Three days after missing the playoffs
Chargers Elite Jerseys , the St. Louis Blues learned their star forward Vladimir Tarasenko will need surgery on Wednesday for a dislocated left shoulder.
Tarasenko was hurt in the first period of the regular-season finale on Saturday in Colorado. The Blues needed a point in the game to reach the
playoffs, but lost 5-2.
Tarasenko revealed he had a dislocated shoulder while standing with his left arm in a sling Tuesday as teammates cleared out their lockers. The recovery
after surgery can take up to six months.
”We’ll see how it goes,” Tarasenko said. ”It was a hard year all the way around.”
The 26-year-old led the team with 33 goals and 66 points. It was his lowest point total in four seasons. The Blues won 44 games this season and finished
with 94 points.
Mike Yeo wrapped up his first full season as the Blues coach. St. Louis is 66-40-8 since Yeo replaced Ken Hitchcock as coach on Feb. 1, 2017. That’s the
10th-best regular-season record in the NHL in that period.
But it’s little consolation for a team missing the playoffs for the first time after six straight seasons. Two years ago, the Blues were playing for the
conference championship.
”We understand we’ve taken a step back this year,” General Manager Doug Armstrong said. ”That lies firmly on my shoulders. My job is to deal in reality.
The formula we had this year did not breed success and we need to find that
formula.”
Armstrong said the play of special teams needs to improve.
The Blues were 30th on power-play success at 15.4 percent. They finished 18th in penalty killing at 79.7 percent. During the previous six seasons making the
playoffs, the Blues ranked No. 1 in the NHL in penalty killing with a rate of
84.3 percent.
However, the Blues scored only 38 power-play goals.
”As a coaching staff, I promise you we won’t just sit around and just assume things will get better next year,” Yeo said. ”We have to look at everything from
the way we manage it, operate it and holding guys accountable and the personnel
we’re using and the tactics.”
When Yeo coached the Minnesota Wild
Youth Preston Brown Jersey , the power play also was stagnant.
”I’ll take responsibility for it,” Yeo said. ”I don’t dodge that. That’s on me.”
Armstrong backs his coach.
”Mike and I are tethered together and we’re going to figure this thing out,” Armstrong said.
St. Louis was just 24-17 on home ice this season.
”You can’t have the home record we had and be satisfied,” Armstrong said. ”The people that come here work for a living and we need to send them home
happy. If we’re in the top 10 in home records, we’re in the playoffs.”
The salary cap should increase about $4 million for next season. Armstrong said the Blues ownership will continue to spend to the cap.
”We spend to the cap,” Armstrong said. ”We’ve had a good run here. We’ve got to get back to that.”
Goalie Jake Allen was signed to a four-year, $17.4 million contract on July 1, 2016. He finished with a 27-25-3 record, a 2.75 goals-against average, a .906
save percentage and one shutout.
”I definitely need to be more consistent,” Allen said. ”I know I’m capable of it. I don’t think I need to change much. I’m a pretty good goalie.”
Backup goaltender Carter Hutton is an unrestricted free agent. Hutton was 17-7-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. He had
three shutouts.
Armstrong said he wants to bring Hutton back.
Between wrist surgery
Authentic Markus Wheaton Jersey , signing a $54 million contract and nearly getting robbed, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles had quite the
start to the offseason.
His next phase probably won't create as much buzz, but it's much more important to the team's success in 2018.
Bortles opened organized team activities Tuesday behind a revamped offensive line and with three new passing targets ??all part of a plan to improve an
offense that featured the league's top rushing attack last season.
"I have always believed that when your quarterback is ahead of everyone, and the rest of the offense has to catch up, that is a pretty good thing," coach
Doug Marrone said. "You don't want the quarterback trying to catch up to the
rest of the offensive players. I think that Blake is in a good spot as far as
what he knows of the offense, what we want to do. It's just another year.
"I think that's why you see those quarterbacks that stay in these systems for a long period of time and play for a long period of time that do such a good
job."
Bortles threw for 3,687 yards, with 21 touchdowns and a career-low 13 interceptions in 2017. He was at his best in the postseason, throwing for 594
yards and three scores without a turnover.
Interceptions and fumbles were among Bortles' biggest faults during his first three years in the league. He limited them down the stretch last season and
eliminated them in the playoffs, helping the Jaguars reach the AFC championship
game.
"You want to have that every game
Youth Donte Jackson Jersey ," said Bortles, who had surgery to repair a partially torn ligament in his right wrist in late January. "Just wanting to
make sure that no matter what I did I gave us a chance to win. I knew that if I
didn't turn the ball over we're going to have a chance to win every game. That
should be and it is my mindset every single game we play. I think it was only
heightened in the playoffs to make sure I wasn't the reason we couldn't win the
game."
The Jaguars rewarded Bortles with a three-year contract that included $26.5 million guaranteed, making him the team's starter for at least the next two
seasons.
"The contract stuff doesn't really change anything about how I think or how I approach every day," he said.
The biggest difference, he said, is having continuity. The Jaguars returned their entire coaching staff, giving Bortles and offensive coordinator Nathaniel
Hackett a solid foundation to start from during OTAs.
"We talked about it this morning: Kind of taking it to the next level," said Bortles, who didn't have the freedom to audible early last season. "He kind of
gave me the green light to go ahead ... as far as what you're doing versus all
the different looks and not just running the play called, (but) getting yourself
in the best play possible."
Bortles will have a much different supporting cast to work with in 2018.
Donte Moncrief and rookie DJ Chark replaced receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins stepped in for longtime
starter Marcedes Lewis.
Moncrief and Chark are expected to bring more speed to Jacksonville's offense
http://www.chargersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kyzir-white-jersey , which coaches are counting on to help loosen up defenses and create more room
for bruising running back Leonard Fournette. The addition of All-Pro guard
Andrew Norwell should help, too.
Bortles will use the next few months to build a rapport with those newcomers. If it includes any dinners, Bortles probably will be sure to lock his truck.
Bortles had his wallet stolen and pickup truck nearly hijacked earlier this month from teammate Brandon Linder's driveway during an offensive line dinner.
An 18-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested and charged with auto theft, auto
burglary and trespassing.
Bortles left his keys inside his unlocked truck, but other vehicles parked around it prevented the man from driving away.
"He checked my truck out a little bit and left it nice and clean for me," joked Bortles, who has since teamed up with local police to help prevent
automobile burglaries. "It was all right. ... Glad to be back playing football,
running around. It feels good to kind of be back to some
familiarity."
.