Absolutely unbiased fan here. Draisaitl > Parayko. Probably add a bit little bit.

Would you be comfortable with that defense? Bortuzzo and Schmaltz averaged about 15 and 10 min per game last year, respectively. Bouwmeester will be coming off a hip surgery and can't be relied on for more than 15 per.

I'd love to get Drai in a 1for1 but I don't see the value matching from EDM's side, they'll want more. And if we can't fill the hole left by Parayko, I'm not sure the net effects make us any better. This would mean we have to play Pietrangelo and Edmundson in all situations and like 28 min per night, that's a tall ask.

Might as well sign Jaskin, he's a reliable 4th liner that other teams would probably jump on if we let him walk.

I wasn't happy with Jaskin or Berglund at all last year and you're right that is a tall task for Petro and Eddie. I read rumblings (of course "internet pundits") that the Oil are interested in Parayko. Granted Leon is a better player but is he 8.5 per good?

...now that you've pointed that out I think I'd rather keep Parayko.

I'm just going to come out an say it. I don't think the Blues can win a cup with Allen as their goalie. Not sure trading away one of their best defenders is going to help that either. Not that Draisaitl isn't worth it.

You're correct. Blues cant win with Allen. Yes, teams have won the Cup with "average" goaltenders, but they didn't give up the goals they shouldn't allow, and stopped the ones they should. See Chris Osgood

I think it could work out for the Blues if they have a solid plan for a replacement. Trouba? Peace? Someone in that realm, or trade up and try to get Dobson or Bode Wilde. They have to have a plan before doing a deal like this

Yup, even the average goalies that did win, won on either pure luck/they played out of their minds and/or had incredible teams in front of them that made up heavily for that goalie and/or lastly they are big game goalies. (Play great in playoffs but not so much in regular season)

-Matt Murray had Malkin, Kessell and Crosby and the rest of the gang leading the charge with Fleury there to rely on if he falters.
-Cam Ward was a flash in the pan. He won the cup one year and hasn't been able to replicate that type of success in either the regular season or playoffs ever again.
-Antti Niemi played for a Blackhawks team that was stacked with great players all in their prime or close to prime. Toews, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Sharp, Hossa, Ladd, Campbell, Byfuglien, Brouwer, Bolland, versteeg, Hjalmarsson, etc etc
-Fleury might win this year with Vegas but I think its become obvious he's not a bad goalie everyone thought he was. Still capable of being a #1 goalie.

You have to go back a long time to find another team that won with a goalie that was considered an average goalie. I'm really not sure where this idea of being able to win with an average goalie comes from. In the grand scheme of things its a rarity and the minority. 95% of Cup winners had a #1 undisputed starting goalie as their guy.

So a few things here. 1) The cap will be about $5mm more. 2) Don't re-sign Sundqvist 3) Fabbri will make only around $1-1.25mm. 4) With that cap space go get a few defenders to replenish. 5) Please get rid of sobotka.

Get rid of Sobotka...Berglund...Jaskin.

They did, but Osgood is a great example of an average goalie who showed up when he needed to. Yeah he had a great team in front of him as well, but he didn't give up the weak goals. Sometimes that's all you need. But it is more than just a goalie that's needed

There you go a goalie with average regular seasons but showed up in the playoffs, who also had an all-star team in front of him. if you use Osgood as an example of a team having an average goalie and winning your missing the other major factors that the team DID have.

He had an excellent team, but as we've seen sometimes the best team doesn't win because of the goalie. So the goalie has to be good in order to win. Trying to think of a better example. Ducks were a great team so Giguere probably fits into the same mold as Osgood. Richter was good but not great. Rangers of 94 weren't an all-star team but had some great players.

I would trade if you could parayko for dri or rnh straight up. Dunn has taking parayko job off the PP and the blues have d in the system that can fill in to eat up some minutes. Bow contract is up we resign him discount or FA a defenceman.