone notice how he carved up the organization in his opening press conference? This should be interesting.
Is Wade Redden the most overrated player entering free agency this summer? His starting price will likely begin in the 5 million dollar range. GM’s will feel comfortable signing Redden only because he is a brand name.
Former Senators GM John Muckler messed up big time a few years back by choosing Redden over then Norris Trophy finalist Zdeno Chara.
The New Jersey Devils are trying to sign D-man Bryce Salvador who they acquired at the trade deadline from St. Louis. Salvador will likely hold off and explore free agency.
Despite what some have suggested Pavol Demitra would not be a poor signing by St. Louis or any team this summer. At only 33 years of age Demitra can still play and is an elite power play performer. Demitra will get a multi-year deal in the neighborhood of four million per year.
Word is Canucks GM Mike Gillis has already broken the rules by bringing his former client Demitra into town for a visit. Demitra remains the property of the Minnesota Wild until July 1st.
Sources say the LA Kings will select Guelph D-man Drew Doughty with the 2nd overall pick.
I’m told the Thrashers will also take a D-man with the 3rd selection and they are leaning towards Peterborough stud Zach Bogosian.
Don’t be surprised if St.Louis takes Kelowna D-man Luke Schenn at number 4. He may not be as offensive as the other top D-men in the draft, but anybody who paid attention to the World Junior Championships last spring knows he was a stalwart and was a huge part of Canada’s success. One scout recently told me he’s the total package who can control the pace of the game. He’s calm with the puck, makes a terrific first pass, and is being compared to Hall of Famer Scott Stevens.
There is a lot of hype for Russian star Nikita Filatov, but the combination of his lack of size and speed is scaring a few teams away. Small players without explosiveness don’t normally turn into superstars in the NHL.
One person recently told me that people need to understand that this isn’t Ovechkin or Malkin. Scouts have told me Nikolai Zherdev is a stronger comparison.
Filatov is telling people that he plans on playing hockey in North America next season. The Sudbury Wolves have the first pick in this year’s CHL import draft. He is not ready to play in the NHL next season.
Blues Clues!
Erik Johnson will be rehabbing his shoulder this summer longer than anticipated. Doctors found a little more damage than expected when he has his shoulder operated on after the season. He will be on the shelf for about four months. He should be ok for camp, but he will likely be held out of contact drills for most of training camp.
The Blues remain a few weeks away from deciding on a Head Coach in Peoria. Assistant Coach Davis Payne appears to be the frontrunner although he hasn’t been told anything. Payne and Brent Thompson have been told they will be kept on board heading into next season.
Dave Baseggio has been offered a pro scouting position by the Blues.
The Blues are considering re-signing Yan Statsny if they elect not to bring Ryan Johnson back. Stastny is looking for a one-way deal from the Blues and would likely turn down a two-way offer from St. Louis.
The key to the current NHL system is to replace veteran players with young inexpensive players. With that being said, no decision has been made if Stastny is the right fit.
Congratulations to Head Coach Jon Cooper and the St. Louis Bandits on winning their second straight NAHL Robertson Cup! The NAHL is a Tier II Jr. A league in the United States.
There is some talk about the Blues opening up the Scottrade Center for the upcoming draft in June.
More to come,
Andy Strickland
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St Louis Blues Blogger •1380 ESPN • 
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