So the Blues get Karia, Johnson, Brewer back, and add Pietrangelo....now where are you? The defensive problem may be solved. Karia gives you another 50-70 pts, so the scoring problem gets some big help. Backes may or may not be the big grinding winger that we'll need......but Berglund sure as hell ain't. I don't know who will be available and at what price....but we need that guy. I'm not convinced about Mason, but Wamsley has done wonders with him so he is obviously coachable and talented....I have no idea about Big Ben......a guy who stands almost 7 foot tall in skates is an unknown in the NHL.

I think the core of the team right now is MacDonald, Oshie, Perron, Karia, Backes, Johnson, Brewer, and Mason...not in any order. That's almost 2 lines, a defensive pair, and a goalie.....you can add high end talent to that group using any of the others as bait.....but you leave that bunch alone.

On Oshie.....suprisingly bad playoff series for him. He looked lost and afraid he was gonna get a penalty most of the series. There's a guy who could have created havoc for Louongo in the crease......and he never showed.

griffin