There have been countless reports suggesting Vladimir Sobotka will return to the Blues for the 2016-17 season. Despite all of the reports and the comments from the team’s front office, the calendar is pushing towards the end of July and yet there hasn’t been an official confirmation regarding Sobotka’s status. What’s the hold up?
Here’s where we left off:
Army on Sobotka "I talked to the agent once every 2-3 days and I get insurance he's not going back to KHL, he's coming to St. Louis… (1/2)
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 15, 2016
Army cont'd: "We've moved ahead that he's coming back, but until we get it in writing, there's nothing we can do except take his word" (2/2)
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 15, 2016
It was believed that Sobotka would have to terminate his KHL contract by the end of June prior to making his return to the Blues official, but there hasn’t been any recent updates in regards to his status.
Even JR sounds confused:
I don't often admit this, but join the crowd, I'm just as confused. When it comes to KHL, paperwork and releases, however, don't be
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 16, 2016
So, what’s going on? If there was a deadline for Sobotka to terminate his deal – and assuming he actually did it – then what is holding up the official announcement regarding his return? If he hasn’t terminated his deal, what’s the story? Considering this is the KHL we’re talking about, anything can happen and deadlines aren’t exactly concrete.
The Blues have seemingly handled their plans this summer under the assumption Sobotka will be in their lineup. Their quest to return to the lineup of yesteryear hinges on Sobotka traveling back to St. Louis. With David Backes and Troy Brouwer exiting, the team has been placed in a position where they need Sobotka to return in order to balance out the roster. He’s not an upgrade, but he’s a piece that complements the bottom six.
Blues fans have repeatedly heard Sobotka would be returning, but we’ve reached a strange point where no new information has been released when there was supposed to be some sort of conclusion. It’s gotten to the point that anything beyond a final statement from the team regarding his imminent return isn’t even worth paying attention to given the countless reports stating he’ll be back.
There’s been smoke for quite some time. It’s time to ignore it until there’s some real fire.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
