Random Thoughts – 7/21

The summer days are dragging on, and the return of hockey seems to be very far off. There has been little news around the NHL of late, but that is sure to give once Heatley makes up his mind – if he makes up his mind. Since news is light, here are some quick NHL thoughts running through my head today.

– Roman Polak (right) certainly should be a Blue next season, and though his agent and the front office have yet to reach a deal, there is no reason to expect a deal to not get done prior to the season starting.

– Blues launched a new layout for their website, which I must say looks pretty sharp. This much improved version of their old site has an overall simpler layout, as well as graphics that really pop off the page. Check it out here.

– Curtis Sanford signed a one-year deal with Montreal after playing in 35 games last year for Vancouver. He signed a minimal deal … which sure makes the three-year deal the Blues offered a few years back look like one wasted opportunity. Good to hear he found a deal though, as the same can not be said for a plethora of goalies still on the market.

– St. Louis ranked #3 of NHL teams on the rise according to NHL.com, ranking just below Chicago and Washington. No complaints about the Blues ranking, but Chicago as number one is debateable. Their cap and front office blunder which may result in them trading away Patrick Sharp this summer. Also, they may run into a mess when it comes time to give Kane and Toews new deals. A team on the rise? Maybe not – more like a team that might have leveled off due to poor finiancial and front office decisions.

– The Polak situation aside, I still think it is a matter of time before the Blues bring in a veteran defender. Brewer’s health could be a big question mark, and while Erik Johnson looks to be near 100%, it would be wise to bring in some veteran experience and depth. I still think Zubov and Schneider are the most likely candidates, with Kaberle a very distant third.

– The most prominent thought today: when will the other shoe drop on all the speculation surrounding Heatley, Tanguay and Kaberle? Some “sources” (if you follow the hockey industry closely, you know who I am referring to) have labeled deals involving Heatley and Tanguay as sure things, but here we are, several days later with no complete transactions. I understand the need (and want) to be the first to post a story, but after so many shots in the dark and incorrect stories, one has to lose their credibility – right? But alas, people continue to flock to these sources and preach their gospel. Speculation and rumor talk is fun, but at the end of the day lets leave it at that and not label anything as final until it actually is, you know, final. (/rant)