An interesting development in Sweden could make the St. Louis Blues’ decision to sign forward Dillon Dube questionable.
News broke on Tuesday that Swedish club Farjestad BK was backing out of a deal it had agreed to with defenseman Cal Foote.
As you may recall, Foote, like Dube, was one of the players involved in the Hockey Canada scandal. The pushback in Sweden was severe enough to lead the Swedish club to reconsider its signing of Foote.
The Blues, for their part, signed Dube. The deal got very little attention in terms of Dube’s checkered history. But considering that this situation with Foote unfolded overseas, could it lead to questions about the Blues signing Dube?
It’s a possibility.
The situation could lead Blues fans to reconsider the transaction, potentially raising concerns of their own. There is no question that signing players involved in the scandal could be a ticking time bomb.
And if Blues fans decide that the optics of the move don’t look good for the organization, St. Louis may need to figure out what to do moving forward.
Blues Could Just Leave Dube in the AHL
Perhaps the easiest way to diffuse any potential situation this season is to leave Dube in the AHL. Promoting the controversial player, even if he deserves another shot at the NHL, might be too complex for the Blues’ liking.
Unlike the situation with Foote in Sweden, the Blues can’t just rip up Dube’s contract. Unless Dube breaches his current contract, there may be no justifiable cause for its termination. As such, the Blues are stuck with the 28-year-old for this season.
Beyond that, the organization would have to figure out if it wants to keep him.
Maybe Blues fans are just much more forgiving than those in Sweden. Perhaps the Blues collective feels that Dube deserves a second chance.
While that attitude certainly speaks volumes about the type of fans in St. Louis, it won’t take away from the negative optics that could come from bringing Dube back into the NHL.
Alex Steen will face a complex situation moving forward. If Dube has another solid season in the AHL, the organization might have little choice but to bring him up to the NHL.
Last season, Dube scored 20 goals and 37 points in 46 games with Springfield. Those numbers may not be enough to unseat one of the incumbents in the Blues’ lineup. But they could warrant a cup of coffee.
So, let’s see what happens. The Blues may want to just sidestep the entire situation by keeping Dube in the AHL all season long. It might not be the prettiest way out of the situation. But the club may have little recourse to avoid an unnecessary black eye.
What to read next:
Could Dube’s NHL Career Be Over?
It might be a bit extreme to call Dillon Dube’s NHL career over. But in light of the backlash that other players involved in the scandal, like Carter Hart of the Vegas Golden Knights, NHL teams may not want to open up a can of worms for no reason.
That’s why, even if Blues fans are forgiving, other fan bases may not. Carolina fans let Hart know what they thought about him during the Stanley Cup Final this past spring.
Would the risk of backlash make sense for the Blues, or any organization for that matter?
It doesn’t seem likely. But that’s something remaining unclear at the moment.
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