Blues Sign Former 50 Goal Scorer
St. Louis has signed former NHL 50 goals scorer Jonathan Cheechoo to a one-year, two-way contract.
Cheechoo has over 500 NHL games on his resume including a 56 goal season back in 2005. Last season the soon to be 31 year old totaled 47 points in 55 games with Worcester in the AHL.
Cheechoo gives the Blues some added offensive depth with two-way contracts along with the likes of Chris Porter, Ryan reaves, and Brett Sterling.
Cheechoo has spent much of this summer working on his foot speed and trying to become more explosive. He’s hired a trainer who he’s been working with twice a day up at Stanford University. Cheechoo’s contract will pay him $600/$225. His base pay will be $600/$105 but if he never gets called up to NHL he will receive and additional $120,00 at the end of the season. If he is called up to the NHL he will obviously be paid off of his $600,000 salary.
More to come,
Andy Strickland
strickland.andy@gmail.com
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Curious though, if he had any other offers or were the Blues his only suitor?
I am wondering if bcallaway is very happy right now that his comments about Checketts the other day majically disappeared? flag this comment
Until then, none of these articles and speculation and dates mean anything.
I like the Cheechoo signing for Peoria. I'm sure they signed him so that he can sit there indenfinately and only be a call up in an emergency. If were talking about depth at the varsity level for one year I would have signed Wellwood (again).
But I'm betting he wasn't interested in a two way deal. flag this comment
This really shouldn't even be news. I'll still prepare my fork and knife though in case I have to eat crow on this, but I think I'm safe in my assumptions. flag this comment
1. He happens to somehow someway regain his form and we add an legit scoring presence.
2. This will push the Peoria guys ala Cracknell, McRae, Porter to play even harder to make the Blues team.
3. We signed him for jack crap. 600k if he does make Blues squad.
I seriously can't wait for the season to get underway. I don't think I've been this excited to get a seaon underway in a very long time. I'm not sayin were gonna win the cup this season I'm just excited to see how this team gels next year. So much underrated talent on this Blues team that there the Darkhorse of the West now. There gonna frustrate a lot of teams this year and I for one just want October to come. To bad I can't be a bear and just hybernate till October :(
"I'm not sayin were gonna win the cup this season ... I'm just excited to see how this team gels next year."
Since the lockout ended, 2005, we've been saying this year after year after year. "Teams heading in the right direction," "playoffs are a good probability," "youth with pay off," "we'll be good but maybe not Stanley Cup good."
For God-Sakes!! We're falling right back into the bunch of BS that resulted in 25 straight years of making the playoffs w/o achieving Lord Stanley's glory. This team needs to be built to win it all....not just to build and build and build. The biggest problem we face right now is management....yes, that is a major hinderence, but once we get competent owners in here willing to invest into this team, we need to win within 2 seasons of new ownership or it's time to go back to the drawing board. flag this comment
Before I wouldn't advocate it but now I'm a bit more sure that this is a prime target. He has his troubles and he has benefited playing on great lines with a great play maker in St. Louis but he really is a sniper in terms of his quick release in the slot.
Think of it this way: We sign him for a year and go deep in the play offs, he pays for himself and creates a huge buzz in St. Louis. Bigger than that with the current lockouts in the NFL and NBA we capitalize a bit more on being the only show in town until the play offs. Best case we are having a parade, worst case we some how sustain an even larger battery of injuries that our current depth doesn't even overcome.
Better case we now have him and can try to drive his price down and if he's not happy who cares if someone signs or trades for him the following off season getting back whatever players we would have lost in draft picks.
I just can't comprehend why no one has taken a shot at getting this kid signed or spoken with his agent. Is it because he's been a bit too much on the perimeter and we all know what happens to goal scorers that move away from the net more out into the perimeter?
One of the reasons I say that is that we have a lot of depth and an incredible D-line minus Jackman. Polak, Shattenkirk, Petrangelo, Cole, Jackman and the guy we signed. That is a great paring. A lot of teams would love to have that defensive set-up. Not to mention, Brewer is gone which helps tremendously. Everytime a team scored on us last year, I would watch a replay that showed Brewer missing a guy or out of position. I am going to be an Optimist and say the Blues are in for a solid year.
Again a one year deal is optimum as you can offer a high cost lose your picks and after one season reevaluate his effectiveness and then come up with a more reasonable deal or trade him or let him get offer-sheeted. Then you get back what you lose at the very least.
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"St. Louis is such a strong hockey town," said Caporale, whose company handled the sale of the team between the Lauries and Checketts, and has been on both sides of the sell-buy table in other sports transactions.
"Dave Checketts and his management have done such a great job in, frankly, turning the franchise around. ... Now you have a team that is financially stable, that is a good young team. This year we anticipate they will be a playoff contender, so we're really pleased with the way things are going with the process."
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/article_e6e58149-477b-5d3d-aaad-afac331e518c.html#ixzz1S0HRbT5w
So I want to know how in the hell the Blues are in financial trouble? Nothing points to it and the more buyers becoming interested is also proving this fact. I'm sick of this crap that teams are always losing money blah blah blah. I know some teams must be because they don't have crap for fans. But how much are their television deals worth? Let's be realistic here.
"St. Louis is such a strong hockey town," said Caporale, whose company handled the sale of the team between the Lauries and Checketts, and has been on both sides of the sell-buy table in other sports transactions.
"Dave Checketts and his management have done such a great job in, frankly, turning the franchise around. ... Now you have a team that is financially stable, that is a good young team. This year we anticipate they will be a playoff contender, so we're really pleased with the way things are going with the process."
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/article_e6e58149-477b-5d3d-aaad-afac331e518c.html#ixzz1S0HRbT5w
So I want to know how in the hell the Blues are in financial trouble? Nothing points to it and the more buyers becoming interested is also proving this fact. I'm sick of this crap that teams are always losing money blah blah blah. I know some teams must be because they don't have crap for fans. But how much are their television deals worth? Let's be realistic here.
NortheastBlue15 - Who has thought that the Blues were a "solid team || not a contender as of yet" for over 5 years now? They have been building with youth ever since Checketts & Co took over. When they bought the team the roster was terrible. Last year was the first year that I would consider as a solid team. Injuries really hurt them though. When they made the playoffs, they were one of the worst teams in the league for more than half of the season. They turned it on at the end of the year, but they were still far from a solid team.
A healthy Blues team this year will compete for the Central. They can contend this year if they stay healthy.
A healthy Blues team last year was as good as any Central division team. If they stay healthy, or even reasonably healthy with the offensive depth we now have, we can absolutely win the Central. I am not considering Perron in my thinking either. If he comes back, the offense is that much better and deeper. Army has gone about his work this offseason as if Perron was no longer a factor.
I am not saying that the Blues will win the Central, but they should compete for the division. If they stay healthy and nothing crazy happens this year, I definately think they can win the Central.
You don't need "star power" to be a contender. When you have 4 lines that can all play, you are going to be very dangerous. That is what the Blues have right now. flag this comment
Star power is great for the regular season (just ask the Sharks) but doesn't matter as much in the playoffs. This Blues team is being built for the playoffs.
Lets be real honest here. If I told you last year before the season started the injuries that would happen, would you even think that the Blues would finish where they did? I would think 99% of fans would think that they would have finished at the bottom of the Western Conference, even with the Halak hype that was going on.
Halak's stats were not great. I am not sure why anyone would expect more out of last year though with what the team and Halak went through. Halak battled injury which most likey hurt him stats wise. It was his first year in the Western Conference, getting used to the teams. (anyone pay attention to his stats against the East?) On top of that, his team was devistated by injury and we were playing a lot of players that were not NHL ready, and others in roles that they shouldn't be in. All things considered, goaltending could have been much worse when you look at the whole picture. flag this comment
So if we get decent goaltending, which in my mind is around a .915 save percentage, we will be fine. If Halak has a strong season and puts up .920 plus, look out. flag this comment
What cost us last season? Depth, injuries and subpar goaltending. I am sure Halak was playing while hurt. We have depth this year.
Anyone that thinks Chicago has a better roster than the Blues has questionable skills evaluating hockey talent. Chicago just brought in 4 fourth liners. They have Joel Quenville for a coach. That alone costs any team. They don't have great goaltending. Crawford is still young and learning. He is good but let's see how he does this year. Quenville will be sure to ruining this team focusing his efforts on defensive hockey over offense. Recall Murray here and how he tried to play teams, like a 1-0 lead a few minutes into a game on the road and then playing to defend that lead for 50 something odd minutes? Look for Chicago to set their team up to play to win their games on the power play. That won't fly in this league anymore.
Los Angeles improving their team is highly questionable. They traded a lot away to get what they have and also gave Captain Canada away for nothing. The Kings are solid up the middle so that will help a lot. Columbus became a lot better but still has some major holes like goaltending. Detroit White was a great signing for them. Nashville lost Ward.
The Blues when they were healthy at the beginning of last season were the best team in the league and when they were healthy with the trade at the end they were even better. I don't care where this team finishes as long as it is in the top eight. We make the play offs and we are a deadly team. We can compete for the Cup this year. As it gets closer and we start to see the final rosters shape up around the league I'll post my predictions.
Detroit is old as dirt and yet they keep finding enough grease and oil to keep the machine running. Lidstrom had over 60 points and was barely a minus playing some of the most difficult minutes in the NHL last year. And this guy noticeably cannot skate with most players in the NHL. Ift depends on how officiating is this year on how a lot of teams will do. Chicago can expect to be short handed even more times this year. flag this comment
what the blues need is to get a current 50 goal scorer and trade away the high draft picks who will be trolling in the minors for years.
the blues should give up on t.j.oshie and other 1st and second round busts.
The blues should trade for ilya kovalchuk from atlanta. acquire a big talent for these
suffering fans. so their constant whinnings will stop and then the true fans will come
on nightly basis . then rasie the tickets prices to the top ten levels. that's the only way you get an attractive free agent to come to the lou?
these fans will have to pay higher ticket prices or the team will be in the same position 1 year from now. the constant turning of owners gets boring. the team will be in the lou or go to quebec. what do you blues fans want?
signed the lone wolf.
Ilya no longer plays in Atlanta, nor is there a team in Atlanta for that matter. Stop posting here and get some help.
could fattpyboubatty perhaps be a shrink and need some help himself.
the blues will never win a stanley cup with such sore losers and non-educated fans.
the atlanta thrashers haven't moved to winnipeg yet .duh.
as far as ilya he left atlanta. but the blues need a big time goal scored with star attraction. go back to your drunken state and doobies .
the lone wolf returns with a blues stick up yours.
Wait . . . he could also be a 'Hawks fan. flag this comment
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