2 Minute Minor
Hi Keeba!
The EJ trade was a big move, but in hindsight I think the return is less important than the addition of moving him out of the defensive depth chart so that Pietro could be the man. Shattenkirk is a nice piece, and I think he has a ceiling we haven't quite seen yet, but he's really the only lasting asset at this point (since the picks were traded, I don't really count Rattie as a plus here).
I feel about EJ like I did about The Phantom Menace. I really really wanted it to be great. I looked hard for little things to be positive about. I was in denial at how disappointing it was. Finally, the Jar Jar Binks in EJ can no longer be ignored. I'm glad he was moved. His fanbase seems to appreciate him for what he is (in Colorado) so I think it was a win-win all the way around.
But a 1st overall pick should have provided the Blues with a star caliber player with a long tenure, someone to build around. I give Armstrong a lot of credit for having the balls to pull the trigger on that trade, and conceding that Erik Johnson was never going to be that player for the Blues.
I feel about EJ like I did about The Phantom Menace. I really really wanted it to be great. I looked hard for little things to be positive about. I was in denial at how disappointing it was. Finally, the Jar Jar Binks in EJ can no longer be ignored. I'm glad he was moved. His fanbase seems to appreciate him for what he is (in Colorado) so I think it was a win-win all the way around.
But a 1st overall pick should have provided the Blues with a star caliber player with a long tenure, someone to build around. I give Armstrong a lot of credit for having the balls to pull the trigger on that trade, and conceding that Erik Johnson was never going to be that player for the Blues.