You better believe Armstrong is hoping this guy comes over. We may not have space for him but he's an NHL worthy asset and we might be able to get good draft choice or prospect for him. He's a point-per-gamer in the KHL which should probably translate to him being a decent 3rd liner (or better, depending on how well he does with NA style play) in the NHL where everybody's always looking for a talented center.
You better believe Armstrong is hoping this guy comes over. We may not have space for him but he's an NHL worthy asset and we might be able to get good draft choice or prospect for him. He's a point-per-gamer in the KHL which should probably translate to him being a decent 3rd liner (or better, depending on how well he does with NA style play) in the NHL where everybody's always looking for a talented center.
Exactly. Plus it looks good for our other Russian prospects. If you come over, and don't work out for us, we will try to find you a spot in the NHL where you can prove yourself instead of simply burying you in the minors.
Exactly. Plus it looks good for our other Russian prospects. If you come over, and don't work out for us, we will try to find you a spot in the NHL where you can prove yourself instead of simply burying you in the minors.
I can't agree more with this post. I always thought it was retarded how we brought over lemtygov sp and let him improve in the AHL making him a viable asset and then wouldn't even give him a long cup of coffee in the NHL in order to build him up for trade bait. Hell even keenan did that when he turned Vopat , Johnson, and Tardiff along with a pick into Gretzky. I really think sometimes our old G.M. missed the boat where it comes to our foreign draft picks.
I can't agree more with this post. I always thought it was retarded how we brought over lemtygov sp and let him improve in the AHL making him a viable asset and then wouldn't even give him a long cup of coffee in the NHL in order to build him up for trade bait. Hell even keenan did that when he turned Vopat , Johnson, and Tardiff along with a pick into Gretzky. I really think sometimes our old G.M. missed the boat where it comes to our foreign draft picks.
Yup, its about sending a message. "We want to help you reach your goal of being an NHL player, preferabely here, if not then elsewhere."
The Blues are not going to keep a player in Peoria if they think that player can help them. The message is if you are good enough you'll get your chance. Every other team in the NHL could have traded for him if they thought he could help their organization. We'll disagree on this one. Talking about Lemtygov.
Last edited by stlweir: 12-22-2012 at 01:01 PM.
Reason: Add
From what I have read...people say he will not accept any time in peoria, so its NHL or stay in the KHL no minor leagues. So if someone was trade bait, i.e. McRae, Rattie, or Schwartz that may open up a chance to bring him over if he so desires. But I think that is entirely up to lehtera
From what I have read...people say he will not accept any time in peoria, so its NHL or stay in the KHL no minor leagues. So if someone was trade bait, i.e. McRae, Rattie, or Schwartz that may open up a chance to bring him over if he so desires. But I think that is entirely up to lehtera
If we want him to come over, then we'll need to offer him a 1-way contract and basically guarantee that he'll start in the NHL. Which would obviously mean a 1 year contract, but there would be no guarantee that he wouldn't be sent down to Peoria if he couldn't handle the NHL.
If he is willing, then I think he is a really low risk signing for next season.
if he was in the plans at all, he'd be in St. Louis right now for training camp. The Lehtera ship has sailed...he'll be a career Euro-leaguer.
Lehterä might not be in our plans, but we did meet with him and speak with him a few times last year. His leg break killed that from going any further, so our plans for him aren't known.
The fact he isn't in St. Louis for training camp also tells us nothing. He has a valid KHL contract, so even if we were desperate to sign him for next season, he wouldn't be there.
Lehterä might not be in our plans, but we did meet with him and speak with him a few times last year. His leg break killed that from going any further, so our plans for him aren't known.
The fact he isn't in St. Louis for training camp also tells us nothing. He has a valid KHL contract, so even if we were desperate to sign him for next season, he wouldn't be there.
He has a valid NHL contract as well. He signed a 3-year ELC in summer of 2010. If he wanted to be here, he'd be here...no ifs, ands or buts. He has no desire to work his way through the minors and is not going to be guaranteed an NHL-roster spot by any team, regardless of the depth of their forwards. Folks can continue to track this guy's progress and plan for him to join the roster in '13-'14 or beyond...but it seems kind of silly to me.
He has a valid NHL contract as well. He signed a 3-year ELC in summer of 2010. If he wanted to be here, he'd be here...no ifs, ands or buts. He has no desire to work his way through the minors and is not going to be guaranteed an NHL-roster spot by any team, regardless of the depth of their forwards. Folks can continue to track this guy's progress and plan for him to join the roster in '13-'14 or beyond...but it seems kind of silly to me.
He has no current contract with the Blues. He signed a 2 year deal, which has expired.
I will say that if it doesn't happen this summer, then it isn't going to happen. But we were certainly showing interest last season before his injury. He has progressed further this season and if he is looking for a 1-way contract worth around $1.5m then the benefits probably outweigh the risks.
The team can always sign him to a one-way deal over the summer but assign him to the AHL if it's before the deadline. He doesn't have to pass through waivers. We can call him up but not send him down unless he passes through waivers.
Yea, he's Junland 2.0. He would already be over if he was in our plans.
This simply isn't true. He's on the radar for sure, I think I even remember Armstrong discussing him a few times in the recent past. After this season (I believe) he will no longer have to sign an ELC, which is a big deal to a lot of people that have the option of playing in the KHL.
He has no current contract with the Blues. He signed a 2 year deal, which has expired.
I will say that if it doesn't happen this summer, then it isn't going to happen. But we were certainly showing interest last season before his injury. He has progressed further this season and if he is looking for a 1-way contract worth around $1.5m then the benefits probably outweigh the risks.
Sounds good to me. I'd rather use the roster spot next season on seeing what Lehtera has than on resigning Matt D'Agostini. Lehtera is a playmaker and a center, areas the Blues are weak in.
I guess I just don't understand why everyone is so hesitant to give Lehtera a 1-way NHL contract, but is okay with penciling in Tarasenko on the second line.
If he doesn't pan out, he can return to Russia, and at least we'll know. Otherwise it is a waste of a draft pick to take a European who proceeds to excel at every level, including being top five in scoring the best league in the world the past few months and never give them a shot.
Lehtera is not currently signed to an NHL contract. The Blues did however qualify him this past summer to retain his rights. If they had no interest in him, they wouldn’t have bothered to retain his rights.
I also get the impression that Lehtera has very little to no desire to spend any time in Peoria though and that’s the main problem. For the Blues to give him a one-way contract, they will have to 1. Have a spot open for him (likely 3rd line center) and 2. Feel comfortable enough in his defensive play, skating, physicality and ability to transition to a league full of bigger, faster, stronger opponents without much of a safety net. Tarasenko is a better skater, more physical and also better defensively (as well as being more skilled) so that’s why he was pretty much given a spot on the team while that’s not nearly as certain for Lehtera. Tarasenko is also on a two-way contract with adds additional insurance for the Blues. With all of his question marks and the fact that he has little to no interest in spending a day in Peoria, that’s why Lehtera keeps returning to Russia IMO. He either needs to come off of his one-way contract/no Peoria demands or improve his deficiencies to the point that the Blues feel comfortable signing him to a one-way deal or he’s going to stay in Europe forever IMO.
How serious Lehtera is on an NHL career is also an unknown. IMO, if he wants to be an NHLer, he needs to come over to STL this summer and work out with the Blues and convince them that he’s shorn up his weaknesses to where they would then be comfortable signing him to a one-way deal. Of course, they would also need to have room for him (ie, say a winger is moved so they plan to move Steen back to LW).
The other option is to hopefully drum up interest in him around the league and then trade him to a team that either has room for him or their style of play simply matches his game better. Quite honestly, a skilled but non-physical, average skating, below average defensively center doesn’t exactly scream “Blues” to me.
Another option would be to give Lehtera a one-way deal but to have it written into his contract that if he doesn’t earn a spot with the Blues by X date or the Blues don’t trade him to a team that does have room for him, then they agree to return him to the KHL. What Lehtera doesn’t want is to play in Peoria and what the Blues don’t want is to be paying him ~ $1M to play in Peoria. A “KHL loan” clause like that in his contract would seem to solve that concern for both sides, ie. we’ll give you a shot but if you don’t make it, we’ll let you go back to the KHL instead of burying you in the minors.
Another option would be to give Lehtera a one-way deal but to have it written into his contract that if he doesn’t earn a spot with the Blues by X date or the Blues don’t trade him to a team that does have room for him, then they agree to return him to the KHL. What Lehtera doesn’t want is to play in Peoria and what the Blues don’t want is to be paying him ~ $1M to play in Peoria. A “KHL loan” clause like that in his contract would seem to solve that concern for both sides, ie. we’ll give you a shot but if you don’t make it, we’ll let you go back to the KHL instead of burying you in the minors.
This. I really can't see any negatives in this option.
