Zero
12-12-2005, 07:56 AM
Blues are set to move Lalime
By Jeremy Rutherford (jrutherford@<hidden>)
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, Dec. 11 2005
The Blues' 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Rangers Saturday night may have
been goaltender Patrick Lalime's last game in a St. Louis uniform.
The team is expected to make a move regarding Lalime as soon as today.
The Blues have a few options, including trading the seven-year veteran or
placing him on waivers. General manager Larry Pleau would not confirm Sunday
that one of those transactions was about to take place.
"I don't talk about those situations," Pleau said. "That's something that I
never discuss. If we're going to make a trade, we've never come out and say
we're going to do this."
With Lalime sitting out for six games last month to refocus, his performance
already was being called into question. It appears that the loss Saturday,
after the Blues rallied twice to tie the score in the third period, was the
clincher.
Lalime dropped to 3-11-4 this season, allowing four goals Saturday that coach
Mike Kitchen considered soft.
One of the goals deflected in off the skate of defenseman Bryce Salvador, and
the game-winner by Martin Rucinsky bounced off the glass behind Lalime and then
off his backside and into the net. In his postgame news conference, Kitchen
said Lalime needed to have more puck awareness. He added: "All you want is to
be square to the puck and efficient in your movement. ... That's basically all
you're looking for in a goalie."
The most telling comment from Kitchen may have been his briefest statement.
"It's up to us to make things better," he said.
Reached Sunday, Kitchen would not confirm that the Blues were close to making a
move with Lalime. In fact, he softened his stance somewhat on Lalime's slump.
"We're in a team game here," Kitchen said. "If someone's struggling, they give
him support. Just like any other player, you give them support."
But the Blues appear to be headed in another direction.
Though Lalime has played with an inexperienced and often injured defense, the
team believes he has had plenty of chances.
Lalime was 2-9 when the Blues benched him on Nov. 12 and called up Curtis
Sanford from Peoria. Sanford played six games before Lalime returned to the net
Dec. 1 against Columbus and picked up his third victory of the season, in a 4-1
win over the Blue Jackets. But in his second game back, the Blues lost 6-3 to
the New York Islanders and Lalime was pulled for the fourth time this season.
In his past three games, Lalime allowed 13 goals on 73 shots. His .866
save-percentage is the lowest of any NHL goalie with 15 or more games played.
Adding to the frustration, Kitchen and Lalime appeared to be on different pages
after the loss Saturday.
"I look at those goals ... I would probably have done the same thing on those
three again," Lalime said. "I don't know. It's just bad breaks."
Lalime was unavailable to comment Sunday.
Trading Lalime might not seem probable, considering his recent failures and his
$2.4 million salary. Under the new collective-bargaining agreement, the Blues
are not allowed to pick up a portion of the salary to move him. But teams
around the league are squirming for goaltending.
The more likely move would be placing Lalime on waivers, giving teams 24 hours
to claim him. A team that claimed him would be responsible for the remainder of
his salary.
If a player clears waivers, normally he is sent to the club's minor league
affiliate. But it's doubtful the Blues would send Lalime to Peoria because, if
they recalled him, he would have to clear re-entry waivers. If he were claimed
on re-entry waivers, the club would be responsible for 50 percent of his
remaining salary.
A situation could arise in which Lalime clears waivers and then sits idle, like
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Todd Marchant did last month. The Blue Jackets
did not send Marchant to their affiliate in Syracuse, assuring that they would
not pay any of his salary upon re-entry. Anaheim eventually picked up Marchant
when he was sent back through waivers.
At that point, though, the bigger concern to the Blues would be the goaltenders
they have in uniform.
Unless the Blues make a trade, Curtis Sanford will be the starter. He's 2-4
with a 3.35 goals-against average this season. It's unclear who will back up
Sanford because both Jason Bacashihua and Reinhard Divis are struggling in
Peoria.
Bacashihua was replaced by Divis over the weekend, and in two games, Divis
allowed seven goals on 19 shots. Divis is 2-4-1 with an .887 save percentage at
Peoria. In five games with the Blues this season, he was 0-2 with an .845 save
percentage.
Bacashihua, who has never played in the NHL, is 9-3 at Peoria this season.
By Jeremy Rutherford (jrutherford@<hidden>)
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, Dec. 11 2005
The Blues' 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Rangers Saturday night may have
been goaltender Patrick Lalime's last game in a St. Louis uniform.
The team is expected to make a move regarding Lalime as soon as today.
The Blues have a few options, including trading the seven-year veteran or
placing him on waivers. General manager Larry Pleau would not confirm Sunday
that one of those transactions was about to take place.
"I don't talk about those situations," Pleau said. "That's something that I
never discuss. If we're going to make a trade, we've never come out and say
we're going to do this."
With Lalime sitting out for six games last month to refocus, his performance
already was being called into question. It appears that the loss Saturday,
after the Blues rallied twice to tie the score in the third period, was the
clincher.
Lalime dropped to 3-11-4 this season, allowing four goals Saturday that coach
Mike Kitchen considered soft.
One of the goals deflected in off the skate of defenseman Bryce Salvador, and
the game-winner by Martin Rucinsky bounced off the glass behind Lalime and then
off his backside and into the net. In his postgame news conference, Kitchen
said Lalime needed to have more puck awareness. He added: "All you want is to
be square to the puck and efficient in your movement. ... That's basically all
you're looking for in a goalie."
The most telling comment from Kitchen may have been his briefest statement.
"It's up to us to make things better," he said.
Reached Sunday, Kitchen would not confirm that the Blues were close to making a
move with Lalime. In fact, he softened his stance somewhat on Lalime's slump.
"We're in a team game here," Kitchen said. "If someone's struggling, they give
him support. Just like any other player, you give them support."
But the Blues appear to be headed in another direction.
Though Lalime has played with an inexperienced and often injured defense, the
team believes he has had plenty of chances.
Lalime was 2-9 when the Blues benched him on Nov. 12 and called up Curtis
Sanford from Peoria. Sanford played six games before Lalime returned to the net
Dec. 1 against Columbus and picked up his third victory of the season, in a 4-1
win over the Blue Jackets. But in his second game back, the Blues lost 6-3 to
the New York Islanders and Lalime was pulled for the fourth time this season.
In his past three games, Lalime allowed 13 goals on 73 shots. His .866
save-percentage is the lowest of any NHL goalie with 15 or more games played.
Adding to the frustration, Kitchen and Lalime appeared to be on different pages
after the loss Saturday.
"I look at those goals ... I would probably have done the same thing on those
three again," Lalime said. "I don't know. It's just bad breaks."
Lalime was unavailable to comment Sunday.
Trading Lalime might not seem probable, considering his recent failures and his
$2.4 million salary. Under the new collective-bargaining agreement, the Blues
are not allowed to pick up a portion of the salary to move him. But teams
around the league are squirming for goaltending.
The more likely move would be placing Lalime on waivers, giving teams 24 hours
to claim him. A team that claimed him would be responsible for the remainder of
his salary.
If a player clears waivers, normally he is sent to the club's minor league
affiliate. But it's doubtful the Blues would send Lalime to Peoria because, if
they recalled him, he would have to clear re-entry waivers. If he were claimed
on re-entry waivers, the club would be responsible for 50 percent of his
remaining salary.
A situation could arise in which Lalime clears waivers and then sits idle, like
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Todd Marchant did last month. The Blue Jackets
did not send Marchant to their affiliate in Syracuse, assuring that they would
not pay any of his salary upon re-entry. Anaheim eventually picked up Marchant
when he was sent back through waivers.
At that point, though, the bigger concern to the Blues would be the goaltenders
they have in uniform.
Unless the Blues make a trade, Curtis Sanford will be the starter. He's 2-4
with a 3.35 goals-against average this season. It's unclear who will back up
Sanford because both Jason Bacashihua and Reinhard Divis are struggling in
Peoria.
Bacashihua was replaced by Divis over the weekend, and in two games, Divis
allowed seven goals on 19 shots. Divis is 2-4-1 with an .887 save percentage at
Peoria. In five games with the Blues this season, he was 0-2 with an .845 save
percentage.
Bacashihua, who has never played in the NHL, is 9-3 at Peoria this season.