Blues sign Scott Gomez to a PTO. Berglund out 4 months

[sureLoss]

Andy Strickland @andystrickland
Veteran forward Scott Gomez has accepted the #stlblues invite to training camp #PTO #NHL

St. Louis Blues @StLouisBlues
BREAKING NEWS: Patrik Berglund will undergo shoulder surgery on Friday and will be re-evaluated in four months.

[the2bears]

Odd Berglund didn't opt for surgery earlier. Maybe they were hoping it would turn out to be unnecessary.

[Locke]

I think Gomez still has some gas in the tank.

[Enoch Root]

Odd Berglund didn't opt for surgery earlier. Maybe they were hoping it would turn out to be unnecessary.

or maybe he recently exacerbated it in training

[CroFlames]

If I was a GM with a contending team, I'd offer PTO's to all sorts of skilled veterans in the twilights of careers. It's no risk - potential high reward.

If you give him a million bucks and he scores you 10-15 goals and is able to offer some leadership in the room, it's a homerun.

[Locke]

If I was a GM with a contending team, I'd offer PTO's to all sorts of skilled veterans in the twilights of careers. It's no risk - potential high reward.

If you give him a million bucks and he scores you 10-15 goals and is able to offer some leadership in the room, it's a homerun.

Yeah, but it also screws with some of the chemistry.

Signing that veteran condemns a prospect to the AHL which has potential consequences in the long-run.

[Enoch Root]

There is also the issue of the 23 man roster limit and 50 man player limit.

[savardandjokinen]

Gomez can be serviceable and can try to replace berglund.

[CroFlames]

Yeah, but it also screws with some of the chemistry.

Signing that veteran condemns a prospect to the AHL which has potential consequences in the long-run.

Naturally, but you hafta pick your battles at some point. If prospect X isn't quite ready and you feel your team is in it's Stanley Cup window, you certainly forgo the development of the prospect and sign the veteran, assuming said veteran shows during the PTO.

If it's 50/50, you don't sign the veteran and there is no harm.

[codynw]

Gomez, surprisingly, had a pretty good year with NJ. This could be great for the Blues.

[GreenLantern]

I thought Gomez had a decent rebound year with the Devils last year, surprised there wasn't any interest from other teams for league minimum.

With a PTO is it pretty much assumed you will sign for a league minimum or lower value price? Or is there a built in salary limit of any kind?

[Enoch Root]

I don't have anything concrete to hang it on, but I just get the feeling that St Louis' window to win the cup is rapidly slamming shut in their face.