(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
In the summer of 2020, the NHL’s Western Conference took a massive shift with one offseason acquisition. The St. Louis Blues desperately tried to retain their Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, but the terms were unappealing for both parties. The Blues felt that they had offered all they could, while Alex Pietrangelo was expecting an offer he couldn’t refuse. Well, he did, and the rest is history.
Doug Armstrong still wishes things would’ve worked out between the team and Alex Pietrangelo. Full episode out now #stlblues @CamandStrick pic.twitter.com/LjfwPMApVo
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) September 3, 2024
After an arduous first season in Vegas, Pietrangelo settled in and helped lead them to a Stanley Cup championship. Since that offseason, both teams have gone in opposite directions. The Blues were even nice enough to invite the Golden Knights to their 2023 fire sale and sold them Ivan Barbashev near the trade deadline.
VGK vs STL Since 2020-21:
- Wins: VGK (179), STL (156)
- Points: VGK (385), STL (345)
- Goals Scored: (982), STL (970)
- Goals Allowed: (834), STL (952)
- Playoff Wins: VGK (29), STL (6)
- Playoff Series Won: VGK (6), STL (1)
- Stanley Cup Trophies: VGK (1), STL (0)
This week St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong opened up on the Cam and Strick Podcast about the summer deal that was denied and forced his former captain to leave Missouri for Nevada. Watching Pietrangelo go on to have more success with the Golden Knights clearly torments Armstrong to this day.
I understand who does the work in an organization. It’s the guys on the ice. If I could go back in time to make that work, I would have done it. It didn’t work and I’m disappointed in it. –Doug Armstrong, Blues GM on Cam And Strick Podcast
After the ink dried the uprooted defenseman fondly reflected on his time in St. Louis and had hoped something would work out with the Blues. However, he wasn’t regretting his new contract and opportunity with the Golden Knights. St. Louis’ championship window closed after their successful 2019 Stanley Cup Finals run and Vegas’ was wide open.
That’s obviously the difficult part of making a decision like we did, right, as a family. Even the people that maybe don’t understand it, or don’t agree with it, no one really will understand except for me and my wife because it was our decision to make. People know how important the city of St. Louis is to me. Look, my kids were born there. There’s a lot of things that are special to me in that city, and it will always be that way, right? I understand both sides of it. It’s just people should know how important the city is to me and how important it will always be. But when push comes to shove, when it’s work, I’m going to have to push those feelings aside. -Alex Pietrangelo, 1/25/21
St. Louis’ upper management felt the need to control their cap spending and slightly overpaying for a known commodity was not in their best interest. Both sides went back and forth for months trying to work on an extension in 2019 with no success. After the initial negotiations were at a stalemate, the possibility of Pietrangelo being on the move became highly likely. It’s possible that Armstrong and his Blues advisors believed the 3x All-Star was bluffing. Ultimately, it paid off for the player and not the unsettled executive.
When asked why the deal broke down, Armstrong declined to get into details. Frankly, it doesn’t sound like he wants Blues fans knowing how foolish it was to let Pietrangelo walk in free agency.
I don’t want to get into it. He’s still playing, and I’m still working. The next year I was doing the Olympics, and we had to make our core guys and I named him as one of those core guys. The respect I have for the guy is unbelievable and he’s still chugging along and doing a hell of a job. –Doug Armstrong, Blues GM on Cam And Strick Podcast
Not only does Armstrong highly respect his former captain but he believes Pietrangelo should be immortalized in front of St. Louis’ Enterprise Center. It sounds like there will potentially be an open spot alongside the statues of Bernie Federko, Brett Hull and Al MacInnes.
Heck, if Pietrangelo wins another Stanley Cup with Vegas, he might have statues in two different cities when his career comes to a close.
There’s not a day that goes by and see those statues outside the arena, and it doesn’t cross my mind that he should have one. –Doug Armstrong, Blues GM on Cam And Strick Podcast
The future Hall of Famer has three years remaining on his 7-year/$61.6M contract and there are no signs of him slowing down. Pietrangelo still covers top lines, logs heavy minutes, and can skate in all situations. When his contract with Vegas ends, the 16-year veteran will be 38. He could sign an extension with the Golden Knights, retire, or return to St. Louis to bookend his career. However it ends, both teams got their money’s worth with the 4th overall selection in 2008.
Alex
VGK FO still lamenting overpaying one hit wonder Hill…
John W
Please stop. Reading the same comment from you every time makes you look sad…..maybe you have a secret love for 33, and are obsessing about him?
Regardless, move on. We know where you stand.
Alex
You post what you want, and I will post what I want. Discussion over
knights fan in minny
discussion over get lost fuck head
John W
A discussion usually isn’t repetitive ranting, and contains intellectual originality.
The level of discourse on this site is pathetic.
Emmanuel
The BIG issue is that new people to the site will not stay due to the EXCESSIVE poop posting.
At this point I think 1/3 of the posters arent even Hockey fans!
ThG
your repeated posting of same word for word sentence is sign of mental illness,
seek therapy NOW !
Dirtnap gene scott
Beats my ass cancer that barb helped along to get my cash
Ailed
Hill stretched his wife out and he’s bitter he falls in now.
Dirtnap gene scott
With the extra cash he can upgrade from that current butter face to a hotter bitch. – that’s what I did!
knights fan in minny
fuck off loser
Alex
Go easy on John W, you idiot.
knights fan in minny
fuck you stupid fuck pile of shit
Allalu Akbar
LOL Alex punked you again, trailer hick!
ThG
AA
get lost fascist Jew Hater.
Jp
I have absolutely no problem in the trade. Pietrangelo was an excellent skater but he had no toughness. People rough him up and he would just take it. That’s not what the team needed.
knights fan in minny
fuck off fake ass poster with shit for brains
Dirtnap gene scott
Face it – you were punked
knights fan in minny
how you dumb fuck fake ass poster i said nothing about john w the poster so fuck off nig nog loser
Emmanuel
Im not sure hes a hall of famer but its a valid discussion. As for statues in front of arenas, possible but only likely if he had stayed with one team for most of his career.
JB
Yea, I think Petro will need to finish strong to get hall of fame?
Ike
He will get a statue in St.Louis, Vegas can do what they want.
He was the captain of Blues 1st nd only so far Stanley cup and statistically one of the best if not the best to ever lace up a pair of skates for Blues on defense. His time in St Louis was his prime and he’s still beloved there and his loss is still lamented over, the fans will buy him a statue if they have to.
larry
I will state again my feeling on Hill….he was vastly overpaid after the Stanley Cup win…..however did I mention a Stanley Cup win?…it made sense they did so….not to mention signing him at that point in all likelihood kept him from signing with the @#$#$@ oilers….so there is that!!
Hes a really good goalie when healthy….to quote William S….’Ay theres the rub’…what will the 24-25 season hold….happily or not as to how VGK will perform…..there is joy in Mudville cause the season is right around the corner!!
NAM
Outside of one (important) playoff stretch Hill hasn’t done much at all his whole NHL career. Average at best. Injuries and backup level play. I thought it was obvious to everyone that every goalie inserted in the VGK lineup during the cup year was great. LB was amazing before he got hurt. LT was an all star and the starter before he got hurt. It seemed so obvious to me that Hill wasn’t worth the pay day, wish him well, let him go get it from another team, but no we sent Smith away and overpaid Hill. “Talk about disfunction” McCrimmon would be back in juniors if not for Cassidy saving his ass and the magic of the cup run.
I do hope Hill can prove me wrong. I like the guy, but I don’t see the team defense he is going to require to be successful.
ThG
that is testimony to VGK goalie staff and coaching the players so they know what to expect in each game
JB
Valid arguments good and bad on Hill. He did play great to help us win the cup! Also, he was playing great last year up until his injury. Our defensive structure did help our goalies. I honestly believe that if he stays healthy he will have a good season!
ThG
get lost B J, your post is garbage flip flop bull shit, just like every else you post here
loser
pin stripes will suite you well, lawyer up yet ?
JB
FBI, fbi, fbi, fbi,fbi …. Will get him !
knights fan in minny
shut up dumb fuck bj
larry
Much like Hill i felt Barbashev was overpaid as well….but again understood why….and as far as Smith being traded it was absolutely 100 percent the right move as VGK got 5 years younger by signing Ivan.
Emmanuel
Theyre a “built thru free agency” team, they gotta keep swapping out the core players or they will all get old at the same time.
larry
While i still think our window is open….i also get the chills thinking about how we may get older sooner than later….and become like the sharks…..aye carumba!!
Allalu Akbar
Cassidy and Hill will be gone by Xmas
knights fan in minny
i hope you vanish by xmas dumb fuck loser
The hockey God
“there are no signs of him slowing down.”
I guess the writer was asleep during the second half of season
ThG
LOS ANGELES, CA — James Earl Jones, the icon of stage and screen, has died. He was 93.
The legendary actor was known for his commanding screen presence and booming voice and for giving life to Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in Disney’s “The Lion King.”
His representatives confirmed to Deadline that Jones died at his home in Dutchess County, New York. The death of the legendary Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winner has sent fans and the entertainment industry into mourning.
Mark Hamill, who played Jones’ son Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” franchise, tweeted simply, “dad” with a broken heart emoji.
Dirtnap gene scott
Bad actor…apparently a shit bag too…just saw him at reception down here
ThG
typical example of why socialism = high taxes/high spending = liberalism = mental disorder.
When John Tavares was a child, he’d sit on the couch beside his father in his family’s home in a Toronto suburb and watch their favorite team play.
The Maple Leafs colored the boy’s imagination. Like many kids in the area, he hoped to one day wear a blue and white jersey — to become a hometown hero.
On July 1, 2018, the opening day of NHL free agency, it happened. The star center signed a seven-year $77 million contract with the Maple Leafs.
After the blockbuster signing was announced, Tavares shared on social media a photo of himself as a child, sleeping in Maple Leaf sheets.
“Not every day you can live a childhood dream,” he wrote beneath the image.
But the nostalgic sentiment carried fine print. A key part in Tavares’ decision to sign with Toronto was the belief that a provision in the U.S.-Canada tax treaty commonly used by professional athletes would essentially allow him to pay a lower tax rate on a initial $15M signing bonus.
Six years later, as the Leafs’ captain enters the final year of that contract, Tavares faces an $8 million tax bill for his homecoming.
Tavares has disputed the Canada Revenue Agency’s assessment. It’s one of several ongoing cases challenging ways that pro athletes have traditionally navigated higher tax rates north of the border.
Millions of dollars lay in the balance. The outcome of the CRA’s challenges could have serious implications for professional athletes currently playing in Canada, and a long-term impact on the appeal of Canadian teams trying to lure players across the border, says Robert Raiola, a director of the sports and entertainment division with PKF O’Connor Davies, an accounting, advisory and tax firm.
“I always say when somebody is a free agent, players should not only look at the ‘gross’ value of the deal, but also the ‘net’ value of the deal,” he says.
If they do, the numbers often point to a player going, Raiola says, “anywhere but Canada.”
Donald J Trump
Well, here we go again—another round of Chuck Schumer versus the GOP, and this time, the battle is over a short-term spending bill with an election integrity twist. Schumer’s made it crystal clear: he’s not going to let the Senate consider any funding measure that includes the GOP’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Why? Because requiring proof of citizenship to vote is apparently “Republican extremism” in his book. Seriously?
Schumer says he’s all about bipartisanship, but only as long as it aligns with his agenda. In his letter to fellow Democrats, he warned that without a deal, we could be staring down the barrel of a government shutdown by the end of September. The usual suspects like healthcare, veterans’ benefits, and border security (ironic, right?) are all at stake. Of course, it’s not like Republicans don’t want to fund those things. They just want to ensure the people voting in federal elections are actually citizens. Radical idea, I know.
But Schumer and his pal Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray are having none of it. They’ve flat-out rejected the House GOP’s attempt to pair the spending extension with the SAVE Act. The act itself? It’s a pretty straightforward bill that says, “Hey, if you want to vote, prove you’re a citizen.” It’s not exactly rocket science. But Schumer and the Democrats aren’t budging. Apparently, asking for voter integrity is too partisan for them.
Chris Murphy has made his position clear. He wants illegal aliens to vote in our elections.
It’s time to put the ball in the Senate’s court.
We need every Democrat on record on the SAVE Act & whether they’re willing to shut our government down to protect illegal voting. pic.twitter.com/ux00TQn773
— Robert Hyde for U.S. Senate (@HydeforSenate) September 7, 2024
I guess he hasn’t seen what’s happening in Colorado right now, where illegal immigrant Venezuelan gangs have taken over. Or maybe he should tell that to the families of all the women who have been brutally rapped and/or murdered these past couple of years by illegal immigrants. But according to Murphey, you’re safer in their hands over your fellow Americans. Ridiculous.
Over in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson is sticking to his guns, saying the GOP proposal “has a lot of merit.” And why shouldn’t it? After all, they’ve already passed the SAVE Act in the House with bipartisan support. But Schumer, along with the Biden administration, isn’t interested. They claim the bill creates unnecessary burdens on voters—though how verifying citizenship became an undue burden is anyone’s guess.
Senator Rick Scott fired back, pointing out the absurdity of Schumer’s stance. He rightly noted that by Schumer’s logic, every Democrat must be perfectly fine with noncitizens voting in U.S. elections. Let that sink in for a minute. When did protecting the integrity of our elections become “extremism”?
Scott stated that the top Democrat “thinks that preventing illegal immigrants from voting is ‘Republican extremism.’ That means that every Democrat supports allowing illegal immigrants to vote. This is insane, a threat to democracy, and must be fixed by passing the SAVE Act.”
And here’s the kicker—Democrats want the short-term spending bill to extend only until mid-December, right around the time Kamala Harris, if she wins in November, would be dealing with her first budget deadline. Funny how that works, right? Meanwhile, House Republicans are pushing for a longer extension to keep the Democrats from slipping in an omnibus bill to undercut a potential second Trump term.