St. Louis Blues: Thank Goodness We Love An NHL Team

By Todd Panula |

Feb 15, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; St. Louis Blues center Ivan Barbashev (49) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring a goal in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The benefits of being an NHL team is you don’t have to worry about losing players unless they are injured. As fans, we forget that loving an NHL team is easy.

The St. Louis Blues and all their NHL counterparts have it pretty easy. They get the cream of the crop when it comes to talent and get to cherry pick replacements from the next level.

Thank goodness we all love the Blues and thank heavens they are an NHL team. I have never been a frontrunner, bandwagoner or someone that picks a team because they win all the time. However, given the nature of sports like baseball and hockey, we overlook the fact that it’s easy to be a fan of those teams.

The Blues can just call up that exciting prospect any time they want. Have an injury problem? Fill it with the guy sitting as a healthy scratch or bring up a competent replacement from the AHL. Easy peasy.

For fans it’s just as simple. We can argue about who should be sent down if we don’t like someone or who should be brought up if we think they are ready, etc and so on. We don’t have the worries that fans of minor league teams do.

The Chicago Wolves are a prime example this season. The team started off rather poorly as far as records go even though they were getting good individual performances.

The Wolves have had someone leading the league, or at least in the top five, scoring for much of the 2016-17 season. At first it was Brad Hunt, then Wade Megan and finally Kenny Agostino took over the team and league scoring lead.

The thing that sucks for Wolves fans, and benefits the Blues, is all three (plus some others) have been called up to the big club. That’s a tough boat to be in if you are a die-hard fan of the AHL.

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Going in, you know what to expect. As a fan of a minor league soccer team in St. Louis, I’ve gone through similar scenarios, but it’s not quite the same as the frequency of losing a player is not there.

The Wolves are currently in the midst of an important playoff push. They have themselves up to second in the Central Division and are currently only one point behind Grand Rapids. Just when they need continuity the most, they have the rug pulled out from under them.

As a Blues fans, I can only sympathize so much. The team has had a run of injuries lately that has forced these recalls and we are all extremely happy and grateful all the recalled players have performed.

However, it’s hard to imagine your team suddenly being gutted of your top three scorers. That would be difficult to deal with in general, let alone as we press toward the playoffs.

The Wolves’ loss is the Blues’ gain. Still, it’s hard to fathom having that many players taken at once.

It is always said that is the life of an AHL player and/or coach. That’s the job, to prepare guys for the next step. You also have to win too.

Imagine trying to do your job and then your boss comes to you and takes away some of the most important things you use on a daily basis. That’s the harsh reality of a minor league coach, such as Craig Berube.

Berube has done a wonderful job. He’s sparked some great seasons from guys we didn’t think were ready. They have carried that success into the NHL.

Nobody expects any of these guys to be NHL greats. Some are at the age where it just isn’t going to work like that. However, if they can be solid NHL players and be at least rotation players, then Berube has done his job.

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I just don’t envy him trying to win without them. I don’t envy the Wolves fans that have to worry how their team will hold up. Will the players return? Can they win without them?

It’s not an enjoyable existence loving a minor league team. Thank goodness the Blues are an NHL team. We have enough worries without wondering if a player would get called up.

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