Complete Guide to the 2015 Offseason for the St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues failed to make it past the first round for the third consecutive season, and their season can be looked at as a colossal failure. This year's script was the same as the last two, as the Blues ultimately were eliminated in six games. The Minnesota Wild were the team's weakest playoff opponent of the last three seasons, and by all accounts the Blues should have been able to beat them.

When St. Louis lost to the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks, there was some blow back, but to a degree it was understood why they came up short. The Kings ran the gauntlet to the Stanley Cup Final, and the Blackhawks were a championship-caliber team.

The inability to get it done in the playoffs is baffling, because the Blues have been dominant over the last two-and-a-half seasons with a 132-64-17 record and 280 points. After completing a hat trick of first-round failure, something has to change, and it will be interesting to see which direction the franchise decides to take. With that in mind, here is a complete guide for the Blues' 2015 offseason.

Top Performers

Vladimir Tarasenko led the Blues in scoring with 37 goals and 73 points in 77 games. He added six more goals and seven points in the playoffs and was the team MVP of 2014-15.

Alex Steen followed up a solid 2013-14 season with a 64-point campaign this year, showing that his past success wasn't a fluke.

Jaden Schwartz had a breakout season in which he scored 28 goals and 63 points, and his growth this season was impressive. He has exceeded early expectations, and there are high hopes for his future.

Biggest Disappointments

The Blues landed Paul Stastny as a free agent in the summer of 2014, and he failed to leave his mark. He was a 65-point center with the Colorado Avalanche, but this season he only tallied a meager 46 points in 74 games. The investment looks foolish now, as he was unable to help St. Louis in the playoffs.

Both David Backes and T.J. Oshie had a decent regular season, tallying 58 and 55 points, respectively. During the playoffs, they combined for only three points, and their inability to come through in a tough spot reminded fans of Team USA's overall performance in Sochi, sans a brilliant shootout against the Russians.

Final Analysis

Once again the Blues had a solid regular season but failed to get it done in the playoffs. It would be stupid to keep the band together for another season, and at this point the Blues could benefit from a transaction that puts everyone in the organization on notice.

Will Ken Hitchcock Be Fired?

As pointed out succinctly by Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports, Hitch may have reached his shelf life with the Blues:

Look, there’s no denying the effect Hitchcock had on this franchise. His systematic structure produced four straight playoff years – Year 1 had him taking over for Davis Payne after 13 games – with the Blues twice finishing first and twice finishing second.

But their six-game bow to the Minnesota Wild is the third straight season that they’re out on their asses in the first round. This year’s loss came at the expense of the best roster, on paper, that GM Doug Armstrong has given his coach. And it wasn’t against the Kings or the Blackhawks. It was against a team they should have beaten.

The Blues' inability to get past the Wild is certainly a strike against Hitch, but can it be blamed solely on him? His tactical maneuvers were unable to stop Zach Parise, and Devan Dubnyk rendered the majority of St. Louis' offensive players useless. 

But again, how much can you pin on the coach before the players have to become accountable? It should be noted that Hitchcock isn't in any immediate danger, as general manager Doug Armstrong said that no decisions were imminent. 

In addition to that, NHL.com's Lou Korac had this to say:

@lkorac10:

Armstrong and Hitch are very close friends. Armstrong will not be the one to push Hitch out the door. This will be Hitch's choice. #stlblues

Will the Blues Trade Players from the Core?

In 443 career games, T.J. Oshie has 310 points, and that seems like a respectable number. However, he has a habit of disappearing during the postseason. In 30 playoff games he has only nine points.

That is a major issue, and one that is on him and not the coaching staff. David Backes has been just as bad, as he has 415 points in 648 regular-season games and only 13 points in 28 playoff games.

Oshie is under contract for the next two seasons, but Backes is a free agent next summer. Both players have solid contracts, but continued failure in the playoffs may finally catch up with them.

Who Is Going to be the Starting Goaltender?

The St. Louis Blues have done a great job of writing the book on how not to treat goaltenders. The franchise has not had a goaltender appear in at least 50 games since the 2010-11 season, and the frequent switching of goaltenders has not allowed one netminder to develop and thrive as a starter. 

Jaroslav Halak started 57 games that year, Ty Conklin appeared in 25, and Ben Bishop had some appearances in relief.

Over the last few seasons, Brian Elliott, Jake Allen, Halak and Ryan Miller have all had to fight for their jobs, and come playoff time they have collapsed like a house of cards. This is because no one goalie has been allowed to make a mistake and fight through it.

The coaching staff yanked them time after time, and that was put on full display during the Blues' loss in Game 6. The Blues need to find a starting goaltender, and whoever it is has to play 60 or so games. The splitting of starts has to come to an end, and if that means Allen or Elliott has to be traded, then so be it.

Zbynek Michalek: The veteran defender was a costly rental, and he didn't appear in many games for the Blues. There is a chance they could re-sign him, as the Blues only have four defenders locked up past the upcoming season.

Barret Jackman: Jackman is another veteran blueliner who needs a new contract. He's been a mainstay for the past few seasons but could lose his job to someone like Robert Bortuzzo.

Marcel Goc: St. Louis acquired Goc in a trade for Max Lapierre, and he is a good center who is worth re-signing for a bottom-six role. He can win faceoffs and is an excellent penalty killer.

Restricted Free Agents: Vladimir Tarasenko, Robert Bortuzzo and Jake Allen

Vladimir Tarasenko

He is the team's best player and will command a large raise. It makes sense to sign him to a multiyear deal sooner rather than later, because he is going to only get better as a player.

Lou Korac is the Blues' beat writer for NHL.com, and he was present when Doug Armstrong talked about re-signing the superstar winger.

He fired off a series of tweets:

Armstrong said any offer sheet Tarasenko would get, they will undoubtedly, unequivocally match ANY one. He's not going anywhere. #stlblues

Armstrong said in preseason, Tarasenko wanted to wait on contract talks; approached again in mideason, VT wanted to wait. #stlblues

Armstrong: "The caveat on (Tarasenko's) deal is going to be term & compensation based on the cap." #stlblues

Armstrong (re Tarasenko): "We are not going to be signing other players until we get him taken care of." #stlblues

The Blues should pay him and be done with it, because if he is bridged, his next deal could be in the $9 million range when you consider that he will only get better as the salary cap increases.

Jake Allen

Allen is a talented netminder who has the chops to be the Blues' starter for many years to come. He had a rough outing in Game 6, but it will be a teachable moment that makes him better as an NHL player.

Robert Bortuzzo

St. Louis acquired Bortuzzo from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he is a physical top-four defender with some skill. The 26-year-old fit in well with the Blues and could be a solid asset for them on their back end next season.

The St. Louis Blues don't have a pick until No. 58, which is late in the second round. There is no way to project who will be on the board that late in the draft, but it goes without saying that the franchise will take the best overall player available.

T.J. Oshie

Oshie's deal has two years left at $4.175 million. At that point he will be an unrestricted free agent and free to field offers on the open market. Although he is a fan favorite and a skilled player, his consistent playoff failings have become an issue for the Blues.

He could fetch a nice return on the open market, and the emergence of Vladimir Tarasenko and Jayden Schwartz makes him expendable. In addition to that, Ivan Barbashev, Robby Fabbri, Dmitrij Jaskin and Ty Rattie are promising young forwards with some skill and grit, and the team could groom one of them to take Oshie's spot in the top six. 

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman (h/t Yahoo), his name was in play back in December, and the Boston Bruins were interested in Oshie's services.

Brian Elliott or Jake Allen

The Blues need to pick a goalie to be successful, and it would make sense to trade one this summer to a team that desperately needs one. This would give the team a chance to fill up some holes, and the Blues probably could acquire a true backup in the process if they felt uncomfortable promoting Jordan Binnington.

Given the St. Louis Blues' current financial situation, they aren't in a position to make any major trades. They have about $13 million to sign Vladimir Tarasenko, Jake Allen, Robert Bortuzzo and potential UFA defenders such as Barret Jackman and Zbynek Michalek.

However, here are the categories the Blues could look into if the money works out:

• Backup goaltender
• Third-line scoring
• Bottom-six defenseman

Ivan Barbashev

The Blues' 6'1", 190-pounder is a talented scoring forward who was selected in the second round of the 2014 draft. He tallied 95 points with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL and can join the Chicago Wolves next season in the AHL. He is a smart player who was stolen by the Blues, and don't be surprised to see him in the lineup next season.

Robby Fabbri

The Blues prospect is a 5'10", 170-pound center/right winger who was selected in the 2014 first round. He is a tenacious forward with amazing speed, creativity and hands. His ability to play with some grit makes him similar to T.J. Oshie, and there's a chance he could see some time in the AHL and NHL at the end of next season. He tallied four points in three games with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and 51 points in 30 games with the Guelph Storm.

Forwards

• Jaden Schwartz—Jori Lehtera—Vladimir Tarasenko
• Alex Steen—David Backes—T.J. Oshie
• Dmitrij Jaskin—Paul Stastny—Patrick Berglund
• Ty Rattie—Steve Ott—Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

• Jay Bouwmeester—Alex Pietrangelo
• Carl Gunnarsson—Kevin Shattenkirk
• Barret Jackman—Zbynek Michalek

Goalies

• Jake Allen
• Brian Elliott

Stats from NHL.com, Hockey-Reference and Elite Prospects. Salary information via Cap Central.